Starter would not disengage
Thread Starter
Race Director
Joined: Sep 2002
Posts: 17,881
Likes: 25
From: The third orange grove on the left
Starter would not disengage
I turned on the car this morning and once it started I heard a loud noise coming from the engine compartment so I turned the key off and the engine stopped but the starter kept going. I pulled the key out of the ignition and it was still going. So I put the key back in, turned it and the car started again and the starter disengaged. Is this a sign the starter is going bad or possibly a one time occurence? I tried it several more times and it is working ok.
Team Owner
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 54,124
Likes: 30
From: Cincinnati, Oh USA
Re: Starter would not disengage (1995LT1)
Your starter solenoid has large contacts that switch current to the starter motor which draws 100+ amps under load. The switch contacts are burned, pitted and at the end of their life and they welded together keeping your starter motor on. Replace the starter solenoid or the whole starter before you are 50 mi from home and the starter stays on and you don't have wrench to disconnect a battery cable. This happened to me early this summer, but I carry a battery post wrench with me so I disconnected the battery and had to flat bed my 87 to my mechanic. Cost me $80 for transport. Battery survived though.
Drifting
Joined: Jan 2002
Posts: 1,608
Likes: 0
From: I Hate Tourists FL
Re: Starter would not disengage (jfb)
This happened to me when I was having starter problems about a month ago. I had the contacts in the solenoid replaced cost me $40 compared to $240 for a reman. Nippodenso starter.
