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Help ASAP

Started by knoath , May 01 2006 06:25 AM

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16 replies to this topic

#1 knoath

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Posted 01 May 2006 - 06:25 AM

HELP!!

About half way to work this morning (at 5:15am !!) I pulled up at some lights when all of a sudden the starter motor kicks in, I killed the ignition but the bugger was still going! I pulled over into a car park (lucky there was one handy) and I had to pull the earth lead off the battery.

What would have caused this to happen?
I take it there's a problem with my ignition curcuit?

Please help as I need my car 6 days a week!

Any help appreciated......

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#2 FastEHHolden

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Posted 01 May 2006 - 10:48 AM

short in the ignition switch is my bet

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#3 _TORANR AMORE_

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Posted 01 May 2006 - 10:59 AM

Disconnect the Starter motor and then test the ignition.
Also check the back of the Starter motor.

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#4 knoath

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Posted 01 May 2006 - 11:44 AM

Disconnect the Starter motor and then test the ignition.
Also check the back of the Starter motor.

By testing the ignition, what do you mean? How am I testing it and for what (Sorry for the ignorance, I don't have much knowledge of anything elec!)
Check the back of starter for what?

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#5 LXCHEV

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Posted 01 May 2006 - 01:21 PM

That sounds weird mate. I would pull the purple wire off from the starter (the ignition feed wire). If you connect the battery up again then, what happens? If the starter still goes, it would indicate some kind of internal short circuit? If it doesn't go again, re-connect the ignition wire and see what happens? If this causes the problem again, then it must be an ignition switch issue. Check the ignition rod isn't just bent for starters, but otherwise, may need to replace the whole switch itself if it's shorting out... good luck, keep us posted....

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#6 knoath

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Posted 01 May 2006 - 01:26 PM

Check the ignition rod isn't just bent for starters, but otherwise, may need to replace the whole switch itself if it's shorting out...

This is in the barrel?

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#7 _dave720gtr_

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Posted 01 May 2006 - 01:33 PM

what car is it knoath?

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#8 _The Baron_

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Posted 01 May 2006 - 01:47 PM

My guess is due to age and heat, the insulation on the solenoid wire (little purple wire) has failed and that wire is now touching the terminal or lug for the big power lead that goes directly to the battery +ve.
This is all happening at the starter motor.
Extractors have a habit of frying starter motor cables, especially on 6's.
Life is easier when checking this on a 6.

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#9 knoath

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Posted 01 May 2006 - 01:54 PM

this is in the hatch, 253 with a hi-torque starter.

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#10 LXCHEV

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Posted 01 May 2006 - 02:50 PM

The rod/linkage I was referring to sits underneath on your steering column and connects the barrel to the ignition switch (which is also located on the steering column). I would only look at these 2nd though - try removing the purple wire firstly and see what you can find there. As the Baron said, you may find this wire is touching and causing a short - if so, at least it would be an easy fix! If you can't find anything wrong at the starter motor though, then move up the ignition switch and linkage... (if you get to this point, you will have to undo the 3 bolts to lower your steering column down in order to access those parts)....

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#11 LXdamo

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Posted 01 May 2006 - 07:05 PM

i had this problem on my hatch one morning leaving work from night shift.
started the car,starter still engaged.turned ignition off,starter kept going.
Turned out that the screw holding the cap of the solenoid had fallen out and wedged between the terminals causing it to go banana's.
just something else to look for.
does sound like your ignition switch has moved though
Damo

Edited by LXdamo, 01 May 2006 - 07:06 PM.

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#12 _TORANR AMORE_

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Posted 01 May 2006 - 07:36 PM

Disconnect the Starter motor and then test the ignition.
Also check the back of the Starter motor.

By testing the ignition, what do you mean? How am I testing it and for what (Sorry for the ignorance, I don't have much knowledge of anything elec!)
Check the back of starter for what?

sorry, I mean disconnect the ignition feed wire like LXCHEV said and then, with the ignition barrel turned to its off state, test to see if the wire is live with current as it would be in order to turn the starter motor on. If it is then I'd be looking at the switching mechanism within the steering collumn like the other guys said, it may be somehow shorted or jammed or something.

But all this is assuming that there is nothing that is shorting the terminals at the rear of the starter motor. remember if you short two of the terminals (and they are very close), it will turn on and stay on, like LXdamo said.

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#13 knoath

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 06:00 AM

Thanks for all your help guys.
I've removed the starter motor, an auto elec's gunna have a look over it. I did notice the 'purple' wire was missing some insulation..... what's the best remedy here? Good old insulation tape? Or heat shrink hose?
I really hope it's not the switch.... sounds very fiddly!

Thanks again!

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#14 _The Baron_

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 10:23 AM

It is always a bad spot for insulation life.

Ask an auto electrician what you can use.

I used a little bit of fibreglass insulation tape on my old 6 hatch, rough but worked.

Let us know what you find as I'm sure we will all have this problem at some time.

Cheers

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#15 _hrt1and2_

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 03:57 PM

a bit of tape, and cable tie it back away from the extractors. Should do the job.

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#16 _Loki_

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 06:46 PM

a bit of tape, and cable tie it back away from the extractors. Should do the job.

I ran my starter wires (insulator taped) inside a heater hose, which was tied back and ran as far away from the extractors as physically possible right up to the starter.

Has worked like a charm so far, those wires still look like new at the moment.

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#17 Tiny

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Posted 02 May 2006 - 11:33 PM

I've run my ignition wires inside some -8 Firesleeve tubing to try and keep teh heat away from them! I hope there's never a short inside the firesleeve cause its a bitch to get off! ( Not cheap either!).

(For anyone who doesnt know.. Firesleeve is a fibreglass tubing with plastic outer that is designed to go over fuel lines to minimise heat and abrasion and also resist direct flame in the event of a fire.)

Cheers. Best of luck Knoath!!