[gotarace]

Help Please...my brothers 97 Astro vans starter engages while running in park. I know this is a problem with other Astro vans but can't find a fix. The starter has been replaced...the wiring harness in the colum has been replaced. The wires have been replaced from the firewall to the starter.
Any Help would be a blessing this van has taken on a demon that needes to be expelled. :banghead:

 

[Big_kid]

HI,
I've never heard of this before. Has anyone checked the switch on the bottom of the steering column? That would be the first place I'd look.

Welcome to the site!
:chevy:

 

[Matrixx]

Hi gotarace
Does your brother have an after market alarm or remote start installed in the vehicle?

 

[astro355]

When was the starter replaced? Is this a problem that happened RIGHT after the starter was replaced?

 

[gotarace]

I think we found the problem today... the netural saftey switch was shorting out from ice and water inside it causing the dead short to the starter. Hope this is the problem but so far so good. We ran the gauntlet with this problem and the van was acting like it had a evil demon.

 

[astro355]

Evil demon, that's funny. Only red vehicles have evil demons.

 

[Matrixx]

Hi gotarace
I checked the recalls for that year and their was nothing at all about the starter engaging on it's own. This "usually" happens with a remote start set-up. The NSS Switch caused this? hmm, new one for me. You peaked my curiosity and I will check the diagrams tonight to see how it does this. Thanks for the update gotarace, and I'm glad you found the problem (hopefully).

 

[Big_kid]

That switch is very often overlooked. I only tend to think of it because I helped push a 77 Monte Carlo back to my buddy's house by hand. After a mile or so that car got HEAVY. I replaced the solenoid for him, only to find out that had we tried it in neutral, it would have started.

Glad to read it's fixed now!
:chevy:

 

[gotarace]

So far so good with the switch of the nss. It was a problem that took out 2 starters and it was the last place we looked. I guess time will tell but it is starting fine right now. It got to the point where if it idled for less than 45 seconds the starter would kick in while running. Thanks for the replys guys and i will keep you posted on the suscess of this fix.