Starter engaged without ignition on????

[Ragman]

HELP!!!!
I have 2001 Tradewinds with a 330 CAT engine.
After pulling up about 30 feet, I dumped the air and turned off the engine without putting the jacks down. Because there was a fair amount of noise around me, I didn't notice at first that the engine was cranking. As I walked to the back of the coach, I heard it turning over.

I ran back and turned the ignition on; it started right up. Then I turned the ignition off and it kept cranking. I did this twice and it still was cranking when I turned the ignition off. By the time I got my channel locks and disconnected the battery cables, the batteries were almost completely run down.

I suspect it may be a stuck solenoid. Has anyone else had this occur?

Larry

[HD4Mark]

Sounds like a stuck solenoid to me. I am no diesel mechanic but back when I was a kid and did most of my own work non-stop cranking was usually that. Sometimes a clunk on it with a hammer convinced it become unstuck. It would be a challenge for me to find the solenoid on our DP though

[beejay25]

Had the same problem on my 1999 Freightliner chassis. It was a stuck relay on drivers side mounted under the frame near the front of the engine. It was intermitant and burned out 2 starters before Cummins found it, under warranty. Good luck.

[Pigman]

Report it as a safety deficiency to the NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration). This is the sort of thing they HAVE to know about.

Contact Info | National Highway Traffic Safety Administration(NHTSA) | U.S. Department of Transportation

John