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I am completely lost. I have a 98 S10 with 98,000 miles on it. Initially, when I would turn the car off the starter kept engaging. It actually caught on fire. I replaced that. Then it did it again with the new starter so I replaced it again and got a new ignition switch. The 40 amp Ignition fuse was blown so I replaced that too. Now I cant get it to start. I have power going to starter, checked the fuses, etc. The lights and radio turn on. There is no click when I try to start it and the lights dont dim at all. Also, the radio will not turn off even when I open the door. Also when I press the brakes the turn signal lights come on on the dash. I’m lost. Can anyone help me please?
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It sounds like there are some wires bleeding power over to other circuits.
This may have been due to the fire and insulation melting or from the high current drawn from the starter that started to the fire.
There is no easy fix on this one, a physical inspection of each circuit from the fuse box to the device will be necessary to identify the wires with issues.
Check for a voltage drop on the starter wire from the fuse box to the terminal; the Fusible Link might have been blown in the fire or damaged.
Eric has a great series of videos for solving electrical problems – http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-electrical-problems
Check the ground straps on the engine. As a test, connect a jumper cable between the negative battery terminal and a heavy metal part of the engine block. Perhaps a bracket or head bolt. On GM’s the solenoid on the starter when supplied with power makes the connection between the battery cable and starter motor. The small wire on the starter should have 12VDC while the key is in the start position.
If I’m not mistaken that vehicle uses a starter relay. If that’s the case, you might check to see if it’s working properly. If it’s melted shut, it could cause the starter to engage all the time.
More info on solving electrical issues here along with those videos that were mentioned.
http://www.ericthecarguy.com/faq/solving-automotive-electrical-problems
Please keep us updated on what you find. Good luck.
Thanks for the reply! Well I rechecked the fuses, relays and wiring. Pulled all the wiring from the battery to the grounds and everywhere else to look the over and clean them if necessary. Had to change a few ignition fuses again. Made some progress tho… it starts now, but immediately dies.
OK, I am thinking it will continue to run as long as you have the key in the start position and quits when you turn the key from start to run. Is that correct? Does it have a security key type ignition?
Yeah, it has the passlock. I’m trying to reset it leaving it in the On position for 10 minutes, then OFF for 5 seconds, then On again for the 3 times it says, but so far I haven’t been able to get it to stay on. I’m in the middle of trying it again right now. Not sure what else to do if this fails.
Thanks for the video!! I got it to start and run. My problem now is that when I hit my brakes the reverse lights turn on in the rear and the parking lights turn on in the front of the truck. Also, the front head lights and constantly on, which they never did before.
I know it can be a bad ground some where, but where do I look? Since when I hit the brake, the lights are coming on in the front and back, where would I start looking for the possible issue? Also with the headlights? Are these two separate issues or just one? Thanks again!!
There should be a fuse for the brake lights and relay for the headlights. Pull the relay and see if your headlights go out then find the fuse for the brake lights and pull that. At that point see what happens when you press the brake petal but concentrate on the headlights.
Are there features that hold your headlights on for a time after you stop the car with the headlight switch on? When you said “reverse lights” did you mean backup lights (white lights)?
You just need to narrow your symptoms so you can concentrate on one item at a time.
As info most circuits on your vehicle use 12VDC through a fuse and the operating switch applies ground. So grounds are important for circuit operation.
Okay… I’ll try it out tomorrow after work. I did mean the white reverse lights. Thanks.
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Okay… the front parking lights still come on when I press the brakes. I can hear clicking when I press the brake from what appears to be the relay. I pulled the CHMSEL relay and it turned the brake and parking lights off. I narrowed it down to that but now what do I look at from here? Thanks.
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See if there is a relay for the fog lamps. Should be the same as CHMSEL (Center High Mount Select) relay. If there is then move that to the CHMSEL position and see if that is a fix. If not, and your truck is equipped with a trailer hitch then unplug the connector between the 7-Pin connector and the body harness as a test.
The CHMSEL operates the High Mount Rear brake light on the back of the cab.
Try this to determine the circuit bleeding over to power the parking lights:
1. Pull the parking lights fuse
2. Have someone or something hold the brake pedal down so the front parking lights stay on.
3. Remove each fuse one at a time until the lights go off; if they stay on insert the fuse back in and go to the next
4. Once the circuit is identified determine where the circuits are crossed.
5. Make necessary repairs
6. Install fuse from step 3 and test; if good install fuse from step 1.
Repeat for all other devices not working correctly.
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