HELP!!! Car cranking by itself!!!

[180sx_LBC]

Hey guys,

I've got a problem I can't figure out myself. I'll explain..

This morning I walked out to my car and tried to disarm my alarm. Well it didn't do anything. So I unlocked it manually. I opened the door and the alarm didn't go off. I put the key in and tried to crank it. Well nothing turned on, no lights... no nothing. I than proceded to pop the hood to check the battery, it was dead. I also noticed a burnt smell around the battery area. Well than I tried to jump start it. And the weirdest thing happend. I put on the positve side of the cable and than the negative.... it started to crank... by itself!!!! I didn't have the key in the ignition or anything. It would jus keep cranking by itself untill I pulled off the negative side. It will not start, even when I try to turn the key. It will just keep cranking on it own.

Now I have a 1990 fastback w/ an sr20det redtop. This has never happend before, and I've had it for almost a year. Someone please help me out!! Please!!!! Any advice would be great, thanks a lot!!

[statik]

do you have an auto-start equipped alarm? id start debugging the alarm system since you said it was acting funny

[idlafie]

Hey guys,

I've got a problem I can't figure out myself. I'll explain..

This morning I walked out to my car and tried to disarm my alarm. Well it didn't do anything. So I unlocked it manually. I opened the door and the alarm didn't go off. I put the key in and tried to crank it. Well nothing turned on, no lights... no nothing. I than proceded to pop the hood to check the battery, it was dead. I also noticed a burnt smell around the battery area. Well than I tried to jump start it. And the weirdest thing happend. I put on the positve side of the cable and than the negative.... it started to crank... by itself!!!! I didn't have the key in the ignition or anything. It would jus keep cranking by itself untill I pulled off the negative side. It will not start, even when I try to turn the key. It will just keep cranking on it own.

Now I have a 1990 fastback w/ an sr20det redtop. This has never happend before, and I've had it for almost a year. Someone please help me out!! Please!!!! Any advice would be great, thanks a lot!!

Sounds like you have an electrical short in one of the wires that go to your starting circuit. That Burnt smell around the battery area is telling you that one of the wires melted. Your starter has three wires running to it, a big fat (+) cable, a (-) ground cable and a Start Signal cable. Somehow you are getting electricity to the Start Signal cable on your starter bypassing your ignition switch & your relays. That's why your starter is cranking by itself when you went to jump it. Looks like you're going to have to pull out your Factory Service Manual and trace ALL the lines leading to your relays, ignition switch and your alarm wiring to try to figure out what wire shorted out. You should also check your relays to see if they are still good. You might have fried one when the wire shorted out & drained your battery.
Anyhow, hope this helps...Good luck!!!
ID
'95 SE

[180sx_LBC]

Sounds like you have an electrical short in one of the wires that go to your starting circuit. That Burnt smell around the battery area is telling you that one of the wires melted. Your starter has three wires running to it, a big fat (+) cable, a (-) ground cable and a Start Signal cable. Somehow you are getting electricity to the Start Signal cable on your starter bypassing your ignition switch & your relays. That's why your starter is cranking by itself when you went to jump it. Looks like you're going to have to pull out your Factory Service Manual and trace ALL the lines leading to your relays, ignition switch and your alarm wiring to try to figure out what wire shorted out. You should also check your relays to see if they are still good. You might have fried one when the wire shorted out & drained your battery.
Anyhow, hope this helps...Good luck!!!
ID
'95 SE




That's what my friends and I were thinking too. But I wasn't so sure, so I'm going to check it out today. I'll let you guys know once I'm finished checking everything out. Thanks for you advice!