My 90 Ford Ranger 4 banger is my construction beater. I had replaced the starter because the old on had refused to fully engage into the flywheel. After replacing it it worked fine for a few months and started doing the same grinding sound again. I took that starter back thinking it may have been defective. After replacing s new one again It did it again after one day plus it kept on going after turning off the key. To stop the grinding I quickly disconnected the battery. I still kept on going when ever I reconnected the battery. what is going on?
You didn’t get the starters from Pep Boys did you? A friend of mine got his lifetime guaranteed starter replaced 5 times in a year until he said he had done the labor on the first 5 and he wanted them to do the labor on the next 5 and they gave him his money back so he could buy a starter someplace else.
Quite likely the teeth on the flywheel are worn or damaged. This wear contributes to the hasty demise of a new starter. Unless you replace the flywheel, any new starter that you buy will have a very short lifespan.
If the starter is running even with the key in the off position then I would guess your ignition is not working properly. When you turn the key off the power to the solenoid should be cut off. I had the same problem on my Sonoma, the Actuator was out of adjustment and I had to take the coluom apart and tighten the ignition switch which is located down the colum on my tuck. Sounds like even when you turn your truck off the ignition switch is not completely moving to the off position.
http://www.am-autoparts.com/Ford/Ranger/IgnitionSwitch/AM-29526092/375915.html
This replacement Steering Column Ignition Switch Actuator Lever is just what you need to get your Ford & Mercury vehicle in good working condition again!
It mounts inside the steering column and connects the ignition lock (where the key goes) to the internal ignition switch. When the key is moved to any position, this lever moves inside the steering column, and is what turns the ignition switch on or off. It has a small pin attached to it and if that breaks off, you will be unable to start the vehicle. This part is commonly broken when vehicles are stolen. It also is the cause of why some ignition switches will not move. If any part of this lever is broken, the key will be unable to move!
The starter grinding, you may have to shim the starter. Most, least for my truck, comes with shims in the box. The other thing is like the guy said, when you remove the starter look at the fly wheel and make sure it is not damaged.
Hope this helps.
No not from Pep Boys. Thanks I think it may be the key switch or selamoid
I was thinking it might be the solenoid. Could that be keeping the power on to the starter as well as the ignition switch problem.
The starter did not come with a shim set and why did it work fine for a short time. Having not ever had to shim a starter befor how would that work?