Any car mechanics in da house?

[MichelleandCraig 1]

There are lots of em....The one I heard was Fix Or Repair Daily. Since Dad worked at GM for nearly 32 years, I think I heard *many* growing up!! hehe

Good luck, Sharon...hope it runs this morning!!! M.

[Sharon 1]

Siiiigh, well it wasn't the solenoid switch. hubby replaced it and the prob actually got worse after - the engine wouldn't turn off this afternoon when I turned the ignition off (or at least it appeared and sounded that way to me - I had the freakin' keys in my hand! ). It did after awhile tho and with hubby fiddling with something or other (don't ask me what...lol)

So my trusty old van is now in the shop and the mechanic said he'd check it out tomorrow. Going by what we told him had happened (cuz the damn thing didn't DO it when we got there of course!) he said it sounds like the starter, despite the fact that we just put a new one in 3 months ago.

So somebody is gonna be giving me a refund/new starter if that is the case.

Once I hear news, I'll let you all know. Keep fingers crossed that it's not too expensive.

[Hilarious Clinton 452]

Siiiigh, well it wasn't the solenoid switch. hubby replaced it and the prob actually got worse after - the engine wouldn't turn off this afternoon when I turned the ignition off (or at least it appeared and sounded that way to me - I had the freakin' keys in my hand! ). It did after awhile tho and with hubby fiddling with something or other (don't ask me what...lol)

So my trusty old van is now in the shop and the mechanic said he'd check it out tomorrow. Going by what we told him had happened (cuz the damn thing didn't DO it when we got there of course!) he said it sounds like the starter, despite the fact that we just put a new one in 3 months ago.

So somebody is gonna be giving me a refund/new starter if that is the case.

Once I hear news, I'll let you all know. Keep fingers crossed that it's not too expensive.

Let us know what happens.

[kaydee457 13]

Siiiigh, well it wasn't the solenoid switch. hubby replaced it and the prob actually got worse after - the engine wouldn't turn off this afternoon when I turned the ignition off (or at least it appeared and sounded that way to me - I had the freakin' keys in my hand! ). It did after awhile tho and with hubby fiddling with something or other (don't ask me what...lol)

So my trusty old van is now in the shop and the mechanic said he'd check it out tomorrow. Going by what we told him had happened (cuz the damn thing didn't DO it when we got there of course!) he said it sounds like the starter, despite the fact that we just put a new one in 3 months ago.

So somebody is gonna be giving me a refund/new starter if that is the case.

Once I hear news, I'll let you all know. Keep fingers crossed that it's not too expensive.

Very unlikely it's the starter....Did you do the test I told you to? Did you pull the wire (smaller one) off the "S" terminal on the relay to see if the starter disengaged?

BTW, why was the starter changed a few months ago?

[MichelleandCraig 1]

Kaydee, I think she said she got the van used a couple of years ago...probably just went out on her.

Awww...bummer, Sharon...was hoping to read good news. Fingers crossed for you for SURE that it's a cheap fix (well as cheap as it's gonna be at the garage... ) Hope it is....

Why don't you have Cooter look at it for ya??? M. (...and where's my piccy????)

[kaydee457 13]

Kaydee, I think she said she got the van used a couple of years ago...probably just went out on her.

Awww...bummer, Sharon...was hoping to read good news. Fingers crossed for you for SURE that it's a cheap fix (well as cheap as it's gonna be at the garage... ) Hope it is....

Why don't you have Cooter look at it for ya??? M. (...and where's my piccy????)

The starter uses a centrifical Bendix drive mechanism and does not remain engaged unless power is applied to the starter motor. The fact that it remains engaged says that power is still applied to the starter, even after she has released the ignition switch.

For that reason it is very unlikely it's the starter........If it is the starter, the only thing that could have broken would be the return spring within the Bendix drive....again very remote possibilty.

Probably too late but if it was my vehicle I'd be asking to see the starter they take out.........

