Starter? My truck started itself

[SixtyEight-F100]

OK, so after work today I was the Home Depot and hopped in my truck. I put the key in, barely started to turn it and it cranked but the starter kept spinning. I didn't want it just keep grinding so I jumped out, popped the hood, and pulled the battery cables thinking that would do the trick. Nope. Instead the car started right up and ran. That's funny I still had the keys in my hand and now the battery isn't even hooked up. I yanked the connectors on the solenoid and it finally died. When I re-hooked everything up it started normal and I drove home. When I parked it at home, I turned the key off and pulled it out and the truck kept running. Same thing, yanked the battery wires, and it kept running. I put the key back in and turned it as if starting and it finally died.

I'm assuming this is just a faulty starter don't you think? I just bought this truck last week so I don't know the history if the starter had previous problems or not. The solenoid was a bit corroded so I replaced it yesterday with a Motorcraft one. I have driven it a few times since that replacement with absolutely no problems so I don't think that is the problem. When a starter is going out could it behave this way? Complete its own circuit and start up, etc?

And now to embarrass myself....I have never done a starter before. I happen to already have a remanuf. Motorcraft starter for it in the garage. Is it a simple, remove and replace or do you have to drain any fluids first, etc.? I haven't picked up the shop manuals for it yet or I'd just look it up.

Thanks for the help.

Adam

[fordman]

no the relay was stuck or sticking. causing the starter to stay engauged. you fixed it.

[SixtyEight-F100]

By relay, do you mean the solenoid? I just replaced it with a new motorcraft one not 50 miles before this problem. I would hope that a new one would be problem free.

[stephen44]

I don't get th fact you say you yanked the battery cables off and it continued ????

- Stephen

[mrsnicks]

You don't need a battery for the truck to run. Once it starts running the alternator supplies all the power needed to keep it running. You only need the battery to start the vehicle, and maybe to run the vehicle with the headlights on.

Patrick

[towtruckerfour]

Sounds more like the starter solenoid then the starter. I'm thinking once the truck starts, it runs on the alternator not the battery so pulling the cables from the battery doesn't do anything. When you put the key back in and turned it the solenoid probably reset itself. Only other way I know to kill a motor is pull the coil wire. Changing the starter is easy. Two bolts hold it in and then the wire from the solenoid. No fluids to drain.

[SixtyEight-F100]

OK. Sounds like the solenoid which sucks since I just replaced it. Since I have the new starter already I think I will go ahead and throw it in there. I'll have to see if they will swap me out another solenoid if the new one is faulty already. Thanks guys.

[stephen44]

You don't need a battery for the truck to run. Once it starts running the alternator supplies all the power needed to keep it running. You only need the battery to start the vehicle, and maybe to run the vehicle with the headlights on.

Patrick

ok - I thought you still needed the battery in the circuit - but apparently not ?

how does the coil get the + - there must be link to the alternator lead ?

[george worley]

The engine will kep running without the battery. It gets enough power from the alternater to run. Once you turn it off it won't restart with out the battery. I posted a problem last week about interminent no starts and it was a loose +on battery. I had my radio hooked direct to the batteryand I hit a bump and the radio quit working but the truck kept on running. As soon as I shut it off it wouldn't start .

[fordman]

now wait. i thought you put a new one in and it fixed the problem. if you say you put one in and it only temporily fixed the problem try a new igintion swithc. and check the connections on the relay. yes sometimes called solenoid. it is really a relay though.

[SixtyEight-F100]

Even though it was new it (solenoid / relay) must have been bad or the wrong one or something. Tonight I put in the new starter and the problem persisted. I then swapped out the ignition from my other '68 and the problem persisted. So, I pulled the solenoid/relay out of my other truck as well and now all is good. The only thing that leaves (as far as I can tell) is that my new solenoid must have been faulty and causing the starter to get constant juice making it run non-stop.

[ToughOldFord]

In Fords it's a relay. A solenoid refers to the design which has the relay integrated into the body of the starter.

[rjewkes]

You have to be careful when buying the solenoid as some of the guys at parts desks will just find one for a 80 and newer ford car, these are designe to ride on the drivers fender apron and are thus wired backwards.

The correct one looks like a realy miniature high voltage Transformer.

[stephen44]

this is mine offa '67 ...