Not my father's Eagle

[chanticlair]

I got a starter (and some other great items!) from Rick last weekend. I dropped the other one out and put the new (to me) one in. I hooked the battery up and nothing. I pulled the solenoid off and I go to the parts store with the old one and the old starter. I had them test the starter and though it was starting they said that it was sticking a bit and unless I had a really strong battery it probably would not start. I told them I already installed a different one and the car would not start when you turn the key. I asked them to look up a new solenoid and the one they gave me did not look like the one that I took off. This is the one that I took off. Notice the right side of the picture how it has an extra post on it. http://www.flickr.com/photos/80371482@N05/7538579314/in/photostream the parts guys could not tell me what it was for. They said they had never seen it before. They looked up the one for the manual transmission and it looked more like the one removed but it did not have the extra post. My car was an automatic from the factory according to the vin but it has the manual solenoid? Is this common?

So I got the automatic one from the parts store and install it. I hooked the battery back up and this time when I turn the key we have noise again!!! However, the key gets stuck in the start position and the only way to stop starting the car is to turn it back off again. I can hear the engine starting but the starter stays engaged until I turn the key to the off position. Bad ignition? Is there a way to bypass the key/ignition temporarily to see if the car is starting and my issue lies in the ignition? If if is the ignition do I need to find a parts car to rob it of the ignition and key? So I think I am almost back to where I started from!

[eaglefreek]

That extra post is for the neutral safety switch. There is a single connector near the solenoid that would have gone to that post. It keeps you from being able to start the car in gear. It sounds like either you have a bad ignition key cylinder or a bad ignition switch. There is a small box that is under the steering column that is connected to the ignition cylinder via a rod. You can try jumping the solenoid for now. Turn the key in the run position and then using a pair of needle nose pliers, touch one side of the pliers to the large terminal that goes to the positive terminal of the battery and the other side of the pliers to the S post which should be the small post right next to the positive post. You can buy new key cylinders at the auto parts store. There aren't very expensive, but you have to remove the steering wheel to replace it.

[carnuck]

I think the new starter is sticking engaged. The quick test is to hold the brake and pop it into gear (forward or reverse) and see if the starter stops turning. If not, it's staying engaged due to a mechanical not electrical problem. (When the nose bushing in the starter goes bad it will do that)

[fischrman]

I think the new starter is sticking engaged. The quick test is to hold the brake and pop it into gear (forward or reverse) and see if the starter stops turning. If not, it's staying engaged due to a mechanical not electrical problem. (When the nose bushing in the starter goes bad it will do that)

Ok so I'm having this problem.. I haven't started my eagle in 4 yrs.  it started fine then.. I replaced the solenoid when I turn the key the starter turns but won't stop even if I turn the key off.  I have to take the positive wire off.  Any thoughts?

[Mernsy]

Did you mix up the wires at the top of the solenoid?

[carnuck]

That was my question either here or the other board. Blue wire goes to the "I" terminal.

[fischrman]

I switched them and it still did it.   I think I may try swapping solenoids.

[carnuck]

Then it's bad solenoid or broken ignition slider or battery is down one cell (I don't know why, but Ford starters HATE that!)

[Nightpath]

Wouldn't it want to start as soon as the key was put in if the slider was stuck?

[carnuck]

Nope. There is a spring inside that pushes it back. Usually

[fischrman]

new batt     bought to just go buy another solenoid

[Billman]

Am I getting this right, the starter engages and engine starts running without the starter drive disengaging as soon as you move the key into the run position ?