Electrical / Starter Issues
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
From: Royal Oak MI
Electrical / Starter Issues
I finally got my car running good, just in time for the Dream Cruise. Everything was great, cruised all weekend, and then last night my Corvette curse came back to haunt me. I was sitting idling at the corner store waiting for my wife to pick up somenthing. All of a sudden, this horrid noise came from under the car. The starter was turning over and over for no reason. I tried to shut the car off, but no deal. Even with the key out, the car continued to run and the starter was cranking. I had to pull the the battery terminals off to get it to stop. My only thought is that maybe the heat melted the started wires together and shorted out the system somehow. This was after dark last night so I have not had the chance to go under yet.
1968 427 Vert.
1968 427 Vert.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 2,668
Likes: 43
From: Eastern US XX
Originally Posted by no_rice_burners
I finally got my car running good, just in time for the Dream Cruise. Everything was great, cruised all weekend, and then last night my Corvette curse came back to haunt me. I was sitting idling at the corner store waiting for my wife to pick up somenthing. All of a sudden, this horrid noise came from under the car. The starter was turning over and over for no reason. I tried to shut the car off, but no deal. Even with the key out, the car continued to run and the starter was cranking. I had to pull the the battery terminals off to get it to stop. My only thought is that maybe the heat melted the started wires together and shorted out the system somehow. This was after dark last night so I have not had the chance to go under yet.
1968 427 Vert.
1968 427 Vert.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 8,812
Likes: 2,028
From: eastern NC
No, it shouldn't require a new key switch.
It sounds like the ignition switch on the column (69-82). It's located on the top of the column down near your feet. It is a slide type switch that has a rod connected to it from the key switch in the column. As you rotate the key, it moves a rod that slides a set of contacts into different positions that correspond to the ACC, Off, Ignition and Start position. It sounds like the rod is either way out of adjustment or the switch itself is bad. It is most likely the switch. Remove the old one, unplug the harness and reconnect/install the new one. The screws that hold it to the column allow adjustment so that you can set the switch correctly to correspomd to the specific position.
Not a difficult job... good luck... GUSTO
It sounds like the ignition switch on the column (69-82). It's located on the top of the column down near your feet. It is a slide type switch that has a rod connected to it from the key switch in the column. As you rotate the key, it moves a rod that slides a set of contacts into different positions that correspond to the ACC, Off, Ignition and Start position. It sounds like the rod is either way out of adjustment or the switch itself is bad. It is most likely the switch. Remove the old one, unplug the harness and reconnect/install the new one. The screws that hold it to the column allow adjustment so that you can set the switch correctly to correspomd to the specific position.
Not a difficult job... good luck... GUSTO
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
From: Royal Oak MI
It's not quite that easy. I have a 68, so the key is in the dash not in the column. It looks like I have to remove the dash to get to it. I put my head under there last night to look and you can't even see anywhere near the switch without taking the dash out.
I love my 68, but there are a lot of strange little things that are only on the 68.
I love my 68, but there are a lot of strange little things that are only on the 68.
Thread Starter
Intermediate
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
From: Royal Oak MI
I hope its the ignition switch, because the starter is brand spankin new! Does anyone have issues with the starter overheating from the BB temps? This started was replaced, becasue the original one took a crap end of last season. Is there heat shield I should invest in?
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Race Director
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From: Foxfield CO 1970 Convertible
Originally Posted by Spike-74
The same thing happened to me. Replacing the starter solenoid fixed the problem.
Happened to me once and the first thing I thought was "ignition". It turned out to be the starter solenoid - much easier to fix than the ignition wiring.
