Basically the car was sitting for about 3-4 months, and after we charged the battery, we started the car and this loud horrible (grinding?) noise started up with it (does this every time we start the car). We think it's the solenoid sticking open on the starter. Oh, and when we turn the key its starting in aux???

Here's the thing, it's not the starter because we replaced it, and it's not the flex plate/teeth, and nope it doesn't need to be shimmed. We also replaced the ignition switch (electrical part), and this ignition part # 83211 (http://www.oreillyauto.com/site/c/de...?keyword=83211).

Any ideas? Could it be the Tumbler?

Thanks in advance.

 

More likely that you didn't get the ignition switch set right. If it is starting while in the Run position, or continues to start after the key kicks back, the switch needs to be moved down a little. However, if the lock cylinder is sticking it can cause this, but it is pretty rare and usually not accompanied by starting in the run position.

 

I doubt my dad put anything in wrong, he knows what he's doing, been working on cars for over 30 years. He's not a mechanic, but I more than trust his abilities, lol.

If we turn the engine off, it stops. Lock cylinder? do you mean the tumbler (where you insert the key)? If it is the tumbler how to we replace that since my key has one of those chips in it, and it's all specific to the car and what not?

 

If it stops when you turn it back to Off, then the switch is not set properly or the lock cylinder is sticking.

The rod that runs down the column is too far into the switch and not allowing it to come back to the run position, thereby leaving the starter engaged. The quick way to test this, is loosen the bolts just a little bit, move the switch down about 1/8", and see if the starter still stays engaged. Depending on how far out of adjustment it is, you may need to move it more or less, but give this a test to eliminate it. It is the easier of the possibilities to deal with.

When you turn the key, does it easily spring back to the run position? If not it may be gummed up inside the column, and will require steering wheel removal to clean it out. Lock cylinder is the part you put the key into, at the end of it is a gear and a metal slide that moves the rod. However, if this is the case you can manually turn the key back to the run position and the starter will disengage. If it is the case, you remove the steering wheel, lock ring, and turn signal switch. Then you can remove the turn signal stalk, wiper switch, and lock collar to get to the gear and slide and clean them up. As I said, if this is the case you should be able to turn the key back slightly by hand and the starter will disengage.

These are the only two possibilities I can think of that would cause the starter to stay engaged. The first is far more likely because you replaced the switch, and it is easy for even the best mechanic to have it slightly out of adjustment. It doesn't take much for it to be still engaging the starter.

 

The problem started before we replaced the ignition switch (thats why we tried replacing it). Also the steering column is completely dissembled at this point, and we already replaced what I think you are referring to. Which by the way was not even broken...we think it might be electrical...

If you have any other ideas please let me know. Either way, thanks, I appreciate you taking the time to help. When we do get it all figured out I'll post the definite solution, because no one seems to do that, lol. Drives me crazy.

 

Ok, that is really odd then, and I misunderstood the timeline. If it has just been sitting, the problem has to be in the, typically, purple wire that runs from the ignition switch on the column to the S post on the starter. It sounds like it is getting power as soon as you turn the key on, which shouldn't be happening, and is likely to come from another system that is powered up when the key is turned on or to ACC.

You said it has been sitting for a bit, I wonder if a mouse didn't get in and chew up some wires? If it happened, it is most likely to have occurred in the bundle that runs across the back of the engine above the bellhousing. Of course this is assuming you know it is the starter, but it sounds like your Dad knows where it is coming from. You are going to have some work on your hands it sounds like, but it might be possible to test it.

To test it and see if I am right, unhook the purple starter wire at the starter, but leave the rest of the system hooked up. Turn the key to the run position, and jump the starter. By jumping it, you simply use a screwdriver or other metal object to touch both the battery post and S terminal on the starter. MAKE SURE THE WHEELS ARE BLOCKED, BRAKE IS SET AND CAR IS IN PARK OR NEUTRAL before doing this. You want to start the engine and see if the starter works normally without that purple wire. If it does, you know the problem is in that wire and you can work on tracing it to find the problem.

Good luck, electrical gremlins can be a pain but hopefully this will help you narrow down the areas to check.

 

I'll talk to my dad about it when he gets home today, and as soon as I know something I will post back.

Thanks for all your help!

 

Well it defiantly has something to do with that purple wire, we couldn't jump it without holding the wire on by hand and then taking it away from the starter. Which allowed it to run right from there. He's going to take it to the mechanic at his work tomorrow and see whats up with that purple wire from ****. lol. Thanks again!

 

It is going to be some serious work, but whoever you take it to, tell them it has been sitting and has likely gotten some mouse chewed wiring.

I realized after I said that, that it would be hard to jump with the starter in the car because of the position of everything. Glad you found the issue, now just to trace the wires and find out which ones have been chewed up. As I said, I would first look at the large wire bundle that runs across the top of the bell housing.

 

So it could still be more than just that purple wire? The instant my dad pulls the wire away from the starter she runs like normal??? The guy my dad's taking it to at his work knows his stuff so I guess we will see what he finds out after taking a look at it. grrr...this is about the most frustrating problem I've ever encountered with any of my cars, and possibly all because of a mouse. Anyways thanks a lot for your help at least we've pinpointed the problem to the wire(s) and we have some sort of direction to go. I'll keep ya posted.

 

My thought is that a mouse got into that bundle, chewed up more than just that one wire, and one of the other wires in that bundle is giving power to the purple wire when the key is in the on position. Having a mouse chew up just that one wire wouldn't do anything other than shorten the life of the wire. It would have had to chew through more than one, the other wire(s) are providing power to that wire as soon as the key is turned on.

I do feel bad because it sounds like you may have replaced a bunch of parts that didn't need to be done. Hopefully you keep them around as spares, because they are likely good.

 

So it looks like its not the purple wire, it's the alarm/automatic start system I had installed on the car only a year ago (I know I should have mentioned it but we thought we had eliminated it as a possible culprit). I'm going to have the guy look at it, and hopefully fix whats going on. As soon as the mechanic at my dads work disabled the system everything worked great. At least I got it through emissions and we can start putting the headers/full exhaust system in among some other goodies. I can't wait to clean her up under the hood, it's about time.

Thanks again for all your help!

 

Umm, well no biggie at least you found the problem, but it would have been good information to know. Glad you got it going again!