Starter won't disengage!.....fried now

[alchemist]

Well my starter on my 95X won't disengage.....today it did it once and i turned the key to off (still kept cranking) turned it on/off twice more and it finally cut out (and engine ran). Well it didn't do it for the next three or four start cycles then it did it again.....only this time it stuck on and I couldnt get it to stop.

Well I had no choice but to drive it 1 mile home with it still engaged. Well it finally disengauged after turning the key to park and on a few more times....so I parked it.

Of course the starter is fried (smells electrically burnt). Can my wires be fried as well (or should the fuse/relay stop that).

I'm concerned I'll do it to a new starter as well. My ignition switch will turn without a key if I take it out before it locks (or is that a separate issue).

Any help would be greatly appreciated as to what happened, what to check before I damage anything else.

 

[CDW6212R]

Look real hard at the starter relay. They are usually the cause of that starter run-on problem. The key is a separate issue. LOL,
DonW

 

[alchemist]

Is that the relay that is fender mounted, or is the starter relay a standard one

 

[CDW6212R]

I believe most newer Fords have them on the starter itself, like GM has always done. I will miss the fender mounted relays.

I had that problem once, and just hitting the relay stopped it. It was a relatively new Autozone relay, so when it happened again, I got a refund from Autozone. I added the starter relay to my list of Ford only parts.

I'd suggest seeing what a used Ford starter/relay would cost from a parts yard. The Ford units should have a life expectancy of 100k to 200k+ miles.

That's not a problem that you ever want to experience again. LOL,
DonW

 

[alchemist]

I think I have something intersting on my driver's side fender. Some type of relay or something. Time to start playing in the engine bay.

 

[Lloyd10977]

I think I have something intersting on my driver's side fender. Some type of relay or something. Time to start playing in the engine bay.

My 95 Limited has the starter relay located in the engine compartment between the battery and the power distribution box, mounted on the side wall. It is round, has two very large nuts on the top, one of which comes directly from the battery, and a smaller push-on connector that looks sort of like a tiny spark plug boot. It is mounted to the sidewall by two bolts.

 

[liqhx2]

your 97 has the fender mounted relay 2 possibilitys relay is sticking or ignition wiper is shorting and activating the relay my .02 is the relay like every one else says but when you put in your new relay and your new starter make sure you have your negetive cable off your battery and when you have your new starter & relay installed have a wrench near by just in case that does not fix the problem so that you can disconect your battery

 

[alchemist]

Ehhh, I had to take it to the dealer.....couldn't get the top bolt off the starter. So it cost me 150 more to do the job. At least I'll replace the relay myself, and if it keeps hapenning its under warranty (of course after I get it to stop cranking).

 

[alchemist]

Well I got a new starter, and it did it again, so I put a new fender relay on it, and it still does it intermittently......any other suggestions? What else could be sticking? My ignition column? Is there a kill switch I can add to make it stop if need be? If its the ignition column, how hard would it be to take apart, fix?