Starter Problem

[Airpwr73]

After starting the Ex, the starting doesn't dis-engage. It continues to turn the enging over after it has started. The only way to "kill" it is to remove the battery terminal. I removed the starter and had it tested. Checks good. For some reason the solenoid is staying energized. Anyone have this problem before? It's intermittent so it's driving me crazy. Ignition switch maybe?? HELP!

 

[Savage Wolf]

only things I can think of checking is to make sure that the starter relay under the hood is working proper and that the starter is shimmed right

 

[mrboyle]

You shouldn't need to worry about shimming the starter (thats only necessary on chevy's). Is the starter still running, or is it just staying engaged? Firts thing I'd try next time it happens is to turn the key back very slowly and see if it quits before the ignition is shut off. If this works you are due for a new ignition switch. If it doesn't, try removing the ignition wire that engages the starter solenoid if that stops it you'll most likely need to replace the ignition switch. If that doesn't help then its proably the solenoid.

 

[Airpwr73]

It continues to try turning the engine over after it starts. And when I turn the the ignition off, it still turns the engine over. I did try pulling the solenoid "hot" wire once and it stopped. I was thinking ignition switch but was wanting opinions before I started it. Mike, how difficult is the process of changing the switch. Haven't dug out the Haynes manual yet to check it out. Thanks for the info. It's the wife's daily driver and like I said earlier, it's intermittent so I don't want it to happen while she's driving it. Hoping to solve the problem quickly as I'm in the middle of the rebuild of my Ranger 4.0. Thanks again!

 

[EXPLORINGVA]

Electric Sucks!

Air: The ignition switch is pretty easy to change, undo your steering column cover, the switch is at the end of a long silver bar near the bottom of the column.If I remember rite it's 2 "torx" screws holding it on. Try replacing that first,it's only about $10.
IF that don't do it, re-ground your engine. After my starter motor fried on me I replaced the starter,relay, battery, pos bat. cable assembly (FORD Dealer only $53!), and the neg. cable. Starter was staying on after starting engine. So, I bought a short ground wire cleaned a spot on the engine and frame. Believe it or not, that stopped it. Why? I have no idea. Good Luck!

 

[Limited Ex]

Have you got an automatic starter? Same thing was happening to me, so I had to disconnect the auto starter and re-plug it back in so it would "reset" itself.

 

[nkexplrr]

Hey, this just happened to me!, I ended up frying the starter and the cable going to the battery. It happened yesterday and by the time I got a starter and it still wouldn't start and figured out it was the pos. cable it was too late to get one. Anything I need to know that made fixing this easier?

 

[lonestar]

This just happened to me. Started fine, but starter never disengaged, so I removed key and it still kept turning over, sort of freaked out, tried to restart, same thing, so I put it in gear, stopped it stopped the starter, but I believe it was still hot because it smelled like wires were frying, so I jumped in the rear grabed a wrench and disconnected the battery.

Reconnected battery and it started, although the starter may be fried, sounded funny and took longer to start. The started has seemed like it has had a dead spot for a while anyway, occasionally it would not turn over the motor, like the battery was dead, so I would try again and it would start just fine. I got a mower like that, if it starts on a compression stroke it just won't turn the engine over.

Now for the problem of the starter being energized although ignition is not in start position. Either relay or ignition switch? What is the most comon problem?

Airpwr, did the ignition fix the prob?

 

[EXPLORINGVA]

Lonestar: When I was diagnosing a power drain problem w/ my starter, I was doing the good ol' process of elimination replacing all the ignition components. When I changed out the relay I had the wires reversed and that caused my starter to stay engaged. Maybe (i'm guessing here) the contacts in your relay shorted and or fused together keeping you engaged. My power problem turned out to be the darn engine block grounding cable. When all was said and done after about $85 in new parts it turned out to be a $5 grounding cable. Give it a shot, the relay is very inexpensive. Good luck!

 

[lonestar]

It seems to only occur when it is cooler out, in the mornings, first start, or after sitting in the parking lot all day. Maybe the relay is sticky when it is cold?

Is that starter relay on the pass. fender the one you are referring to, or is there another in the fuse block.

I was also thinking it could be the rod from the keyed ignition switch to the actual ignition switch on the bottom of the steering column. This coud be sticking and causing the igntion switch to reamin in the start pos., although the key has been turned back.

 

[Majisto]

My starter motor continued to spin the motor even after the engine had fired once. It turned out that the lock cylinder had stayed in the "start" position. I pulled it back to "on" manually and it stopped. Boy did I feel dumb...

 

[410Fortune]

I have completely re-wired my starter 3 times now.
Many of the problems were because of my headers and the starter wires being too close.......

They have since been heat shielded and re-routed.

Dont forget you guys the Ford starter also has it's own solenoid built in. It doesnt sound like thats the problem here but it has been known to cause problems with power getting to the starter.

I have a 8 ga wire running directly from the battery + term to the starter and a brand new 12ga wire running from the solenoid to the starter.
New wire from the ignition to the starter solenoid, new solenoid. I also used a ring terminal on the ignition wire, that press on connection from Ford wasnt good enough for me.

The ground cables on my battery have been replaced to the frame and body.

Check the ground connection at the frame, also from the frame to engine (Strap) this is how the starter gets a ground.

I have also soldered the signal wire to my starter, hte press on fitting was not good enough.

Every once in a great while my truck will still not start, mostly when hot.
I have to jump the main solenoid and it starts right up, the funny thing is I am getting a signal from the ignition to the solenoid, so I dont think its the ignition switch, although with 250+K miles on the original switch it could need changing (possibly not enough volts in the signal??)

My starter (auto) has 175K miles on it, has been in 2 trucks, and still works like a champ.
I will be replacing it as soon as $$$ allows, before it goes out so I will have a trail spare.

These suckers are pricey, new they are like $250-300, rebuilt $160-200.

Check the grounds, check the wiring at the starter, check the wiring around the exhaust.....