New solenoid, now constant running starter? :(

[Petrol Bleu]

A few months ago my only key broke off in my door, I was able to get it out and have a copy made. The copy worked, but just barley in the ignition it would be tough to use. One day the car refused to start and all I was greeted by was a click. I suspect the key wasn't springing back and the starter kept running.

Yesterday I took the starter off and installed a "ebay" solenoid
I put the starter back in and reconnected the wires correctly as far as I could tell
then I put the battery back in the car (it had be charging) and as soon as the battery hooked up the starter began spinning and would not stop

I went back under and switched the 2 yellow wires as I thought that was the only possible thing I got wrong, but when I rehooked the battery the same thing happened

help is very appreciated guys

[DohertyCM]

I don't I would be looking at the solenoid. But what I would do is take the starter off and take it down to autozone and have them do a check on it...it's free. If they say it's ok then start looking at the switch....you might have damaged it with that key.

[DohertyCM]

Not to trade in, they have a bench tester and can test the solenoid...
Its not that hard, and its free. If its bad, then get a new one elsewhere..

[Porboynz]

Back to basics, remove ebay relay and check operation of starter. If it spins up without any voltage being supplied to the solenoid (small wire) then perhaps the solenoid is jammed in the on position, give it a smack with a plastic hammer or better still a brass faced hammer. Still stuck, remove starter and seek qualified advice.

[Petrol Bleu]

could someone give me a simple explanation on how I would test to see if the problem is the ignition?

sorry I am a beginner at mechanics, still learning lots

[ossiblue]

Originally Posted by Petrol Bleu

could someone give me a simple explanation on how I would test to see if the problem is the ignition?

sorry I am a beginner at mechanics, still learning lots

Disconnect the yellow wire from either the back of the ignition switch or at the solenoid. Hook up a test light with one connection to ground and the other to either the connector on the ignition switch (if you removed it from there) or the yellow wire. If the test light comes on, there is something wrong with the ignition switch as the yellow wire should not be powered unless the switch is turned to the "start" position. The light should not come on even if the ignition switch is "on", and certainly not if there is no key in the switch.

[Petrol Bleu]

thanks for the reply ossi, but wondering, which yellow wire to check? as there are 2 that go to the solenoid

[ossiblue]

Originally Posted by Petrol Bleu

thanks for the reply ossi, but wondering, which yellow wire to check? as there are 2 that go to the solenoid

As I don't know the year of your car, I cannot be certain on the wiring. However, as far as I know neither yellow wire should be powered with ignition "off", nor with ignition "on." If the test light goes on when you ground the lead and touch it to either yellow wire, there is a fault.

If you look under the dash, in most cars you will be able to see the yellow wire inside the loom of the wires plugged into the back of the switch. Follow the loom to the bulkhead, and where it passes through the bulkhead--in side the luggage compartment--the yellow wire leaves the loom and has a connector/separator. It is here that you can take the yellow wire apart, and the side coming from the switch can easily be tested for power.

[stormcrow]

The selenoid will engage and provide power to the starter when power is provided to either terminal on the selenoid. All a selenoid is is a coil and providing power creates a magnetic field which in turn causes the gear on the starter to engage with the ring gear on the enging.

Now, if power is continously going to the wire on the selenoid then the starter will stay engaged and running.

If the selenoid shaft is binding it could cause the starter to stay engaged and running. Here is how to check the wiring.

Remove both wires from the selenoid

Set your multimeter to volts DC and take the red lead and connect it to one of the two wires going to the selenoid. Take the black lead and connect it to the other wire going to the selenoid.

Now, have someone sit in the car and turn the key to the "on" position and see if you get a reading - if you do you have a ignition wiring problem.

Now, if you get no reading, have the person turn the ignition key to the start position an hold it there. If you get a power reading so far, so good.

Now, have the person release the key and see if you still get a voltage reading. If you don't then the ignition is working properly and in all likelyhood your selenoid is staying engaged or hanging up.

On the other hand, if you still get a voltage reading then you have a "ignition wiring" problem.

[T77911S]

connect the test light as ossi said. i would go under the car, or pull the big connector at the relay panel and check there (also). leave the light connceted along with the battery so you can TS. or you could remove the battery cable from the starter.
oh, is the starter motor just running by itself or is it also engaging the flywheel and running.
did you remove that connector on the relay panel? if so, make sure it is on properly.

is the solenoid connected properly to the arm for the starter gear? just wondering if it was not, would that push the solenoid in enough to make contact and run the motor. (motor runing but not engaging).

i was trying to figure out if you put the solenoid on upside down, if possible, would that somehow cause the starter to run. i dont think so, but just a thought. as much as i have worked on starters that is something i have never thought about before.

i think there was another thread for the same thing but with the key in the on posisition. it had something to do with those 3 fuses on the relay panel. i think the guy connected something up wrong and it was feeding power back to the starter from those fuses.

maybe an upside down solenoid would make it run. looks like power could feed back through the coil and back to ground, energizing the coil.

sorry, i tend to ramble.

[Petrol Bleu]

I pulled the starter out today as I realized I had not put the solenoid in right. I didnt pull the spring back on the solenoid and slip it onto the lever in the starter

after I put it together properly and put it back in the car all I got when I attempted to start was a click.

the fact that the starter was constantly spinning the way I had it before makes me think that it isnt broken.

I haven't given up I am going to open up the starter tomorrow and see if anything is obviously wrong.

when putting the solenoid back in I noticed the bendex didn't move back and forth very much a 1/8th of an inch maybe. and when I tilt the starter with the bendex pointing up it makes a "donk" at the bottom end. maybe somthing is loose?

[T77911S]

try this site.
SOLENOID and STARTER rebuild......finally

you still may not have the solenoid engaged properly. also, check all your major power connections, clean them all. both battery connection, the batery to the body, the tranny to the body. if any of those are dirty, you will get just a click.

[RoninLB]

I would sometimes see starter gear jammed into flywheel on small inboard boats after winter storage outside

there's a couple of threads around where guys had to shim a new or rebuilt starter than the one that went kaput to prevent it from jamming

But..... I have no idea what the op's issue is

[Petrol Bleu]

So I picked up a whole new starter off ebay for around $150
beautiful Chinese made quality

the car starts great now but I am getting this aweful noise
3.0 911 SC, bad sound after washing engine - YouTube

I'm going to start a new topic for this

[stormcrow]

Sounds like a valve - when the engine was revved up you could hear a miss in the engine - I have the same sound coming from my engine - I am going to have to dive into it to adjust the valves.

SteveKJR