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Starter fails to disengage 200 1981

posted by  Rota on  Wed Apr 27 08:22 CST 2005
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last visit: Thu Aug 14 15:44 CST 2014
[RELATED]

Hi all, 1981 242DL B21F with the very checkered past....
The ignition switch return spring broke the other day, the solenoid burned, the coil OD'd, got all that under control. New starter and solenoid, and I watched them bench test it before it came home. Put the new ignition switch in and it springs back correctly, but the starter is not disengaging. When I was putting the starter in, a blue and yellow wire off the non coil side of the solenoid was short and got pulled on a bit, I traced it to a solid boot deep under the intake manifold, then lost it. I extended the wire with a connector and another wire of a slightly larger gauge. Possibly damaged the wire at the other end. (whoever chose the starter position should be spanked)...
So my questions today are: 1. Where does the blue and yellow wire go? Does it tell the starter to disengage? If not then: 2. What else might make the starter fail to disengage?
Thank you Oh Gods of Volvos!! :)
Delphine








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    Starter fails to disengage 200 1981

    posted by  someone claiming to be roller on  Wed Apr 27 12:20 CST 2005 [RELATED]

    Had some problem with starter in the past (but unlike your case it wasn't willing to engage :) )

    So the starter wiring should be:
    * top nut - straight to the battery
    * two male connectors at the right side offset 90 degrees - blue-yellow wire to the lock (It loses the yellow stripe halfway at intermediate connector and comes solid blue to the lock connector labelled as "50". According to my "Haynes" wiring diagram.) the 2nd male connector is wired to the 1st and is unused in my case.
    * single male connector at the left side - brown wire to bypass the ignition coil's current-limiting resistor.

    I can see only three cases when starter is still working after you let the key spring back:
    1) [electrical] problem with the lock, it doesn't disconnect the blue-yellow wire from +12V line (faulty lock or incorrect wiring)
    2) [electrical] problem with the relay contacts (that copper plate inside gets stick/welds to the bolts)
    3) [mechanical] the spring-loaded relay stem (that has a copper plate on it) fails to move back in place due to bent inside sliding contact (comes outside as single male connector for brown wire) or stem is blocked some other way or the main axle is worn/dirty/overheats so that the sleeve cannot slide back thus blocking the relay in "ON" state.

    I'd just take the BL-Y wire female connector off, short the freed male pin to the top nut with a screwdriver/crowbar tip (starter engages and rotates the flywheel and crankshaft) then take the screwdriver off (starter disengages). If so then case 1) is the cause.
    Else 2) or 3), both require starter disassembly.







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      Starter fails to disengage 200 1981

      posted by  smith_t240 on  Wed Apr 27 16:18 CST 2005
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      last visit: Tue Apr 24 02:21 CST 2007
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      good tips ^^^^

      do the test he mentioned, you can also get remote starters to carnk the car without the ignition switch. all this does is gives 12 volts straight from the battery to the starter, and it will crank.

      when you stop this, the starter should stop. if not the solenoid may be sticking. if it does, id look into the electical stuff, like the ignition switch.

      smith








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        Starter fails to disengage 200 1981

        posted by  leugim on  Thu Apr 28 03:37 CST 2005
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        last visit: Sat Oct 18 20:49 CST 2014
        [RELATED]

        I installed a STANDARD (brand) remote starter switch(less than $4 - my '86 has a rotting harness so the blue/yellow was on its way out).

        I pigtailed a wire from the hot rail (follow small wire from battery to black plastic cover on driver's side fender)to the starter (through the rubber grommet on the firewall/bulkhead where wiring harness goes through by the steering)to feed the starter that I mounted next to the defrost switch.

        From the switch I wfed a wire back through the grommet to a piggyback flag on the solenoid.

        I now feel like a boy racer - Gentlemen start your engines!

        I see you are in Las Cruces, I have some folks I knew who went to school there back in the late 80's early 90's. My wife and I visited them while on vacation. Organ (?) Mt was beautiful. We also went to Gila, Taos and Albuquerque. My sister lives in Corrales just outside Albuquerque. My father in law has a lot in Belen .... Beautiful country and I love that Chili.
        --
        Happy Motoring! 86' 244 "Grey Mare" '87 245 "Grasshopper"







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