Holy cow.. thought you all might get a kick out of this story...and I also need help.

[SAR-4800]

While getting ready for work last night, I heard my dogs (german shepherd and boxer) barking. I glanced out the window to see if maybe a friend dropped by to visit.
Low and behold, it was my GW running in my driveway. I couldn't believe it, some a**hole was stealing my Jeep! I'm the only one with the keys, there are no spares, and I KNOW those keys were- in my pocket. Another scary factor was that I left my Llama Mini-Max .45 (I have a CCW in NC) in the locked glove box.

I immediately called 911 to catch the bastard that was in the progress of stealing my GW. I gave them all the info they requested and repeated several times about the loaded Llama in the glove box.

They then asked me to see if the Jeep left the driveway yet, so I went to look out the window. Not only did they have the balls to steal my Jeep, they had the audacity to let the **** thing warm up in MY driveway! It was still there running!

I ran told the dispatcher that fortunately the Jeep was still in the driveway, but I couldn't see who was in it (it was 11:30pm and I have all side windows lightly tinted).

She told me not to approach the GW until the police arrive, and to let them take care of the situation.
I checked to see if the GW was still there after a few minutes went by, and incredibly it was... now with the engine off!

I told the dispatch what I found and against her advice, I went to check it out with a Mag-lite in one hand and a Kahr K9 in the other.
I looked through the rear window with the light and saw nothing... no one was in the GW.
So I openned the Jeep and checked the glove box, finding the Llama still there. Nothing had been disturbed.

I put the Kahr in the garage and returned to look around the Jeep. Soon after, two police officers with hands on their holstered pistols asked me to "please step away from the vehicle, now".

After I explained who I was, I told them that I was certain that my truck was running just a few minutes ago, all by itself. One of the officers walked up close to me to check my pupils and trying to catch any odor of alcohol I'm sure.

Just as one of the officers looked into the Jeep through the front passenger door, it started up again. He quickly jumped back after shouting "holyjeeesus!". It shut itself off soon after.

Well, turns out that the '88 GW starts on its own, without key in the ignition.

I removed the coil/distributor wire to make certain it didn't continue. I found the battery dead this morning.


Now, I've only had it for about a month, but it's never done this before. It was raining last night, but I've had it rained on before without this problem.

The only thing I have done to it (3 or 4 days ago) was to change the plugs and wires.

SO... anyone have any idea what would cause this? I'm thinking maybe the ignition or wiring harness?

Thanks in advance.

[Coley]

I had a friend who had a GW do the same thing. He parked it and went into a store, when he came out, the fire dept. was hosing it down. It had been starting itself and somehow caught on fire.

Scary stuff.


redface.gif

[porkchop]

WOW! I have never heard of that before. You must have a short somwhere to the ignition. I would change the ignition box to just to be on the safe side. I really don't know what to tell you and these are just guesses.

So did the cops go and have a drink with you after it started on them :D

[tuckers89GW]

COOOOL :D. You sure it isn't haunted? make sure and check for stains on the bumper and mile on the odometer, to be sure is running around the neighbor hood. like Christine :eek:

[littlechief]

never had my truck start by itself...did have it continue running a few times though even after i took the key out...ended up changing the ignition swith on the column, not the key part but the thing that the rod moves up and down. Changed it and havent had any problems since.

[SAR-4800]

Porkchop,
Those two police officers told me that they completely understood why I called them.
They said they've never seen anything like it before, and wouldn't have believed me if they hadn't witnessed it for themselves. They did get a good laugh out of that officer's reaction though. :D

As for it being Christine, I can tell you if I heard oldies playing on the stereo, I would have set it ablaze. :eek: lol

In retrospect, I really should have disconnected the battery. I don't know why I thought it would stop trying to start with the coil to distributor wire removed. Now I have a dead battery. :(

[ September 20, 2001: Message edited by: SAR-4800 ]

[reddog]

..the signpost up ahead that says

You are now entering the twilight zone...


Check the starter relay and the wire from the ignition switch that triggers it.

Kerry

[ September 20, 2001: Message edited by: reddog ]

[Rex]

I had a similar experience. Started "late" after I tried to start it once. Then it wouldn't shut off, even with the key out.
I messed around with the ignition switch linkage that was "gummy". Haven't had a problem since.

[scotty]

have you ever found a little pile of rocks or sticks on the seat? smile.gif

[Michael]

ROFLMAO..... :eek:

[andy d]

hmmn, sounds like it may be the relay for the mitsubishi starter.that doesnt really explain where the coil got its juice, does it. is the wiring harness a rats nest sitting on the right exhaust manifold?.may be some thing got cooked together. when this happened to me the fusable link blew and the rig died.nother possibility is that scenario happened to the PO and he "fixed" it. good hunting

[fas2c]

Now THAT is funny tongue.gif :D

[Dive 30]

The Jeep Gods have sent an Oracle among us. One who is free of the legged ones. This is the prophecy . . . lol :D

[Careful34]

So many of us have Jeeps that hardly start at all! and yours starts all be itself! You should count yourself lucky that you have such a "enthusiastic" vehicle! :D

[SQUIRELL]

I HAVE 2 THINGS TO SAY:
1)THANK GOD IT WASNT IN THE GARAGE (CARBON MONOXIDE POISINING)
2)GOOD THING YOU DONT HAVE A 4-SPEED!!!!!
tongue.gif

[scotty]

yikes! :eek: lota times i leave mine sitting in granny low,low range. if it started,it would go thru my shed,fence,neighbors house. it might not stop until it gets to the lake if it can drive itself up the little hill and over the railroad tracks...

maybe id better start turing my battery switch to "off" ;)

[SAR-4800]

Squirell,
Very good point. A friend at work pointed that out as well. If it had been in the garage, I may have never woke up that night. :eek:

I removed the newish Duralast battery from my '82 Wagoneer limited and tried to pop it in the '88 GW this morning. As soon as I touched the positive cable to the + post, there was a bunch of popping sounds (or more like "zaps" coming from the post) and the engine tried to turn over (fan spun around a couple times).

