Tony320

So I go to get in my car and drive to the supermarket this afternoon, and realize I forgot my wallet. well, I turn the key off and pull it out of the ignition, and realized that the car is still running, extremely rough and at really low idle. I think well that is no good so I put the key back on and turned the key back to "on."

The Sc300 goes back to normal idle and everything seems normal so I turn it off again and it still won't shut off. I don't really want to leave my car in the parking lot, idling while I go get a wrench to pop the batter cable off since I live downtown and its not uncommon for people to wander through my parking lot since I live next to a sketchy dry-cleaner. Since my car is a stick, I thought well maybe I can just kill it by dropping the clutch. Doesn't work, car chugs along lurching forward with each crank of the engine.

So I resign myself to the possibilities of leaving my car running with the keys in it in the parking lot and go grab a wrench, come back, and disconnect the battery. The car still runs, but goes back to low idle (like when the key was out). So I turn the key off and finally the car shuts down.

Anywho, anyone else had this problem? I searched around for a while and found a ton of posts where the car would not start back up but not any about a car that wouldn't shut off.

JamaicanSC

This is a first!

Papajorgio

iTrader: (7)

hmmm, ive seen this on a few other vehicles that ive installed on, do you have an aftermarket amp? ive seen a couple of amps malfunction where they keep sending 12v back to the ignition through the remote wire keeping the car running with the key removed...

Tony320

Yea, I prolly should have mentioned that the car is bone stock, no mods. I'm going to go ahead and take it in tomorrow, I'll post the verdict once I have it for future reference. In the meantime if anyone has any other thoughts, feel free to post em.

lengnoou

iTrader: (1)

Its close to Halloween......

Tony320

Alright I took it in and I guess the fuel control shutoff relay went kaput. $14 and some labor later, car runs great. Makes total sense, fuel keeps going in, motor keeps turning over, alt keeps making spark: car isn't going to turn off. Anywho, that isn't the exact right name for the part, pretty much from memory of the original phone conversation, the invoice merely states EFI relay. Anywho it should give people a start if they run into his in the future.

dizzyroc

only time ive seen this is on the diesel tugs at the airport lol . good to hear its fixed

GRN MNSTR

haha that's pretty crazy...I would've freaked out leaving my car running lol...then again I live in Atlanta, and you're in Iowa?

Crazy story but yeah that makes sense, glad you got it all worked out.

Tony320

Heh, yea I was a bit worried about it. I actually live in Omaha right now, downtown in an apartment building, so its pretty heavily traveled. Contrary to popular belief though, there are cities in Iowa too!

Of course that doesn't really matter either, My buddy used to live in a small town of about 1800 people and his car was stolen right from in front of his house! Apparently two escaped cons stole a car in Illinois, drove to Iowa, stole his car, and drove to kansas city. I guess they were Heading to Mexico? Oh well, it was an '87 tercel... he left it in the impound.

CrazySC300

iTrader: (16)

This thread scares me, I have the same year and model SC....

codetoad

iTrader: (2)

my '92 5 speed had a similar problem, only the fuel pump would not turn off, and I have an aftermarket walbro. the car wouldn't stay running, just the fuel pump. I could not figure out why it would keep running with the key out, and I even replaced my EFI main relay (this is the one causing your problem correct?) and it didn't work. I found that my ECU's main relay was staying on with the key out of the ignition, so i wired a switch in to cut power to the main relay. My car runs fine sometimes, and then, like you stated, will idle really low and almost stall out. Sometimes it won't hold an idle at all, and if i clutch in without giving gas, the car will die, while i'm driving. Scary! I haven't messed with the car in a while since i hardly drive it, but it is definitely a pain in my rear

titanSC

Exactly the same happened with my stock auto 94 sc300 2 months ago. Car wouldn't shut off + idle extremely low with the keys out. As obvious as it seemed, the engine was still getting fuel keeping it running so I pressed the gas a couple of times with the keys out and it finally went off. I didn't change the relay but it hasn't happened again...

DFab

iTrader: (4)

Kinda an old post but I'm having a similar issue with my 94 sc300 and its kinda stressing me out. My car shuts off as far as the motor goes, but with the key out the ignition turns back on... and off... and sometimes back on multiple times. Gauges come on to where I would call the "on" position(oil/charge lights). I recently followed Raine's install guide for installing a aftermarket head unit. I'm really hoping theres nothing wrong there. I find it kinda hard to believe that the head unit install is turning the ignition on. I could be wrong. Any help/thoughts would be much appreciated.

JDM FINEST

iTrader: (7)

i just ran to a similar problem today, i have been having trouble with the battery so ive been getting alot of jumps with my cables since its my only and daily car, as of today the battery finally started charging again and worked fine without discharge, RELIEF! but noww when i shut off the ignition and pull the key off.....the cluster stays lit.....not just the cluster but the whole consol too that lights up the ac blacklight and buttons when you turn the car on...the car is off but i still can put the car in gear, so far ive left the battery disconnected but then still does the same, maybe over night will do the trick i hope, if not what can it be?

DFab

iTrader: (4)

Well I finally found my problem! And it was just by chance that I did. Someone recently hit my car while it was parked(hit n run). I went to start repairing the damage and found something that was scary and awesome at the same time. I guess someone previously had been messing with stuff in the trunk, over by the antenna behind the interior panel. There is a connector where the factory cell phone hooks up, a large white plug. Well mine had been sitting in water for who knows how long and ended up looking like this:


Thankfully I have a donor car and cut and soldered a new piece in. Everything has been fixed by doing this. Even the crackling in the front right speaker that I had! Hope this helps someone!