Need some guidance on '01 Tahoe start(er) issues.....please read!

[XFBO]

Hello All!

Well, as you can see Im new here and quite frankly I was hoping I wouldnt need to come here. No offense!

Anyways, I just bought a used '01 Tahoe (84k miles) not even two weeks ago and Im having my first problem!

While getting my vehicle inspected today, the inspector waves me over and asks me why my truck wont turn off. I was like what are you talking about??

He tells me he has the key on off but the motor is still running.....when I got over to it it seemed to be running but yet the starter was kicking over. I cant even describe it it was the single most odd car related experience Ive ever had. It was making a very weird sound. They wouldnt let me get back in the car to see so the moron kept playing with the gear selection and turning the key back n forth. Several seconds or minute later it seemed to run normal again except that with each gear change, it was making noise like it does when a motor is running and you turn the key to start........that screeching sound. If all that wasnt enough there was a distinct odor of something getting fried. By the time it got to the end of the line it crapped out altogether and it would not crank over at all......no noise!

Im mechanically inclined and have done a fair share of my own car repairs but I need to know before I attempt to order any parts what ANYONE with experience might think the problem here migth of been?

Has anyone ever heard of such a thing?

Any ideas/advice?

My buddy seems to think there is no way it could run in the off position unless there was a car starter added at some point.....I told him as far as I know there was definitely an alarm system removed, however, Im unsure whether or not it had a remote start option and if it makes a differnece if it was removed.

HELP!

[ponchonutty]

My guess was that either the ignition switch shorted out or the removal of the security/alarm/starter? caused the wires to short out on themselves causing the starter to stay engaged resulting in the starter frying.

[XFBO]

Originally Posted by ponchonutty

My guess was that either the ignition switch shorted out or the removal of the security/alarm/starter? caused the wires to short out on themselves causing the starter to stay engaged resulting in the starter frying.

Thnx for the reply poncho!

Is there a common area where an ignition switch tends to short out?

The guy at my local auto part center seems to think starters can do crazy stuff like that when it goes. Personally, Ive never heard of such a thing so I dont know.

Anyhow Im now trying to get the old starter out (which will be a feat in itself cuz its in such a tight area) and put in the new one I picked up today. But I plan on giving the driver's side kick panel and beneath the dash a cursory look for any wires that may be tangling freely where the alarm may have been at one time.

Any other info would be appreciated!

[ponchonutty]

Look up under the dash at the main harness going to the ignition switch. Most of the time, the installers grab the wires right behind the knee knocker plate.

[XFBO]

FWIW- I replaced my starter and everything seems to be working as it should. Before dropping in the starter tho, I found a rats nest beneath the dash where an alarm/remote start once sat. It looked as if the prior owner just snipped all the wires going to the brain and left them as is.

I traced them all out and found two wires that should of been respliced together but werent, atleast one of them I believe was ignition or starter related. Its very possible that one of these wires grounded out since many of these wires were not capped/taped off. I fixed as much of that mess as I could then dropped the new starter in and everything seems to be good.

ONE HINT I wanna give anyone trying to replace a starter in a 5.3L GM, dont make life more diffcult for you as I did. Where the starter plugs into the flywheel there is a plastic cover with one bolt that holds her in place...REMOVE that freaking bolt to loosen the cover to help expedite starter removal/replacement otherwise you will waste THREE HOURS of your life until you figure it out on your own.

[ponchonutty]

Glad to hear that you are back on the road. I think this is a classic story of why dealers and car makers DO NOT like anything aftermarket installed in a car if it's still under warranty (I know yours wasn't). You'd be surprised at how many times I see that someone did the same. I get calls all the time from dealers for me to fix something electrical. I see it mostly with stereo stuff. In fact, I just worked on a vehicle that was only 3 years old but the previous owner ripped out the speakers. He left the JVC stereo but busted up a lot of plastic trim to take out the speakers the hard way. When I inspected it here the guy installed the radio using duct tape. After I replaced all the speakers, if you'd sneeze, you'd hear crackling noises from the speakers. Once I pulled out the radio, I saw why.