Been a while since I've posted.... seems like old times now that I have a problem!
The car is a 91 EGR with about 81K. No major maintenance recently performed other than changing the serp belts in the early fall.
On my way to work, stopped at the coffee shop. Engine was warm enough but not hot. I get back in the car, put the key in the ignition, turn the key to start it. The starter engages, engine cranks and when I think it's started, I back off the key... the starter continues to crank and I can't get it to stop.
I remove the key, set the car in neutral, and set the parking brake. The starter continues to spin away! I grab the tire iron from the trunk and give the starter a few taps figuring its stuck somehow... no luck. I put the key back in the ignition and cycle it through its ranges from off, to run, to start several times. When I cycle it to start, the engine cranks and the car wanted to start but the starter still spins.
This goes on for 5 minutes with the starter spinning away. I open the fuse panel and start pulling fuses until I finally get the ignition fuse and the starter finally stops. After a few more minutes I replace the fuse and fire it up... no problems.
The first thing that comes to mind is a faulty ignition switch... I can remove my key from the ignition while the car is running. I could do this from the day I bought the car a couple years ago and its never been an issue. But that seems to be more of a lock issue than the actual ignition switch.
Any thoughts on what else might be the culprit? Anyone ever heard of such a thing happening? The starter itself, the solenoid? An errantly placed screwdriver across the poles on the back of the starter?
The car is a 91 EGR with about 81K. No major maintenance recently performed other than changing the serp belts in the early fall.
On my way to work, stopped at the coffee shop. Engine was warm enough but not hot. I get back in the car, put the key in the ignition, turn the key to start it. The starter engages, engine cranks and when I think it's started, I back off the key... the starter continues to crank and I can't get it to stop.
I remove the key, set the car in neutral, and set the parking brake. The starter continues to spin away! I grab the tire iron from the trunk and give the starter a few taps figuring its stuck somehow... no luck. I put the key back in the ignition and cycle it through its ranges from off, to run, to start several times. When I cycle it to start, the engine cranks and the car wanted to start but the starter still spins.
This goes on for 5 minutes with the starter spinning away. I open the fuse panel and start pulling fuses until I finally get the ignition fuse and the starter finally stops. After a few more minutes I replace the fuse and fire it up... no problems.
The first thing that comes to mind is a faulty ignition switch... I can remove my key from the ignition while the car is running. I could do this from the day I bought the car a couple years ago and its never been an issue. But that seems to be more of a lock issue than the actual ignition switch.
Any thoughts on what else might be the culprit? Anyone ever heard of such a thing happening? The starter itself, the solenoid? An errantly placed screwdriver across the poles on the back of the starter?