Edited April 24, 2007 by kaydee457

[john_and_marlene 162]

Found

On

Road

Dead.

Fix

Or

Repair

Daily

[Fandango 1,439]

Found

On

Road

Dead.

Fix

Or

Repair

Daily

Dunno, I have a lil 'runaround' second car that I use that is such an old hoopty...it's a 94 Ford escort, lolz. Knock wood, it's the sh!t tho.

[Sharon 1]

Kaydee, I think she said she got the van used a couple of years ago...probably just went out on her.

Awww...bummer, Sharon...was hoping to read good news. Fingers crossed for you for SURE that it's a cheap fix (well as cheap as it's gonna be at the garage... ) Hope it is....

Why don't you have Cooter look at it for ya??? M. (...and where's my piccy????)

The starter uses a centrifical Bendix drive mechanism and does not remain engaged unless power is applied to the starter motor. The fact that it remains engaged says that power is still applied to the starter, even after she has released the ignition switch.

For that reason it is very unlikely it's the starter........If it is the starter, the only thing that could have broken would be the return spring within the Bendix drive....again very remote possibilty.

Probably too late but if it was my vehicle I'd be asking to see the starter they take out.........

Kaydee, my hubby just left to pick up said "bad starter" actually, and return it to the place we bought it at 3 months ago. (Advance Auto Parts) He plans on getting a free exchange or refund and bringing the new starter back to the mechanic to install. We had put in a new starter 3 months ago because, simply, my van decided to not start one afternoon while we were out shopping (of course it waited till we finshed shopping and were ready to head home...lol). We had to get it towed home and the tow-truck driver said it probably was the starter. We put a new starter in and Voila! It started....lol. Now it suddenly deciodes that it doesn't want to stop starting. I told hubby about your "test" to be able to tell if it was the solenoid switch or not, to be honest I'm not sure if he did it (I've learned to stay clear of a man working on a car haha) but as I said in my previous post, he did chnage the solenoid switch and it didn't help.

Thanks again for everyone's help...I'll let you know what the damage was when hubby gets in....lol.

Fingers crossed X X

[kaydee457 13]

Kaydee, I think she said she got the van used a couple of years ago...probably just went out on her.

Awww...bummer, Sharon...was hoping to read good news. Fingers crossed for you for SURE that it's a cheap fix (well as cheap as it's gonna be at the garage... ) Hope it is....

Why don't you have Cooter look at it for ya??? M. (...and where's my piccy????)

The starter uses a centrifical Bendix drive mechanism and does not remain engaged unless power is applied to the starter motor. The fact that it remains engaged says that power is still applied to the starter, even after she has released the ignition switch.

For that reason it is very unlikely it's the starter........If it is the starter, the only thing that could have broken would be the return spring within the Bendix drive....again very remote possibilty.

Probably too late but if it was my vehicle I'd be asking to see the starter they take out.........

Kaydee, my hubby just left to pick up said "bad starter" actually, and return it to the place we bought it at 3 months ago. (Advance Auto Parts) He plans on getting a free exchange or refund and bringing the new starter back to the mechanic to install. We had put in a new starter 3 months ago because, simply, my van decided to not start one afternoon while we were out shopping (of course it waited till we finshed shopping and were ready to head home...lol). We had to get it towed home and the tow-truck driver said it probably was the starter. We put a new starter in and Voila! It started....lol. Now it suddenly deciodes that it doesn't want to stop starting. I told hubby about your "test" to be able to tell if it was the solenoid switch or not, to be honest I'm not sure if he did it (I've learned to stay clear of a man working on a car haha) but as I said in my previous post, he did chnage the solenoid switch and it didn't help.

Thanks again for everyone's help...I'll let you know what the damage was when hubby gets in....lol.

Fingers crossed X X

Sharon, the point is that starters do indeed fail; but almost never in the manner that you say. It's extremely rare, very, very, very, rare that they will fail "stuck" in the engaged mode.....Starter Not engaging- absolutely!

