When I went to start her up the starter would make a loud spinning sound like a drill and would not turn over the motor. I replaced the solenoid up top and it started right up and just to test it I turned it off and tested start up a few times there was still a spinning sound occasionally but able to start. Now the new problem is it would not turn off even when turning the key to off and taking it out I finally got it to turn off...where should I go from here with the non turn off issue and still hearing the spinning sound with ignition? I'm thinking ignition swith and possible the starter itself due to the spinning sound but not sure. Any help is greatly appreciated..
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Starter issues now it won't turn off
- Thread starter Cready1
- Start date
Justafordguy
Bronco Guru
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The starter drive sound like it's stuck or wore out, get a new starter. The other problem is either a bad/stuck solenoid or bad ignition switch. I would start with the solenoid because you just changed it. Several time I have had bad ones right out of the box, most of the new ones are cheap Chinese junk.
demesauce
Sr. Member
Try to return the solenoid since you just got it. Take the starter to your local auto parts store (Kragen, O'Reilys, etc) they will test your starter for free and tell you if that is the problem
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Is this an original Bronco type starter or a newer style "mini-starter" you're using?
The only thing that will turn this off when the key doesn't work, will depend on what's actually wrong.
1. If it's the starter relay failing, the only thing to do is to disconnect the battery or the starter. Battery is easiest and quickest usually.
2. If it's the ignition switch, or a short somewhere along the Red w/blue wire, or an internal short that's allowing the Brown wire to energize the relay/solenoid, then simply unplugging the two little wires should stop the starter.
You can try that first anyway, since it's the quickest of any of the steps you can take.
3. If the starter is stuck (new PMGR style only) then disconnecting the battery or starter is, again, the only solution.
4. If it's any of the above, as you've already found out, you can keep twiddling with the key until something happens. This is only good if you're really lucky and it helps. Most of the time it's a waste of time.
Still, it's not bad to at least give it a few tries before jumping out and grabbing a wrench to disconnect the battery.
That's all that I can think of right now. There may be more though.
This is why it's always good practice to leave the nuts kind of loose on the negative battery terminal when just trying out any new electrical device. Especially something new in the starting system. Gives you a quick way to disconnect things.
It's also why a lot of us like to use the quick-disconnect battery terminals or a switch.
And why a lot of us are upgrading to larger starting cables than is needed for 99% of uses. Overkill is just enough here. It'll keep a stuck starter from melting the cables and leaving you stranded somewhere.
Paul
The only thing that will turn this off when the key doesn't work, will depend on what's actually wrong.
1. If it's the starter relay failing, the only thing to do is to disconnect the battery or the starter. Battery is easiest and quickest usually.
2. If it's the ignition switch, or a short somewhere along the Red w/blue wire, or an internal short that's allowing the Brown wire to energize the relay/solenoid, then simply unplugging the two little wires should stop the starter.
You can try that first anyway, since it's the quickest of any of the steps you can take.
3. If the starter is stuck (new PMGR style only) then disconnecting the battery or starter is, again, the only solution.
4. If it's any of the above, as you've already found out, you can keep twiddling with the key until something happens. This is only good if you're really lucky and it helps. Most of the time it's a waste of time.
Still, it's not bad to at least give it a few tries before jumping out and grabbing a wrench to disconnect the battery.
That's all that I can think of right now. There may be more though.
This is why it's always good practice to leave the nuts kind of loose on the negative battery terminal when just trying out any new electrical device. Especially something new in the starting system. Gives you a quick way to disconnect things.
It's also why a lot of us like to use the quick-disconnect battery terminals or a switch.
And why a lot of us are upgrading to larger starting cables than is needed for 99% of uses. Overkill is just enough here. It'll keep a stuck starter from melting the cables and leaving you stranded somewhere.
Paul
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2003
- Messages
- 47,821
Ok, something is seriously wrong then.
If you disconnected the battery and the starter was still turning over, then the only thing that could possibly have been powering it (other than itself, which would be unusual) would have been the alternator.
Which cable(s) did you disconnect from the battery, and what type of alternator do you have?
And how do you have the alternator wired up?
Is this original wiring, or an updated/replaced wiring harness?
Never in my life of seeing stuck starters, have I ever heard of a starter that kept spinning after the battery was disconnected.
What year Bronco is this?
Was the starter motor the only thing spinning at that point, or was it turning the engine over?
We need some more details at this point. And some very detailed descriptions of the layout, what you've been doing to it recently, and all the symptoms.
Was it really running perfectly, and then one day the starter stuck? Or is there anything else that you can think of that was going on as well? Other electrical gremlins perhaps?
Paul
If you disconnected the battery and the starter was still turning over, then the only thing that could possibly have been powering it (other than itself, which would be unusual) would have been the alternator.
Which cable(s) did you disconnect from the battery, and what type of alternator do you have?
And how do you have the alternator wired up?
Is this original wiring, or an updated/replaced wiring harness?
Never in my life of seeing stuck starters, have I ever heard of a starter that kept spinning after the battery was disconnected.
What year Bronco is this?
Was the starter motor the only thing spinning at that point, or was it turning the engine over?
We need some more details at this point. And some very detailed descriptions of the layout, what you've been doing to it recently, and all the symptoms.
