starter motor was always cranking

[chris205]

hi, i have been having a problem with my 406 coupe 1997 v6 , i got in it one morning and started it but i could hear a strange noise so i turned the engine off and the starter was still cranking. i quickly disconnected the battery to stop it , when i connected it back up it was fine but the starter decided it did not want to work unless i hit it , i have since changed the starter but have had the same problem again. i have removed the engine loom and stripped it to look for any damage but the only damage i found was a slightly burnt connector to the starter solinoid , does anyone know what could cause this as i dont want to fit a new loom and have the problem come back , the ignition barrel seems to be working as normal , cheers

[steve_earwig]

Are you p383urw?

I presume you've had the ignition switch apart to see if it's collapsed, does your car have an immobiliser?

[chris205]

yeah thats right i am , the ignition switch has been swapped with another one , i have a key pad which has been disonnected. i just dont want to fit a new loom and end up with the same problem

[steve_earwig]

Hmm, I was hoping someone would come along with a better understanding of these keypad immobiliser thingies, neither of mine have/had them so I'm not entirely sure how they work, but I would thing that it's more likely to be what's giving you this problem than a short somewhere (though that's not impossible, given the age). Bearing in mind it doesn't cover your car or engine and the diagrams are almost useless, Haynes just shows a wire going off to the keypad teed into the starter motor solenoid feed from the ignition switch I'm not sure why it would need this but that's what I'd be looking for right now.

[mjb]

I'd put my money on either the ignition switch or the relay

[steve_earwig]

He says he's changed the ignition switch (2nd hand looks like but two duff the same way?) What relay? Seeing as how the solenoid is a relay in itself why does it exist, something to do with the immobiliser?

[chris205]

which relay could it be ?