Hello, first post and would first off like to thank you guys for the wealth of knowledge you've given me

1989 Camaro RS 2.8L Auto. Bought as project car but it turned into an electrical fix and I've gotten fed up with everything learning as a go and trying to fix it. I figure the best way to get her running is just some toggle switches. But it has starter run on, the starter its self is fine and thankfully no flywheel damage. I moved to looking at the wiring and the previous owner did a sloppy job of fixing the linkable fuse that comes out of the starter that ten powers the whole starting circuit but the rest is fine. Its been fixed but there is some more stuff do be done with the whole starting circuit down the line with the relay and switch but I did a sloppy job of trying to fix those and have had enough burnout so I'm wondering should I just do a toggle switch/push button start but how could vats and the neutral safety switch get in the way of that and if I can still have the fuel pump work off the key would it be ok to do a relayless switch of Corse with some inline fuses because I'm just doing the starter. and if my starting doesn't work via the normal way, I presume I could just do a kill switch that cuts power from the battery?

Now the starter run on. My battery was a side post and the positive side was stripped so it was loose and couldn't full tighten down fully. this caused the battery to die within maybe a few hours. I have sense then top post converted the cables properly. I was thinking maybe the run on was caused by the bad connection because before. the previous owner also tried to bypass the starter relay by connecting the yellow from the switch to the green or green white one can't recall, one that goes to the safety switch by the shifter if fixed i fixed it too normal again. it also had a vats bypass but I thought it was a damaged wire and threw it out so I have new ones to install sometime soon.

I'm going to start the starter by jumping it and see if the battery fixed the run on or maybe its just the purple wire being damaged who knows. any help is appreciated THANKS in advance!

 

Don't do the toggle switch thing. I would assume if the starter continues running after the key is moved to ON from START, that something is wrong / sticking in the ignition switch. Is there continuity between the switch and the wire at the end of the starter? Maybe it's hacked so bad it's getting the wrong signal.

 

I've replaced the ign sw and ign cyl. so I then moved onto fixing the wire that delivers power for the ign sw but still nothing that's why i moved back to the starter then realized the linkable fuse was damaged. fixed that but still got nothing. I presume I messed up the ign sw. wire that I repaired and that's where im at right now. I just wanted to do the push start because I figure it be more convenient then repairing then potential the whole circuit + the burnout from chasing this problem down.

 

You need to replace the starter. I had the same problem with a brand-new starter a few years ago...

 

the previous owner put a new starter on and still had the issue

 

Re-read my previous comment...

 

Sorry should have mentioned the new starter was brand new, i mean i could see it happening but if run on developed on the old starter and the new one has the same problem i don't think its the starter

 

Yeah, the odds of 2 starters in a row having that problem are pretty slim...

 

First things first address all the hacked up wiring. toggle switches and all that garbage will just hack it all up worse. bring it back to factory and make it as clean as you can.

Measure for 12v when the starter hangs up. if the voltage disappears while the starter is still hanging then you know it's mechanical, if the voltage stays while it's hanging then it's electrical. get a multimeter and long test leads and you can do this by yourself while sitting in the car.

I also wouldn't trust the previous owners word or repair ability. He hacked up the wiring bad, maybe he shimmed the starter horribly causing it to stick when engaged, maybe he didn't use the correct knurled starter bolts and it's cocking itself into the flexplate, maybe the starter he put in was no good and he lied to you, you never really know. I would be doing a lot of troubleshooting and going over everything he did.

 

Ive just had both starters tested at orileys and they work fine so I know its electrical, im getting the starting circuit fixed soon as parts come in But does anyone think a semi-striped positive battery connection could have cause it to run on?

 

Doesn't matter whether anyone "thinks" that or not.

It won't.

Your problem is either the starter drive hanging up on the flywheel (highly unlikely butt still remotely possible), or in the wiring somewhere (FAR more likely). Either you don't have the starter hooked up correctly (there are wires on the R terminal of the solenoid, which is the one farther from the block and easier to get to, for example), or wires are touching each other somewhere, or it's been butchered. Butchering it further isn't the answer. Not to ANYTHING, EVER.

And, those parts would be, ... ??? And, you're replacing them, because, ... ???

Instead of abuncha random "maybe it's this maybe it's that maybe the space aliens are testing my patience", or randomly strafing it with the parts cannon, TROUBLESHOOT IT with logic and reason. First thing to do would be to verify that the starter is installed and wired correctly, which is, Big Red Wires with fusible links in them and large terminals on the ends on the batt cable terminal, big purple wire with small terminal on the S terminal, NO wires ANYWHERE ELSE. Then, as Tyler suggested: see if there's 12V on the solenoid (S) terminal when it's "running on". That breaks the problem into 2 parts: yes = a wiring problem, no = a starter problem. LOGIC. Once you have that information, it'll be time for the next step, whatever that is, depending on what you find. LOGIC.

I'm expecting that eventually you'll find some previous-owner sodomy that needs to be undone and set straight. Butt we can wait to burn that bridge until we get to it.

 

I'll defnelty double check and make sure its hooked up correctly and give it the test ill have to jump the starter bc the circuit is damaged. As for the parts the starter enable relay was bypassed by connecting the yellow wire and the one that goes to the gear selector switch anyway that needs to be back to factory. as for fusible links by the starter, one was repaired badly by the previous owner with a crappy connection I so got that one done properly just waiting on some wire to come in to finish it up.

 

Good luck with the repairs. Don't forget, the answer to something messed up by sodomy, is to undo the sodomy. It's NEVER gonna help to just sodomize it some more.

I never cease to be amazed at what people will do to car wiring in the name of "fixing" it. It's about the simplest thing there is; even simpler than house wiring. Only thing about it that's "hard" is finding and getting to all the stuff. (and of course, sodomy that happened before you got the car, which NEVER makes any sense to begin with, and can be tough to track down) Once you decide that you won't let that stop you, it becomes very simple and easy.

 

I have never seen a better explanation than the one Sofakingdom gave...