New Starter Keeps Running

'92 Limited, AT, 242, 160K

It worked fine for 2 days. I went to back up into my driveway today and it stalled out. I fired it back up and backed into my drive but, I heard a strange electric motor sound. I turned off my engine and pull the key out and I still have something running. Checked my fan switch and it was off. The new starter is just spinning wildly away with the solenoid not engaging or anything! Luckily I have one of those marine battery terminals and I took the wing nut off and removed the ground. I double checked the starter wiring even though it's pretty foolproof but, when I hooked the ground back up it started running again.

I have spent some time searching but, I haven't found a problem like this one. I found where the starters keep the motors running when the key is turned off but, nothing like this.

you say its a new starter, so take it back and get a different one. i doubt it would be the first time in the world that a new one was defective out of the box.

if you try a new one or a known good unit and it still does this, then you have narrowed the problem down to something to do with your rig.

you could also try replacing the starter relay, that may be tripped in the closed possition keeping the starter motor running.

hth

Thanks for the info and it is going back (exactly why I spent $20 extra for a new one with lifetime warranty) if, I can't find out why it is doing that.

What about your starter relay, are you sure it's still good?

langer1 said:

What about your starter relay, are you sure it's still good?

Click to expand...

John,

I just got done pulling it out and reconnecting the negative battery cable w/o the starter relay and it did the same thing so, I would think we can rule out the relay.

I did spray (standard water hose) under my rig last night to prepare for installing new UCAs today. It started right up this morning to move it and again after the UCA install. I just sprayed the starter and PDC with quality electronic contact cleaner and tried it after it evaporated in our 95° temps.

I guess it must be the starter.

Sometimes, but rarely, the contacts in the solenoid will weld themselves closed. You can sometimes dislodge them with a hammer, but once cooked they tend to weld themselves again. May also be some kind of physical jam up, holding the solenoid plunger in.

Well, the guy who sold it to me works at an Advance Auto and is a member of our local off road org, KY Krawlers. He had me try unhooking the smaller of the two connections to the starter and reconnecting the battery. He said if, it started spinning again that it would be a bad starter and the first that he has seen like that. Well, he's no longer a virgin, it's pulled and ready to be returned today.

Thanks for all the help, guys!

Yep it's the starter then.