So my car refuses to shut off. The keys can be removed, and it just keeps on running, causing obvious concerns. I finally had to stall it by letting out the clutch, but that still keeps the fans running, necessitating battery disconnect. Has anyone encountered a similar issue? Solution? Starts right up, just can't shut it off...
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Welcome to our forum, Jerry.
long distance troubleshooting is difficult, and when it involves electrical issues, it becomes often impossible. Toss us a few more specifics so responses might actually be of value to you.
What year is your car chassis? It appears to have a GT5 appearance but we need the year of the chassis, as the ignition switches changed for the later cars.
is this car new to you? Whether new or old, what is your prior history with this ignition switch? always worked flawlessly, until just recently, or has it been acting up for a while?
has anyone recently done any work anywhere underneath the dash of your car?
The ignition lock should have four positions. Full CCW is off, followed by accessories, run and start. A well worn ignition lock might allow removal of your key without it being turned fully CCW. Not common, but worth checking,
next time you test it don’t hit the clutch pedal, but turn on your headlights and tell us what, if anything changes.
our 50-year-old ignition switches are beginning to show their age. An owner recently opened one to find the original lubricating grease had basically been hardened into a waxy plastic. This is what can happen after 50 years of current and electrical arcing.
replacements are not common, but are available. But if we get that far, we will then need to know what year of your chassis
Larry
This excerpt is part of the longer thread, link posted below.
https://electronics.stackexcha...e-for-switch-contact
Larry
Do you have a new alternator? Perhaps a 1-wire alternator? When I installed my new 1-wire alternator (which incidentally has MORE than 1 wire!?), my engine would run-on when I turned off the car, and I also had to stall it with the clutch.
The solution:
Garth,
you know, I love you, man. But I’m afraid you’ve spent a lot of time crafting a repair response without you, or any of us, having any idea what his problem actually is.
that is why I started my response in the manner I did, and posed a number of questions to help us actually provide worthwhile advice.
after several days, the poster has failed to respond to my post, so he probably won’t respond to yours, either.
I am so frustrated when I see good hearted intentions, such as yours, thrown into the mix before anybody has any clue what the problem might actually be. Sort of serves to muddy the water of the discussion.
in closing, can you refer us to a currently operating RadioShack store? 😁😁
Larry
@lf-tp2511 posted:Garth,
you know, I love you, man. But I’m afraid you’ve spent a lot of time crafting a repair response without you, or any of us, having any idea what his problem actually is.
that is why I started my response in the manner I did, and posed a number of questions to help us actually provide worthwhile advice.
after several days, the poster has failed to respond to my post, so he probably won’t respond to yours, either.
I am so frustrated when I see good hearted intentions, such as yours, thrown into the mix before anybody has any clue what the problem might actually be. Sort of serves to muddy the water of the discussion.
in closing, can you refer us to a currently operating RadioShack store? 😁😁
Larry
I know, I know... That's why I asked the question about his alternator. His symptoms sounded similar to mine so I shared how I solved my problem. But you're right, he may have a completely different issue.
What?! You don't have a Radio Shack in your town?! It should be located in the same shopping center parking lot where your local Fotomat booth is located.
Oh well, anyone can Google the part number and find another 3A 200v rectifier diode.
I appreciate all of these ideas and ways to remedy my problem. I apologize for my silence I am away on an unscheduled job out of the country and had to put this on hold. Very quickly the only work on the car recently was a carb rebuild, it's a 1985 GT5. The problem started when the car was washed. I did see an earlier post from 2009 with a similar problem and have had it suggested that it is something to do with the fan relays. I intend to jump back in with both feet next week. Thank you again for all your support.
thanks for popping back in. It sucks, but sometimes life interferes with our love for cars. 😉
when your life settles back down, try to address the questions and issues that have already been posed, and we will put our collective hive mind through the task of figuring out what is wrong.
Larry
Jerry - That problem did not exist when I owned the car, but who knows, that's been 8 years ago. I'm sure the alternator is probably the same one when I owned it too. Let me know when you are back in country and we'll chat. Mike
Jerry good morning. I've already explained in great detail for you last week, how to diagnose. Specific instructions and even created a 'flow chart' for you just simply follow my guidance it's not rocket science it's simple electrics. You said you have an LVCT & I explained how to expose the switch electrical portion and troubleshoot. We can do it for you you're only 45 minutes away. I also mentioned how this is possible even with a known-good (tested) switch. Also as mentioned, throw a load on the car in the key off position via a/c & brights if the switch checks out. You said you were a bit confused. I understand how this could be like someone speaking Chinese to you since you don't have some comfort level with electrics. We're all trying to help you.
Shark
So it turns out the switch is fine, and the problem was traced down to a bundle of wires by the voltage regulator which melted and fused together to create a new path. Car is running great, and this morning was a good time to refuel with some tasty C9! Finally got a chance to take her out on the highway and cracked 130KPM on the new wheels and tires. Here are some recent pix from the MODA event at the Biltmore Hotel in Miami.
130 KPM. Damn, that's fast. 
Sounds fast!
Nice pictures and nice car!
Rocky
Good morning, be sure to take the time to check the 'why' of the wires melted together, this is abnormal behavior, wires don't just melt together for no reason. Something caused that (fire hazard).
