solenoid problem
Thread Starter
3rd Gear
Joined: Oct 2013
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
solenoid problem
My 1978 vette has a solenoid problem,when starting her first thing in the morning,the starter keeps running on,I can turn the key off and on continuously and this makes no difference the starter keeps on turning until it decides to stop its self...I then let it sit for a couple of minutes and it will generally start without a problem...thank god I have not got a weak heart.Someone suggested that I go to an expensive non lead acid battery which might not drop voltage....would this help ?Any others had a similar problem ? I don't have a great deal of car mechanical knowledge and would appreciate any input...Weather does not get cold here so not a winter problem .....Mac
2026 Loser of the Year
Joined: Sep 2013
Posts: 36,597
Likes: 7,046
From: New Or-leens Loo-z-anna
Starter solenoids need max voltage to engage....your solenoid is gentting plenty of voltage...
Like the other member said...for some reason the solenoid plunger is sticking and causing the starter to stay engaged.
You could remove the solenoid and clean it internally....or just buy a new one and install it yourself.
Take a pic of the wiring connections before you disconnect anything though.
Like the other member said...for some reason the solenoid plunger is sticking and causing the starter to stay engaged.
You could remove the solenoid and clean it internally....or just buy a new one and install it yourself.
Take a pic of the wiring connections before you disconnect anything though.
Le Mans Master
Joined: Apr 2011
Posts: 6,284
Likes: 1,171
From: Hermosa
Obvious that the starter is working fine. Save some $$ just replace the solenoid. Just make sure you have good connections when you put it back together. Ground is there, and hot straight from the battery is on the starter. Be sure to disconnect battery before diving in.
Last edited by REELAV8R; Nov 4, 2013 at 10:02 AM.
Melting Slicks
Joined: May 2011
Posts: 2,753
Likes: 119
From: Springfield Missouri
take all of it apart and rebuild the starter and solenoid, while you have it off. If the starter is working, just clean it internally and put brushes on it, paint it and you have a new starter. Take the solenoid apart and clean the contacts, make sure the spring is not broken and paint it, you have a new solenoid. If the starter is original, don't get rid of it for trade-in on a different starter. You are wasting money on a different starter if you have the original(just my $.03 worth). Alternators and starters are easy to take apart and rebuild for a lot less money than "rebuilt" ones you purchase and the original ones are a lot better than the Chinese ones you are buying now.
Corvette Stories
The Best of Corvette for Corvette Enthusiasts
Top 10 Most Expensive Corvettes Ever Sold on Bring A Trailer
Brett Foote
10 Things Every Corvette Owner Needs (2026 Edition)
Michael S. Palmer
8 Most "Only Corvette Owners Understand" Quirks and Problems
Pouria Savadkouei
10 Reasons the C6 Z06 is Still A Performance Benchmark After 20 Years
Joe Kucinski
How Much Horsepower Every Corvette Engine "LOST" in 1972
Joe Kucinski
Top 10 DOs and DON'Ts for Protecting Your Convertible Top!
Michael S. Palmer
Top 10 Most Explosive Corvettes Ever Made: Power-to-Weight Ratio Ranked!
Joe Kucinski
150 hp to 1,250 hp: Every Corvette Generation Compared by the Specs That Matter
Joe Kucinski