My starter won't stop
 

:( This is my problem I am having with my 65 mustang,a week or so ago I took it out for a drive when I got home it would not shut off I had to pull the coil wire to stop the motor and yes got the $hit shocked out of me!
Thought the stater switch must have gone bad so I replaced it this past weekend .when I went to connect the battery the starter engaged big spark from the battery of course, this time I did not get shocked but scared $hit out of me!
Replaced the stater solenold I thought it was bad,same thing happen when I went to connect the battery cable but I was prepared for the spark this time so I did not have to change my paints.
Has anyone had this problem with a car or where to check next I'm soooooo confused
thanks in advance.
Bill:confused:

ttt

Bill,

Try disconnecting the cable from the starter to the solenoid and if you have a meter check to see if you have battery standing on that terminal when the battery is connected. All the solenoid amounts to is a relay that operates to cut the battery through to the starter which has ground on one side of the winding. I would be checking that solenoid even though it is new. I am sure that you have already tried all of this but like trouble shooting a computer program, you have to break it down into areas. Another possibility is the new switch you installed. Check the wires from it to the solenoid to make sure they aren't keeping the solenoid activated. An easy way to check the solenoid is to remove the two wires from the switch that activate it and then measure the side going to the starter with that lead removed. If you get battery there then the solenoid is operated or shorted.

Ron :confused: :JEKYLHYDE

either the signal wire to the solenoid is hot all the time, or you just keep welding the contacts. If the signal wire is NOT hot, then give a light whack to the top of the solenoid, that usually unsticks them. I used to always have a 1/2" wrench in pocket to whack the top of the solenoid if necessary.

thanks Ron
I have removed both small wires to the solenoid but did not help.
I checked for voltage on both sides of the solenoid, with the wire to the starter disconected, solenoid is good.
checking with my meter with the battery disconected and the cable to the stater disconected the solenoid is open but when I conected the cable to the stater the solenoid then reads closed.
Makes no sense to me.when I get home I well check to see what i read with stater wire disconected from the solenoid.starter cable to ground.should be no reading (open)right?
Thanks
Bill

Bill,

Fixit has a good suggestion. Check your signal lead from the new switch that you installed and see if it is hot all the time. If the solenoid is open with everything disconnected and then closes when you hook up the starter there must be a short in it or something in the new switch is operating it. Take both leads from the new switch off the solenoid and then hook your starter lead to it and see if it shows closed. There should be no reading at all between the post that the battery cable goes to and the one the starter goes to unless the solenoid is operated or shorted.

Take all leads off. Check between battery post and starter post on solenoid and your meter should show nothing. (open) Then hook up one of the small control leads and see if it closes. If not then hook up the other control lead and see if that operates the solenoid giving you continunity between battery & starter posts. If you get a reading now, then the solenoid is being operated by your control leads. If no reading then hook up starter lead and see if you get a reading through to the battery post. If you do, take one control lead at a time off and see if you lose the reading. I really kind of suspect you may have a hot signal wire as Fixit said or a faulty switch or solenoid. The fact that you read it open when you took the wires off makes it sound as if the contacts aren't welded together but they could be burned enough by the things happening to cause trouble later on. Good luck and keep us posted.

Ron :confused: :confused: **)

Thanks Ron and Mr Fixit For the replys
Ron
I disconnected the cable from the solenoid to the starter,I beleave it is OK i had 13 volts on battery side of solenoid and 0 volts on the starter side (cable to stater was disconnected)
Mr Fisit
I removed the solenoid control wires and tested for voltage on the starter side of the switch 0 volts connected one wire rechecked 0 connected other wire and checked still 0 volts.
had my son turn the switch to start then got 13 volts so I do not suspect the solenold switch,gave it a whack on the silenoid anyway didn't help but lowered my stress level.


Maybe this will help somehow!
I checked from the starter cable to a ground and it has continunity,very little resistance.To me it is saying that I have a dead short,but the strater works.I checked this with the starter cable disconnected from the silenoid.
Hope this helps

Thanks
Bill:confused: :D :confused:

Bill,

So far everything you have done would tend to indicate that your switch is ok. Does it still try to start when you put the starter lead on the solenoid with all the other leads connected ? I don't know the exact resistance through the starter to ground but don't think it is very high. If you want I can go out and unhook one of mine and measure it.

Ron

Thanks Ron
Just when you have the time,this car is not driven much, you know what thay say(my wife anyway)men and their toys.
Its a 65 fastback 2+2 289.

Thanks
Bill

Where did you ground solenoid? I had inadvertly hooked it to the
other side of the solenoid and was creating a dead short to the frame. When I moved ground to body of solenoid everything worked fine. Stupid mistake but I thought I was following directions from manual!!!

Bill,

Art has a good suggestion that I hadn't thought of. I did go measure from my starter cable unhooked to ground through the satrter and it is almost no resistance. I used my old analog meter instead of a digital, but most windings are very low resistance and look almost like a dead short. I grounded my solenoid with one of the bolts that fastens it to the inner fender wall. If everything else is still good to that point try hooking everything back up and see if it still turns the starter. If it does then we will continue to look at some other things.

Ron :)

Art
the solenoid base is grounded to the frame,When I get home I will check to make sure it has not come loose and is bolted tight to the inner wheel well.
Ron
I did not check to see if it would try to start if I connected the stater cable back to the solenoid.I was running a little late for work. I will this afternoon when I get home.
PS. I will be prepared for the spark!!!

Thanks
Bill

Bill,

When you get home and try it again if you still get the starter turning over when you connect the battery lead then remove the two control leads and try it again. If the starter doesn't kick in put one control lead at a time on and see what it does. Then let us know what happens.

P.S. Rubber mat to stand on is great when expecting sparks.

Ron :JEKYLHYDE

IT'S FIXED
Went home yesterday removed all the wires from the solenold and traced them down checking them for damage,removed the solenoid cleaned area on the fender then replaced it,recheck control wires from the starter switch hooked them back up and tested it,connected the remaining wires.
It is working fine.I don't know where the problem was but its gone now.
Thanks for all the help
Bill

Bill,

Great news. Could have just been a bad ground or more likely a wire that when you moved them you cleared a short in. Maybe something as simple as a tiny piece of wire that you couldn't even see without really looking very close.I have seen that happen with stranded wire, and especially the copper type. Enjoy the car now.

:D **) :JEKYLHYDE