My truck is possessed!

[GaPchNCrm]

OK! So I go out to run a few errands. Hop in, turn the key... fidget while I wait for the WTS light to go off, turn the key and hear a rapid clicking but no engine turning over. Thats not good! I try again, hoping it was a figment of my imagination ( yeah right)... turn the key... no WTS light, no nothing. Turn the key off. I turned on the interior light and it doesn't come on... so I'm thinking a kid left a door open, I left the lights on... something killed my batteries. I'm sitting in my poor dead truck, trying to decide if its worth dragging the jump box from the basement, or do I just call mom and get her van.. and the engine starts turning over. I didn't have the key turned, but it tried to crank on its own. I almost jumped out the window. I turn the key as if I were cranking it, turned it back off, turned it again, and back off and it finally quits trying to crank. So I get out, check the battery connections that were all tight, and wonder what the heck just happened. Then for some silly reason I turn the headlights on to see if they would come on... they did. What the heck, I decide to try it one more time... Turn the key, WTS light pops on, truck fires off like nothing was ever wrong. Now bear in mind my idea of checking the battery connection was barely pushing them to see if they moved. I don't think if they were loose my very gentle prodding would have fixed that. A few days ago my starter hung up when I tried to crank it... BJ said the starter solenoid (sp?) was probably trying to go bad. Is that the probable cause of this incident, or is there something else we should be checking? Or do I need to call an exorcist and be done with it?

 

[TLBREWER]

Tanya

Sounds like gremlins to me!

Tom

 

[gunnie]

definately electrical, start with the battery connections remove them and clean, put a light coating of grease on them and reinstall. next check all the connections at the solenoid and finally at the starter. if you have access to a battery tester also check your batteries.

 

[Agnem]

Not to disagree with Gunnie, but I think the answer is pretty clear. Tanya, when you went to crank everything the first time, your truck went through it's normal start up proceedure, except the starter solenoid closed, but did not complete the circuit. When you turned the key off and the dome light didn't come on, I can't account for that, but the stuck starter solenoid stayed where it was and didn't retract. When you turned the key back on and the WTS light didn't come on, that may indicate that it was just too soon, and the controller was doing it's job of not lighting off the plugs again. Once you aborted your attempt, the stuck solenoid finally made contact and the engine cranked. Only the starter solenoid recieves power all the time. All other electrical circuits must run through the key on power. So in theory, any time the starter solenoid decides to apply power, it can. Since it kept cranking, and you had to turn the key to crank a couple of times, this further indicates that the solenoid was stuck, and the slight motion it recieved from the additional magnetic pull was enough to wiggle it free. I'd do something about that solenoid pretty soon. It will either leave you sit, or cause your starter to burn up and or kill your batteries and starter by cranking the engine when your not around. Park that baby in nutral! Happy New Year.

 

[typ4]

My 2 cents, I am guessing that maybe the batt connections are a little weak and the solenoid stuck on and pulled down some of the available voltage.
Low batteries will cause the contacts in the solenoid to weld and then crank till the cables or starter burn up, or bats go dead, not pretty when the truck starts and stays engaged, kinda messes up the flywheel teeth.
I spent time helping a good buddy run an auto electric shop and we ran into this quite a bit in rainy old oregon.

 

[Freight_Train]

Not to disagree with Gunnie, but I think the answer is pretty clear. Tanya, when you went to crank everything the first time, your truck went through it's normal start up proceedure, except the starter solenoid closed, but did not complete the circuit. When you turned the key off and the dome light didn't come on, I can't account for that, but the stuck starter solenoid stayed where it was and didn't retract. When you turned the key back on and the WTS light didn't come on, that may indicate that it was just too soon, and the controller was doing it's job of not lighting off the plugs again. Once you aborted your attempt, the stuck solenoid finally made contact and the engine cranked. Only the starter solenoid recieves power all the time. All other electrical circuits must run through the key on power. So in theory, any time the starter solenoid decides to apply power, it can. Since it kept cranking, and you had to turn the key to crank a couple of times, this further indicates that the solenoid was stuck, and the slight motion it recieved from the additional magnetic pull was enough to wiggle it free. I'd do something about that solenoid pretty soon. It will either leave you sit, or cause your starter to burn up and or kill your batteries and starter by cranking the engine when your not around. Park that baby in nutral! Happy New Year.

Yea,if you think it is possessed from this,Leave it parked in gear and you will really think possessed when you look out your window and your truck is headed across the field with nobody in the drivers seat.Trust me,These starters will do it and I bet it the tranny is in 1st or 2nd it could overpower the parking brake too...Heck,the starter on the Deuce and a half was strong enough to start the truck in 3rd gear from a dead stop.when the clutch was shot.

 

[IDIeselman]

I am siding with type4 on this one, I just went through the same thing on my gasser and after changing 2 new solenoids I broke down and asked DAD what gives. weak batteries or bad connection either one will cause the solenoid to stick on. I load tested the battery and it was no good. after replacing the battery and cleaning cable ends all is well.

 

[Agnem]

I can see battery connections being a factor, but what would cause it to crank then if she didn't turn the key? Still sounds like a bad solenoid to me, maybe affected by oil/grease and temperature.

 

[IDIeselman]

I dont know what would cause it, I just know it does, when trying to start mine I would pop the hood with the ignition turned off after a failed attempt and it would start cranking on it's own so I would reach back in and turn the ignition on and it would start but the solenoid would stick on until I wacked it with my pocket wrench.

 

[Dsl_Dog_Treat]

It's not Peppermint Patty boys........
IT'S CHRISTINE!

You must be registered for see images

You must be registered for see images

One can only imagine who is next with a starting issue. The gremlins be watching folks.

You must be registered for see images

 

[The Warden]

Yea,if you think it is possessed from this,Leave it parked in gear and you will really think possessed when you look out your window and your truck is headed across the field with nobody in the drivers seat.Trust me,These starters will do it and I bet it the tranny is in 1st or 2nd it could overpower the parking brake too...

Not only can this happen, it has happened. Phil D. posted a rather humorous description of his wife's truck going into a barn (or a tree; can't remember) being "driven" by the starter and with no one in the truck...this was back in the days when STD was a decent site

I tend to agree that it's the starter solenoid...I had something not too dissimilar happen in my old van. The starter was on its way out (not cranking as it should), and finally one day, it barely cranked when I turned the key to "Start", and continued cranking when I pulled the key out of the switch. The starter finally stopped trying to crank the engine over when the battery cable post on the starter solenoid broke off I was lucky not to get a fire. Changed out the starter, replaced the battery cables, and all was well! I just wish I had transferred the custom-made battery cables over to the truck before selling the van... *sigh*