I am hoping it is just the starter relay.
As I changed out the plugs a few days ago, I know I bumped it a few times with my arm and the ratchet handle. In fact, I recall saying out-loud to myself "I hope that thing isn't too important" after banging it a couple times accidently.

Seems maybe it is. I also had coolant spray all over it (and everything else as well) when a 5/8" heater hose broke soon after trying out the new plugs. I drove the GW around after I replaced the hose... everything seemed peachy. Heck, it even ran better than it ever did before.

I just bought a house and really can't afford this kind of thing. What are the chances of it being the relay, and how do I check to see if it is?

Thanks in advance.

[SAR-4800]

Squirell,
Very good point. A friend at work pointed that out as well. If it had been in the garage, I may have never woke up that night. :eek:

I removed the newish Duralast battery from my '82 Wagoneer limited and tried to pop it in the '88 GW this morning. As soon as I touched the positive cable to the + post, there was a bunch of popping sounds (or more like "zaps" coming from the post) and the engine tried to turn over (fan spun around a couple times).

I am hoping it is just the starter relay.
As I changed out the plugs a few days ago, I know I bumped it a few times with my arm and the ratchet handle. In fact, I recall saying out-loud to myself "I hope that thing isn't too important" after banging it a couple times accidently.

Seems maybe it is. I also had coolant spray all over it (and everything else as well) when a 5/8" heater hose broke soon after trying out the new plugs. I drove the GW around after I replaced the hose... everything seemed peachy. Heck, it even ran better than it ever did before.

I just bought a house and really can't afford this kind of thing. What are the chances of it being the relay, and how do I check to see if it is?

Thanks in advance.

[jeepbob]

Back in the early 70's, my Dad sold a new IH Travelall to a friend that had the same problem on foggy days. Turns out it was a bad starter relay and a bare wire so your banging the relay and spraying it with coolant sounds like your problem. Just imagine how great your shock would have been if your rig was still hooked to the travel trailer you were sleeping in like the travelall was.

[reddog]

DIVE30 An Oracle - free of the legged ones...
ROTFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!! :D :D

Sar4800 - Call around - a starter relay should not cost too much. If your wiring is in good shape the next suspect I belive would be the ignition switch. When my 84 needed a ignition switch a friend refered me to a guy who pulls ignition switches out of wrecks and cleans them up. A Chrysler switch was the same (don't know what it came out of though) and cost me $12. Check around.

Kerry

[Millerluck]

This is to funny! :D

Only thing I had close to this was a 75 Plymouth Duster I had.

It had little turn signal lights up on the hood that faced the driver.

Well the right one would glow brigter or not so bright depending on how much gas you gave it.

I tried to figure out what the heck was going on. So I left the key on, engine off, and turned on the right turn signal. Vroom the engine started up a good 5 minutes later. :eek: I was under the hood poking around. So I shut it off and started over. This time I when to pull the coil wire. Sucker zapped me! Hmmmmm? Every time the turn signal flashed a spark would jump from the coil wire!

Any how I never figured what that was all abought.

I did find out that Chrysler wanted that light to glow like that. It was ment to be some sort of econimizer for gas milage. Lets you know when your realy sucking it down.

Later

Larry Miller

[okidoc]

Met one of my old girlfriends with something like this. She had a 65 Mustang that would randomly honk. Sometimes it would be a short "beep", "beep". Other times it would be this long "HONK". Regardless as soon as you got close to it, it would stop. She traded it for a Miata, and I broke up with her. I guess it wasn't meant to be.

[Snakeyes_Tx]

I got ALL of ya'll beat when it comes to elecrical nightmares!!!

About the 2nd year I had the Dinosaur, I was sitting in a McDonald's drive-through. Out of NOWHERE, there is THICK black smoke pluming out the front of my rig! My friend in the passenger seat jumps out and looks under saying "FIRE!!!" I rip open the hood and the entire wiring harness is on fire right by the fuel lines. Lovely how they place the majority of the ignition harness right by the fuel pump/line area!

He grabs potted plant dirt and throws it EVERYWHERE! Also he's sticking his head down there blowing out whatever was left! The pricks in line didn't get out of my way when it was on fire, so after we got it out, we hopped back in my truck. The motor was somehow STILL running! No lights, VERY VERY dim cluster lights, and engine running a little erratic. I throw what's left of my rig in low, HIT the car in front of me, push his dumb a@^ out of my way, and continue to drive my rig across the divided 4 lane street, hopping the median and into the garage where I started taking it to get electrical gremlins in the first place. I tried putting the smoldering and still smoking heap into park, but every time I took the column out of Drive, the starter would engage! So I sat with my foot on the brake, and my friend got the owner. I popped the hood and told his stupid self to kill my motor! He grabbed the coil wire and pulled. The motor died, the owner screamed, and was quivering on the floor in front of my truck for a good 5 minutes.

I got out Hella pissed, and threw my keys at his face. I said "You idiots just destroyed my truck! You call yourself mechanics!? Fix it right this time, or you'll hear from my lawyer!" I walked away disgusted.

It took them 2 months and they didn't even touch it. "Oh, we need wiring blueprints." I got sick of that, so I yelled even louder. They paid for towing, sent my truck to Lone star Auto Electric, and 8 months later, and 2,400 bucks, I WAS STUCK WITH THAT BILL! New wiring.