What caused my starter to engage while driving? Need help on this one!
06-22-2005, 08:18 AM
#16
Burning Brakes
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Zero wrote: "when I tightened the 8mm nut on the solenoid wire, it had twisted, and was touching the positive wire going to the starter. Sounds exactly like your problem."
Bingo. This exact situation snagged me after I had some service done that required the removal of the starter to secure the motor at TDC. I was less than a mile down road from the shop when the starter kicked on. Ground down the pinion on the starter but the flywheel ring was fine. I my case, I don't think we overtightened the solenoid wire, but rather left it finger tight and it vibrated over to the positive wire. Pretty weird experience though...confusing at first, since one of the immediate symptoms was a non-start condition due to the buzzed pinion....plus all the racket of the starter running constantly until we pulled a battery wire.
Bingo. This exact situation snagged me after I had some service done that required the removal of the starter to secure the motor at TDC. I was less than a mile down road from the shop when the starter kicked on. Ground down the pinion on the starter but the flywheel ring was fine. I my case, I don't think we overtightened the solenoid wire, but rather left it finger tight and it vibrated over to the positive wire. Pretty weird experience though...confusing at first, since one of the immediate symptoms was a non-start condition due to the buzzed pinion....plus all the racket of the starter running constantly until we pulled a battery wire.
06-22-2005, 08:24 AM
#17
Nordschleife Master
I think Daniel has figured out the problem being contact between the solenoid trigger wire and main positive cable. If you have that happen there is nothing you can do other than pull off cable from battery.
There is supposed to be a dielectric barrier between those two posts, well at least on good solenoids, so this doesn't happen. You can also have a similar but less dramatic situation if the barrier is gone and moisture and dissolved molecules connects the two. Ever fallen into the sea with an electric drill going in your hands? I have and it gives you quite the jolt, believe me. Glad I was only 26 years old that time because it could have knocked out an older heart.
So, to fix this you need to check out how much of the starter winding varnish has been burned away. And replace the solenoid with a quality one since your main post was broken free.
You had smoke so you must figure out what fried.
There is supposed to be a dielectric barrier between those two posts, well at least on good solenoids, so this doesn't happen. You can also have a similar but less dramatic situation if the barrier is gone and moisture and dissolved molecules connects the two. Ever fallen into the sea with an electric drill going in your hands? I have and it gives you quite the jolt, believe me. Glad I was only 26 years old that time because it could have knocked out an older heart.
So, to fix this you need to check out how much of the starter winding varnish has been burned away. And replace the solenoid with a quality one since your main post was broken free.
You had smoke so you must figure out what fried.
