Starter keeps running....

I recently started resurrecting a '93 Ford F350 (5.8 liter) that has been sitting in my driveway for more than a year having been started only once or twice. Of course, the battery was dead and wouldn't take a charge. With a new battery in place I started the truck and headed for the inspection station. Enroute I hear a significant whirring/whinning noise. I'm thinking it's a dried out pulley or alternator bearing? About five miles down the road the truck dies, and will not restart. I smell an electrical smell. While my son is on the way with the jumper cables, and I'm thinking my alternator is gone, I discover that the starter motor is flaming hot. The jumper cables don't help, and I'm off to the parts store for a new starter. Once installed the truck starts right up and I head home. Same noise. Almost home the truck dies again. Won't jump. Starter flaming hot, and electrical connection points melted. Now I realize that it's the started that's making the noise because it's continuing to run. Duh? New starter relay switch and started installed - same thing! Starter keep running! Can anybody point me in the right direction?

Bob

Reply to
Bob Autrey
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Reply to
Sharon K.Cooke

Nope. Just changed the ignition switch. Problem still there.

Bob

Reply to
Bob Autrey

Wiring in between then ?

(rig up a test lamp inside car that lights when coil of starter relay energized .. ?)

Reply to
Soren Kuula

You might have had rodents chewing on the wiring. There might be a nest behind the instrument cluster.

Good luck on finding that!

GT

Reply to
GT

"Bob Autrey" wrote

So you've changed the ignition switch (in the steering column), and the "starter relay switch" (solenoid on the fender), and the starter motor itself?

The key sends power to the solenoid, the solenoid sends power to the starter.

Does the key spring back from "start" when you let go, or is it sticky/loose?

Do you have one of those stupid "remote starter" things for winter mornings?

Anything under the hood (or the hood itself) that might be shorting out the big terminals on the solenoid, or the battery-side big terminal and the "control" terminal (small rubber-hooded push-on connector)?

Reply to
MasterBlaster

Yes. That's correct. All three are new. In fact, I've just changed the starter relay for the second time. I switched from a cheap Wells switch to a (double in price) Borg-Warner.

It springs back. I've considered this issue and actually rotated the key backward to see if the starter motor would stop. It continues to run until the power it completely off at the switch (and the motor dies). In fact, if I return the key to the "run" position quickly enough to prevent the engine from dying - the starter comes right back on.

No.

Nope.

I've even disconnected the battery completely (while the engine was running). The starter continues to run. How is that possible? Is it possible? I've even crawled under the truck and removed the control wire from the starter - it just keep running.

All of this has caused me to believe that the pinion gear is getting stuck in the flywheel, and that the starter isn't really running at all, but rather being driven by the motor. But... I've removed the starter several times at this point and there is no indication that this is happening. The starter comes out smoothly with the pinion retracted into it's normal "off" position, and there are no unusual sounds when I loosen or remove the starter (like the sound the pinion gear would likely make by backing out).

I'm utterly bewildered?

Bob

Reply to
Bob Autrey

Had this problem with an older Grenada. Turned out to be a common problem. After the second starter from Pep Boys I was told rebuilders don't even like to rebuild them because there are so many failures. Can you see the flywheel teeth to see if they are munged up causing the starter gear to stick? We wound up not tightening the bolts all the way until we jogged it a few times with the ignition off. Good luck.

Frank

Reply to
F.H.

Sounds like the two small wires on the fender solenoid are reversed to me.

Reply to
Steve Barker

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