Haunted 87 Silverado

[Crashgordon56]

Yesterday my truck was parked in the driveway and all of a sudden it started cranking the motor over all by itself!!!! No keys in the ignition, doors were locked, no one inside hiding from me, no drugs or alcohol involved. The truck is a 4x4 with the stock 350 and 700r4. I did put in a new starter from Summit Racing back in May with no problems until yesterday. My question is WTH?

                                                                        Crash 

[VileZambonie]

Make sure the wire on the S terminal is isolated. It is common in the GM starter to do this but only once initially activated by the ignition switch. then you turn the key off and the starter keeps cranking due to the solenoid sticking. But for it to energize all by itself would require some source of electricity to energize the relay. Does your truck have any remote start or melted wires near the starter or back of the cyl head?

[dumbucket1]

My freightliner classic with a cat motor did that once. An oil leak shorted the terminals on the starter solenoid causing it to crank.

[Crashgordon56]

O.K. the oil leak is probably the cause. There is a leak right above the starter. Conditions must have been just right for this to happen even though the starter is covered with a wrap around heat shield. I think my rear main seal is leaking and I have been putting off getting it fixed. I'm glad this didn't happen in the middle of the night or I may have run outside and shot holes in my truck with my .357 thinking the truck was being stolen! NOT! Thanks guys for the help.

                                                                         Crash

[78Scottsdale]

Yup, The same thing happened to my uncles 85' Chevy.

I was hoping you would tell me that the previous owner died in it and you bought it of his crazed brother that said that the last guy that got in it choked to death from carbon dioxide poisoning after the radio came on playing 50's style speak easy music.

[Lt.Del]

78Scottsdale has been reading too many Stephen King novels lately 

[eventhorizon66]

Have you considered consulting this woman?  She seems to have had great success in these matters.

[VileZambonie]

Oil leaks should have nothing to do with the starter cranking by itself. I'd look a little deeper.

[choptop]

I went through a similar problem last year with a friends 94 suburban, but it would not start cranking until you hti the switch, then it wouldnt quit until you pulled the battery cable off. We went through 3 reman starters from the same place until we finally bought a new (not reman) starter, and havent had a problem since.

[VileZambonie]

You're more likely to have a ghost or demon than an oil leak causing the problem.

[Lt.Del]

You're more likely to have a ghost or demon than an oil leak causing the problem.

Or you could have both.  Yeah.  And it would really crank when the ghost takes the key and uses its metallic properties to jump the two terminals on the solenoid....while he pours oil in the battery.

[78 Chevyrado]

It happens like on final destination...

One of my neighbors had a similar thing happen, except it was on his old ford 3000 tractor.  he had stored it and left the battery hooked up and then I guess mice chewed up the wires and it finally shorted.  It cranked the engine until something caught fire and burnt up the whole shed, tractor and all.

[Crashgordon56]

I think I found the explanation. My ex-wife put a curse on the truck. So, when I go on my honeymoon with my new wife, the truck is going to crank until it catches fire. It will then cause the house to burn to the ground taking my Valkyrie and my new wife's Ninja with it. That's o.k. my faithful dog Bart will keep an eye on it while I'm away.

[low budget]

Must have needed the insurance money

[DnStClr]

Thank Goodness ya got Bart there to keep an eye on things....