Starter Won't Stop Spinning

[joelpsmith 1]

When I start the car the starter keeps on spinning, sometimes just a for a few seconds but it occasionally does it for longer.

 

This happened to my previous starter which completely burnt out as a result. Since fitting the current one about a year ago it has always made a short buzzing sound a second or two after the engine starts but has otherwise been fine, I'm not sure if this buzzing was because it was staying on or not, and now it has just got worse, ie staying on for longer.

 

Anyway, I can't see that the wiring is at fault since I fitted a simple starter button years ago after the typical "click... click.. nothing" started happening. So all the original wiring from the ignition barrel has been completely by-passed. There is a wire going from the battery positive terminal to a switch on the dashboard, and then to the started solenoid. I have just chopped out the switch to rule that out and tried just touching the wires together, as soon as I do so, the starter spins but won't stop until I disconnect the battery.

 

I would just swap the starter for a new one but what worries me is that this is the second one to have the same problem, is there something else I should be looking at?

 

Thanks

[pug_ham 245 3 Cars]

What else have you done beside swapping the starter?

 

Knocked any other wires off & cross connected them or is the ignition vbarrel giving a positive spring return from the start position?

 

I had the barrel spring die on my mums old 309 & a friends 205 which caused this same thing before.

 

Graham.

[willmounsey 1]

I replaced the starter on my own a couple of months back and was having similar problems but what I'd managed to is when reconnecting the ignition wire (blue one iirc) the ring terminal had spun round when I was tightening it up and was touching the alternator wire thus causing the starter to keep 'spinning'.

 

After a bit of fiddling I got the ring terminal back on with out it touching anything else and all has been fine since.

 

Might be worth a look.

 

Will

[happygoron 2]

It definatly sound like the solenoid is getting 12V for longer than it should, my understanding is it should only get it for as long as you need the starter spinning. You say you removed the switch and touched the wires, I assume you parted the wires after the motor fired and it was still spinning? If so there's either a short like described above or the solenoid on the starter is f***ed I'd guess.

[joelpsmith 1]

Graham, the ignition barrel is not connected to the started in any way since I wired up the starter button, so I can rule this out.

 

I'll have a double check for the wire to the solenoid shorting on anything, it's a spade connector rather than ring so probably less likely. I guess I could just disconnect that and try it with a short wire going straight from starter solenoid to battery and see if that resolves the issue.

 

If running a wire direct from solenoid to battery makes no difference then a guess it must be the solenoid that's knackered. Is there any way my starter button set-up could shorten the life of the solenoid? I'm just trying to understand why this has happened twice now.

[Anthony 1,003]

Sounds like a sticking solenoid to me - it doesn't jump back instantly and gives that grinding sound.

 

Was the current starter new, or was it just a second hand one lying around? Original 205 "fat" starters are all getting very tired these days in my experience and sticking solenoids seem to be fairly common - the later slimline Valeo starters from later 306, 405, 406 etc models seem to be much better in this regard.

[joelpsmith 1]

Sounds like a sticking solenoid to me - it doesn't jump back instantly and gives that grinding sound.

 

Was the current starter new, or was it just a second hand one lying around? Original 205 "fat" starters are all getting very tired these days in my experience and sticking solenoids seem to be fairly common - the later slimline Valeo starters from later 306, 405, 406 etc models seem to be much better in this regard.

 

The starter was from GSF and is the fatter type, I'm guessing this was a recon'd unit. As far as I can remember it has always made the little buzz sound just after starting but I didn't think much of it as it got the car started and that was good enough for me. It was just this weekend that it started sticking on for longer and it will surely burn out pretty soon if I don't get it sorted.

 

Everything does seem to be pointing at a faulty solenoid. Where's the best place to get a slimline Valeo, I really can't afford to be spending much money on the car at the minute so a good cheap used one would be ideal.