Replaced starter and car tries to start itself with no key!!!

[Filterboy]

So I decided to replace my starter. Shouldn't be to hard from reading DIY posts, first disconnected battery terminals, removed heat shield, removed the two connections to starter (large wire/nut and a small wire/nut), removed starter and replaced with new one. Reconnected large wire/nut and small wire/nut connections to stater. Then it got scary. I connected the ground terminal to my battery and when I connected the positive terminal, my car suddenly started turning over and firing, trying to start itself (keys not even in the ignition). After the heart attach, I was not sure what on earth would cause this to happen.

There were three connections to the starter itself:
One had a wire and nut going from the solenoid to the starter motor (didnt touch this one). The second had a wire and nut from which I assume is connected to the battery and another very small wire and small nut. I replaced all wires just as they were on the old starter.

Any ideas what on earth is happening or what I did wrong?

[alex553]

Re: Replaced starter and car tries to start itself with no key!!!

One of the wires is probably touching something it shouldnt like a ground or power source

[darkflare999]

Re: Replaced starter and car tries to start itself with no key!!!

Power and ground is definitely touching somewhere or something that is ground is touching the power terminal of the starter

[Filterboy]

Re: Replaced starter and car tries to start itself with no key!!!

Read something pretty good on the internet which said to disconnect the ground to the starter and then touch the positive battery terminal. After removal of the wire, touch the battery cable connector to its battery terminal.

Then, IF the starter cranks, the problem is that starter solenoid is defective and needs to be replaced (I figured it was not this since my starter was a brand new unit and hopefully wasn't defective). However, IF the starter does NOT crank, then that suggests one of two possibilities:

The wire from the ignition switch has become "shorted" to ground somewhere between the ignition switch and the solenoid, and the short needs to be repaired, or...
The ignition switch has become defective and needs to be replaced.

So I decided to give two things a try. The positive wire coming from the battery to the starter had a strange 'L' shaped tab on the connection which was meant to keep it from spinning around. I bent the tab back a little in case it was touching the ground terminal on the starter (the clearance was very close). I took off the negative connection to the starter motor, inspected it, and put it back on. Before trying to hook up the battery, I jiggled the ignition switch and hit it with a wrench a few time just in case it was stuck (and partly because I was rather frustrated). Hooked up the battery with fingers crossed and hallelujah...(this has been the only time i prayed for my car NOT to start). Put the keys in the ignition and voila "bing bing bing", dash lit up, turned the key, and it started up wonderfully. I just pray it was the positive terminal shorting out and not my ignition switch going bad. Anyways, it works for now. Thanks for the replies guys!