Starter motor stuck on

[steve290353]

I have just got home after stopping at the garage 1/2 a mile away ,i got back into the car turned the key the car started but the starter motor kept spinning ,i turned the ignition off but the starter kept spinning the engine over ,so i turned the ignition back on the car started and i drove home with the starter still spinning i got home turned the ignition off the starter was still spinning and was just starting to smoke when it suddenly stopped ,thank god .I think that either the starter motor has burned out or the fuse has blown
supplying the power to it ,i have not tried to start it again .I was wondering if any body has had this happen before ,where is the relay supplying the starter, if there is one and is it the 100 amp fuse that supplys the starter, i would be most gratefull for any info on this problem before i lift the car tomorrow to sort it out,this is the first problem i have had in two years and my car is a 2000 model,thanks for any help regards Steve.

[old64er]

sounds like the starter solonoid stuck, its the secondry cylindrical "bit" on your starter.

obviously if you try and start it and it tries to kick up then the main fuse is ok but then you are running the risk of the starter solonoid sticking again! cant help you with the location of the main 100a fuse - sorry

[steve290353]

Cheers for that Paul i am hopeing that when i have a look ,the power feed cable will be fine and i just have to fit a new starter motor which i should get localy as you say the solanoid is part of the starter motor but i need to be sure if there is a relay because that could be the cause of the problem ,electrics are not realy my thing regards Steve.

[old64er]

for reference the 100 amp fuse is located on the offside chassis ladder section very close to the starter motor

[shpub]

1. The 100 amp fuse does not feed the starter. It protects the alternator. Nothing to do with it. The strater takes about 400+ amps and would vapourise the fuse!
2. The solenoid is the relay.
3. For the starter motor to run, the solenoid pushes the little gear to mesh with the flywheel. Worth chceking that this has not been damaged otherwise there is a chance that the replacement motor will not mesh correctly.

There is a description of how all this works in the bible.

Steve
www.tvrbooks.co.uk

[steve290353]

Cheers for that Steve i have done the job now a Bosch exchange unit from the local agent £107 ,i have two copys of your book but i was just shoked by the smoke i have never had that happen to me before ,i expected some cable damage but everything is fine once i read the book and had a look this morning i calmed down best regards Steve.

[old64er]

i stand corrected by the guru (bible was in the garage,cant you do a pocket version !!!) and it was raining.

glad you have got it sorted out steve.

next time SH i will keep shtum ! LOL

[steve290353]

Paul you were spot on with the solenoid being stuck on ,the ignition switch was fine ,i did not realise that the solenoid is allso the relay for the starter motor but as i mentioned earlyer when i saw smoke coming out of the bonnet i nearly fell apart and common sense was lost, cheers mate Steve.