I currently started my toyota pickup let it run for five minutes because it was cold out. When i went back outside the truck was smoking so i open the hood and noticed the white smoke coming from a tube hanging off the starter. the truck then died shortly after and clicked when i tried to start it. Im guessing the starter motor is shot but don’t know if it could be the solenoid or something else such as wires. Could something else cause this to much power going to the starter that caused it to fry? I just would hate to replace the starter and have the same thing happen again.
My guess is that the starter assembly got hung up in the “start” position (starter gear engaged) and the engine spinning the starter so fast for the time the engine was warming up cooked the starter.
In short, I don;t think it’s a current problem, I think it’s a mechanical problem.
so in short something mechanical inside the starter motor is shot and i should replace the starter motor. It smelled like something electrical was burning inside the starter but that could of been a caused by something mechanical burning up something electrical inside the starter. Thanks for the input.
If the starter stays engaged, the electrical power to the starter (via the switch on the solenoid) stays on. This is why the starter burned up. It’s only designed to be powered for less than a minute at at time. Keeping any starter powered for several minutes will burn it up, regardless of the speed it is turning. This is also why your truck died. The starter being on ran down the battery to the point that there wasn’t enough power for the fuel pump, ignition, and so on.