That's my only concern. If you had done the test you would be sure, for certain....Ignition switches fail (contacts welded closed) far more often than a starter will fail in the mode you descibe.

Hope you don't go to the expense of replacing a starter only to experience this problem again- or worse to see a starter replacement and an ignition switch replacement on the final bill.

If you're happy with the current situation then so be it. Let us know......

Edited April 25, 2007 by kaydee457

[kaydee457 13]

Allow me to add a P.S.

My friend reminded me that if the replacement starter wasn't installed tightly and the bolts worked loose this could cause the symptoms you describe, ie, hanging loose on the mount.

[Sharon 1]

Update: Well, Advance Auto Parts took back the starter, tested it...and hubby said they couldn't get it to even move, so it's definitely bad. Thankfully, they exchanged it so I don't have the cost of the starter at least. Makes me a bit wary to get another from the same place where the "bad" one was bought tho, ya know? Hubby brought the new starter to the shop and they're supposed to get to it tomorrow. I still don't know what the damage is...almost afraid to know...lol. But I should have my van back by tomorrow at least so I'll let you all know what's going on then. Be nice to have it back, won't have to bum a ride from a co-worker. Not too bad cuz I just live about 2 miles from work but still...you know how it is.

[Sharon 1]

Kaydee, I think she said she got the van used a couple of years ago...probably just went out on her.

Awww...bummer, Sharon...was hoping to read good news. Fingers crossed for you for SURE that it's a cheap fix (well as cheap as it's gonna be at the garage... ) Hope it is....

Why don't you have Cooter look at it for ya??? M. (...and where's my piccy????)

OMG! I forgot allllllll about those pics of Cooter's house that I promised you!

Cooter splits his time between his home here down the holler and the house they have in Tennessee, and he's in Tenn. at the moment. But Michelle....I PROMISE I will get to taking pics this coming weekend, ok? I'm so sorryyyyyyyyyyy....lol.

Edited April 25, 2007 by Sharon

[archie07 0]

Kaydee, I think she said she got the van used a couple of years ago...probably just went out on her.

Awww...bummer, Sharon...was hoping to read good news. Fingers crossed for you for SURE that it's a cheap fix (well as cheap as it's gonna be at the garage... ) Hope it is....

Why don't you have Cooter look at it for ya??? M. (...and where's my piccy????)

OMG! I forgot allllllll about those pics of Cooter's house that I promised you!

Cooter splits his time between his home here down the holler and the house they have in Tennessee, and he's in Tenn. at the moment. But Michelle....I PROMISE I will get to taking pics this coming weekend, ok? I'm so sorryyyyyyyyyyy....lol.

I hope you get your problem fixed but I agree with kaydee here. You said your car remained running with the keys removed. I could be wrong but it sure sounds like the ignition switch now. It's 75 dollars from ford and if you turn the key on, there is a hole under the switch in the column where you can insert a punch and the switch will slide out. Takes about 2 minutes to change.

[kaydee457 13]

Update: Well, Advance Auto Parts took back the starter, tested it...and hubby said they couldn't get it to even move, so it's definitely bad. Thankfully, they exchanged it so I don't have the cost of the starter at least. Makes me a bit wary to get another from the same place where the "bad" one was bought tho, ya know? Hubby brought the new starter to the shop and they're supposed to get to it tomorrow. I still don't know what the damage is...almost afraid to know...lol. But I should have my van back by tomorrow at least so I'll let you all know what's going on then. Be nice to have it back, won't have to bum a ride from a co-worker. Not too bad cuz I just live about 2 miles from work but still...you know how it is.

Sharon. It sure as hell moved when you started your van, didn't it? It's not a dead starter which is what these guys see 99% of the time.....It makes no sense. If it doesn't even move, then how the hell did you start the van to begin with?

I'll just shut up now......