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Re: More Help Needed: Starter Has A Life of Its Own

To: "Barry H. Adams" <badams@cyberport.com>
Subject: Re: More Help Needed: Starter Has A Life of Its Own
From: Charlie Brown <cb1500@erols.com>
Date: Wed, 22 Jan 1997 17:28:27 -0800
Cc: triumphs@Autox.Team.Net
References: <1.5.4.32.19970122001122.0066ad68@mail.cyberport.com>
Barry H. Adams wrote:
> 
> Charlie:
> 
> This afternoon I had just finished changing the oil on my 74 Spitfire and was 
>sitting there admiring my work, when all of a sudden the starter began turning 
>over on its own. Fortunately, I had the neg. battery cable loose and I pulled 
>it 
immediately. The problem is that when all wires are connected the starter turns 
over regardless of rather on not the key is 
on or off.  I have performed the following checks:

Checked the starter switch (W/O) wire which runs to the starter relay for
continuity and power.  Continuity is good and wire only has power when the
starter switch is in the start position.

Check the starter solenoid it pops/clicks when voltage is applied to it.

Checked continuity of WR wire running from the starter relay to the
solenoid.  Its good.


Barry,

The white/orange wire supplies voltage, while starting, to the 
seatbelt/ignition warning buzzer. This should not be the wire 
supplying starting voltage to the starter solenoid. 

> Check the starter solenoid it pops/clicks when voltage is applied to it.

Where are you getting the "starting" voltage? From an external jumper?
 
> Checked continuity of WR wire running from the starter relay to the
> solenoid.  Its good.
> 
> Noted there is a constant voltage being supplied to this WR wire across the 
>relay regardless of rather or not the WO wire from the starter switch is 
>connected to the relay.  This voltage is coming to the relay via a large brown 
>wire from the 
alternator (I think).  Since the WR wire has constant voltage being supplied to 
it across the relay it is constantly 
activating the starter solenoid.>

This sounds like your problem. The white/red wire is the wire running from the 
starter switch (assuming nothing has been 
swapped-out) that's supposed to activate the solenoid. If its constantly hot, 
the starter is going to keep cranking. 
Disconnect the white/red at the solenoid, re-attach the battery cable, and 
operate the ignition switch. The 12 volts at that 
wire's spade connector should go on and off with the "start" position of the 
switch. 

Any solid brown wire, at the solenoid, should be connected to the top threaded 
post (bottom post goes to the starter motor). 
These brown wires sould be either coming from the alternator, or going to the 
wiring harness as the car's power supply 
(branching to switched and un-swithched). This terminal, by the sheer fact it's 
attached directly to the battery, is always 
hot. 

I sounds to me the ignition switch has gone sour (not turning off the power to 
the white/red wire) or something has been 
rewired, bypassing the starting position on the switch. Was it you who had the 
problem with the turn signal/hazard flasher 
system? Is it possible something has been mis-wired?


Hope that helps,
Charlie B.



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