Car cranked without key!
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Car cranked without key! Short in fuse box or starter wires?
Have you ever heard a car starter cranking without the key? GS battery was dead and I attempted to jump it this morning, connected the positive terminal and then it cranked as soon as I connected the negative cable to the car body, but the key was in accessory position!
Water may have gotten into driver side, even though car drove fine yesterday. Can someone post what electrical components may be on driver side from window to floor etc.? Where to the starter wires run?
Water may have gotten into driver side, even though car drove fine yesterday. Can someone post what electrical components may be on driver side from window to floor etc.? Where to the starter wires run?
Last edited by airahcaz; Jul 23, 2018 at 08:15 AM. Reason: update
2 different problems and both very common and available under the search function.
Power wire probably jumping the solenoid on the starter, get it checked. That would kill the battery. Water on passenger floor due to heater core issue.
Power wire probably jumping the solenoid on the starter, get it checked. That would kill the battery. Water on passenger floor due to heater core issue.
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From: New Jersey
heater core has water on passenger or driver side or both?
Bad solenoid. Leaking water on driver side, most likely not a core problem and more of a HVAC issue. Has it been raining in Jersey lately? Could have some leaking door seals, windshield seals, clogged A/C drain. Check the vents just beneath your windshield (under your wipers, under your hood) see if its all clogged in there.
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From: New Jersey
Bad solenoid. Leaking water on driver side, most likely not a core problem and more of a HVAC issue. Has it been raining in Jersey lately? Could have some leaking door seals, windshield seals, clogged A/C drain. Check the vents just beneath your windshield (under your wipers, under your hood) see if its all clogged in there.
Crap, before checking the solenoid, check your starter relay. That could also be stuck in the on position. Look for another relay in the fuse box with the same numbers and swap them. Then reproduce the scenario with the key in ignition and the battery cable off. Reapply the cable and see if it still cranks. If it doesn't, then its a bad relay.
As I said, the wet carpet and the solenoid issue are 2 different things. Starters get wet all the time, that wont cause it to go bad. Our cars are up to 20 years old... shtuff is going to fail. Again, check the relay though.
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New battery
so Toyota wasn’t able to get to it for a few days so they gave me a new Camry as a loaner and I didn’t rush them. Yesterday they looked at the battery and it wasn’t even taken a charge. They replaced the battery and car started right up.
Two theories, both of which won’t be proven:
battery with low charge caused starter or solenoid to be stuck, so when car was jumped the starter kicked on without the key
or
there was a short due to water, which simply dried out over a week.
I dont know but am quite happy to pay the costs of a new battery and a little bit labor, all while having a new Camry for over a week, and not having to spend much more on anything starter or ignition related.
Two theories, both of which won’t be proven:
battery with low charge caused starter or solenoid to be stuck, so when car was jumped the starter kicked on without the key
or
there was a short due to water, which simply dried out over a week.
I dont know but am quite happy to pay the costs of a new battery and a little bit labor, all while having a new Camry for over a week, and not having to spend much more on anything starter or ignition related.
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From: ON
My 2003 GS430 is trying to crank itself without the key in the ignition as well.
It has happened twice and both times it was raining. Even though I have not found any signs of water leaking into the car, I have no doubt moisture was involved.
The first time this happened, it was raining all day. Lots of fine mist in the air as well. I was driving on the hwy when the dashboard and nav screen went blank but then suddenly came back on. I pulled over and turned the car off. About 10sec later, the car tried to start itself without the keys in the ignition. Had to pull the negative battery cable for it to stop cranking. Towed it to my mechanic and he was able to determine the issue was in the wiring but before the starter relay, since pulling that relay stopped the car from cranking itself. Just to be sure, he tried another starter relay and had the same result. After the car sat overnight with the battery unplugged, the car started and drove just fine the next day. I went ahead anyway and replaced the ignition switch as a preventative measure and off I went. I suspect the reason it started fine the next day was because the moisture had dissipated.
About two weeks later, I parked my car after it rained most of the day and when I came back three hours later my battery was dead because it again was trying to continuously start itself. This time it killed my starter. A mechanic replaced the starter then sent the car to an electrical specialist. She confirmed too that the issue is in the wiring but before the starter relay. After eliminating the possibility it could be the neutral safety switch, she rewired the starter fuse from the ignition switch and it now sits in its own insulated fuse holder next to the drivers side fuse/junction box by the kick panel. That is where things are with the car right now. I have only driven it home thus far and have not used it to commute to work yet until I'm 100% sure it's fixed.
I just started running some water tests this evening to see if I can find a leak and recreate the issue. When I pour water over the windshield on the drivers side, not all the water drains and some enters into the engine bay down the firewall near the fender. That water travels very close to and around two rubber grommets where the wiring harness enters the car. Even though I cannot find any sign of water coming in when I look up from the bottom of the drivers side kick panel, I am pretty sure water should completely drain from the windshield and not be running down the firewall. I am going to take the wiper blades and cowl off this weekend to see if the drains are plugged.
Interested to hear if anyone else has any thoughts.
It has happened twice and both times it was raining. Even though I have not found any signs of water leaking into the car, I have no doubt moisture was involved.
The first time this happened, it was raining all day. Lots of fine mist in the air as well. I was driving on the hwy when the dashboard and nav screen went blank but then suddenly came back on. I pulled over and turned the car off. About 10sec later, the car tried to start itself without the keys in the ignition. Had to pull the negative battery cable for it to stop cranking. Towed it to my mechanic and he was able to determine the issue was in the wiring but before the starter relay, since pulling that relay stopped the car from cranking itself. Just to be sure, he tried another starter relay and had the same result. After the car sat overnight with the battery unplugged, the car started and drove just fine the next day. I went ahead anyway and replaced the ignition switch as a preventative measure and off I went. I suspect the reason it started fine the next day was because the moisture had dissipated.
About two weeks later, I parked my car after it rained most of the day and when I came back three hours later my battery was dead because it again was trying to continuously start itself. This time it killed my starter. A mechanic replaced the starter then sent the car to an electrical specialist. She confirmed too that the issue is in the wiring but before the starter relay. After eliminating the possibility it could be the neutral safety switch, she rewired the starter fuse from the ignition switch and it now sits in its own insulated fuse holder next to the drivers side fuse/junction box by the kick panel. That is where things are with the car right now. I have only driven it home thus far and have not used it to commute to work yet until I'm 100% sure it's fixed.
I just started running some water tests this evening to see if I can find a leak and recreate the issue. When I pour water over the windshield on the drivers side, not all the water drains and some enters into the engine bay down the firewall near the fender. That water travels very close to and around two rubber grommets where the wiring harness enters the car. Even though I cannot find any sign of water coming in when I look up from the bottom of the drivers side kick panel, I am pretty sure water should completely drain from the windshield and not be running down the firewall. I am going to take the wiper blades and cowl off this weekend to see if the drains are plugged.
Interested to hear if anyone else has any thoughts.
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