Crazy Starter Issue

[dakotajeep]

Alright my 87 is acting up. I must have fried some wires at some point. When I have the key turned anywhere but off, if I hit the brakes the starter cranks. So far its not doing it at speed just when I am either stationary or switching from D to R or vise versa. Not cool. I have yet to look at it since its dark and I just got home...super lame!

Any thoughts?

Thad

 

[mopwrd340]

sounds like some melted toghther wires around the steering column.

 

[oregon96psd]

what he said............thats crazy though

 

[redmondjp]

Since the brake power goes through the turn signal switch, my hunch is that you've got some shorted wiring in your steering column.

You may want to pop the hood and pull the start wire off of the starter solenoid when you park it overnight, just in case it decides to start doing it while you are away from the vehicle (added bonus: theft deterrent).

I would try to get this fixed ASAP, you don't want a dash fire (which could cause hot, melted droplets of burning insulation and plastic to drop on your legs) while you are out in traffic somewhere.

 

[dakotajeep]

Well, I don't have a steering wheel puller so I am going to go the store to rent or buy one.

Is there any other way accessing the wires in the steering column without removing the steering wheel?

Also, what is the wire in the white plastic tube along the steering column? Mine seems to be disconnected.


Any other areas that I should look to find a possible short? Tons of wires yet I dont know what feeds what!!!

Thad

 

[Compu Doc]

Did you take a look first at the wiring at the bottom of the steering column?. If not i would do that first. It might save you from having to dig deeper and remove the wheel.

 

[freebird01]

ive had luck with loosening the nut about 3 or 4 turns then prying up on the wheel from the back with your knees and smacking the steering wheel nut with a brass hammer....

 

[hesutton]

It's likely the wiring down on the column and not something under the wheel. I'd start there first. There's not much wire under the wheel at all.

Heath

 

[dakotajeep]

Well, I gave it a look but saw nothing. Not sure where to look next. Its barely driveable right now.

Thad

 

[riotwarrior]

ive had luck with loosening the nut about 3 or 4 turns then prying up on the wheel from the back with your knees and smacking the steering wheel nut with a brass hammer....

Yes this is a standard approach with Ford's Vs Chev...always need a puller. If it's a tilt it's a little more difficult.

 

[Knuckledragger]

Also, what is the wire in the white plastic tube along the steering column? Mine seems to be disconnected.

It is probably the shift indicator wire. It pulls the little red indicator to show you which gear you are in. It has a loop on one end, If that loop is not connected to something, you are not seeing the indicator move.

 

[damac]

Take the starter excitor wire off the solenoid off and put in a manual push button in for now, I wouldn't want to deal with that.

I now have one wired in all the time because I was having the wierdest issue with the key not turning the truck over at all some days. Sometimes it would work all day, then nothing the next.

What I just found out by accident is I was having a few issues with the wiring up in the steering column. I have a tilt wheel which I didn't even know until last week. There is some play and the old owner had exposed leads on the wheels cruise controls and some things were arching on the horn circuit. I don't need any of that crap so yanked fuses luckily.

I had replaced the main wiring harness and it still does it once in a while and when I wiggle on the wheel depending on its position I get different things going on. If I hit it right I can get the under dash buzzer to go off as well!

In the back of my mind I am kind of scared something might burn up but it hasn't thus far so I have left it alone.

But I know the right thing must be to break that all down and see whats up.

Do you have a tilt column? Perhaps you are having issues like me and all the worn parts and abuse lead to various wires getting frayed?

I just don't want to spend any money and fear even if I could find parts at pick and pull that they would also be bad.

 

[rhkcommander]

Take the starter excitor wire off the solenoid off and put in a manual push button in for now, I wouldn't want to deal with that.

Beat me to it I was gonna suggest this so he can at least drive it still.

Might want to have a fire extinguisher in the house. Never know what can happen and better prepared than not

 

[BigRigTech]

Check all your grounds, if one is loose it's possible it could be using the trigger wire for a ground. It shouldn't be hard to figure out with a multimeter looking for shorts or grounded wiring. I would start in the colum though.

 

[dakotajeep]

Which wire is the "excitor" wire? I hate rednecking but I would rather have this thing running.

Thad