Was it really running perfectly, and then one day the starter stuck? Or is there anything else that you can think of that was going on as well? Other electrical gremlins perhaps?
Paul
73 bronco stock wiring as far as I know. The starter was not spinning when I unhooked the battery the motor was idling and would not turn off from the ignition switch that is why attempted to unhook the battery the starter was just spinning like a drill sound when starting. It has been running great just used for driving around town. It all started when it would not start yesterday and when I attempted to start I would hear the spinning sound from starter and not turning motor over so I replaced the solenoid today and it started but made the spinning sound during ignition. Then it was idling and would not turn off via the key. Hope that gives you a better idea of what's going on...
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Whew! Ok, I'd hoped that's what you meant.
Common for the engine not to turn off when disconnecting the battery, since the alternator is strong enough to keep the ignition working.
But he engine not turning off and the starter sticking sometimes (and not engaging sometimes too) sounds like two different issues maybe.
The starter spinning, but not engaging the engine, is usually strictly a starter motor issue. Like when the starter gets old, it just won't fully engage sometimes.
That just needs a new starter to take it's place and usually fixes the issue. Just like Justafordguy said
The engine run-on can also be a defective starter, if it's still spinning it can act like a generator and, through the little Brown wire on the starter relay, feed power to the ignition system.
Not common at all, but conceivable for sure.
So start with a new starter motor and go from there.
The running-on can also be a defective solenoid (again, feeding power through the Brown wire) or a defective ignition switch.
Both are common failures, but it seems rather coincidental here. Hard to say.
New starter, if it does it again, pull the Brown "I" wire off the solenoid.
If it still does it, test for voltage at the coil with the key off.
Paul
Common for the engine not to turn off when disconnecting the battery, since the alternator is strong enough to keep the ignition working.
But he engine not turning off and the starter sticking sometimes (and not engaging sometimes too) sounds like two different issues maybe.
The starter spinning, but not engaging the engine, is usually strictly a starter motor issue. Like when the starter gets old, it just won't fully engage sometimes.
That just needs a new starter to take it's place and usually fixes the issue. Just like Justafordguy said
The engine run-on can also be a defective starter, if it's still spinning it can act like a generator and, through the little Brown wire on the starter relay, feed power to the ignition system.
Not common at all, but conceivable for sure.
So start with a new starter motor and go from there.
The running-on can also be a defective solenoid (again, feeding power through the Brown wire) or a defective ignition switch.
Both are common failures, but it seems rather coincidental here. Hard to say.
New starter, if it does it again, pull the Brown "I" wire off the solenoid.
If it still does it, test for voltage at the coil with the key off.
Paul
Ok so... I replaced the starter with a mini high torque, the ign switch and put in a new solenoid. The starter works good and turns over the engine nicely and when the motor starts to fire it chokes out within one pump of the pedal it was running great prior to the starter replacement... Any ideas??
Back up to your 1st problem .. Back when I had my parts store I saw this several times . What was happening then . was there were 2 solenoid . one had a grounded base other did not . If you put the wrong one on the your ford would start but the starter would keep turning . Which after a few minutes blew up your battery. So we told every one to loosen their positive cable and that way they could take the battery cable off easy.
Your right there are two I found that out when I took the first one back they look about the same so I think that was the first problem I am charging my battery again now, could it possible be the battery got weak and not enough charge to get it fired up all the way?
Well when it shorts out it will kill your battery . I suppose a weak battery would only run down . And not fry every thing . Just go dead .
NDFess
Jr. Member
I had the same problem and replaced the ignition switch.....
It was actually just the ignition fuse had blown
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- 47,821
Before going any farther, disconnect the little Brown wire from the starter relay and try to fire it up again.
If it runs now, then something is still shorted out in that starter relay.
If it still won't run past the point of turning the key back to RUN, then either your ignition switch has failed, or some of your wires are no longer attached correctly.
Since it starts and runs with the key in the START position, we can safely say that your main harness' fusible link is still good.
Since it starts and runs, the ignition switch is getting power.
Since it dies when the key is turned back to RUN, then power is not getting to the ignition coil from the ignition switch through the Red w/green wire.
With a volt-meter or test light, turn the key to RUN and check for voltage at the positive side of the coil AND at the little Brown "I" wire on the starter relay.
I'm not aware of an ignition fuse on a stock Bronco harness.
Paul
If it runs now, then something is still shorted out in that starter relay.
If it still won't run past the point of turning the key back to RUN, then either your ignition switch has failed, or some of your wires are no longer attached correctly.
Since it starts and runs with the key in the START position, we can safely say that your main harness' fusible link is still good.
Since it starts and runs, the ignition switch is getting power.
Since it dies when the key is turned back to RUN, then power is not getting to the ignition coil from the ignition switch through the Red w/green wire.
With a volt-meter or test light, turn the key to RUN and check for voltage at the positive side of the coil AND at the little Brown "I" wire on the starter relay.
I'm not aware of an ignition fuse on a stock Bronco harness.
Paul
Well I put the original ignition switch back in just to see what would happen and it fired up and ran(although very ruff idle) in the run position. It looks like another bad part from advanced first the solenoid now the switch. So now I get to sort through the ruff idle but at least it is not dieing as soon as it goes to run..
