Car starts on his own!

gramar

I had the wifes' 206 yesterday a 1.4 turbo diesel. I drove home and parked in the garage. About a minute later I was still in the garage chatting to herself and we heard a noise like a car starting.

It was her car that was trying to start all on it's own! She asked me if I'd left the keys in the ignition but they were in my pocket and we didn't know what the hell was going on.

I tried putting in the key and turning it on and off but to no avail and I had to disconnect the battery to turn it off by which time there was smoke and a lovely burning smell. Needless to say I called the recovery truck and it's with the mechanic now and I'm guessing it will at the least need a new starter motor which I suppose is the origin of the problem.

Has anyone else experienced anything similar? What was the problem?

tupac_healy

gramar wrote: »

I had the wifes' 206 yesterday a 1.4 turbo diesel. I drove home and parked in the garage. About a minute later I was still in the garage chatting to herself and we heard a noise like a car starting.

It was her car that was trying to start all on it's own! She asked me if I'd left the keys in the ignition but they were in my pocket and we didn't know what the hell was going on.

I tried putting in the key and turning it on and off but to no avail and I had to disconnect the battery to turn it off by which time there was smoke and a lovely burning smell. Needless to say I called the recovery truck and it's with the mechanic now and I'm guessing it will at the least need a new starter motor which I suppose is the origin of the problem.

Has anyone else experienced anything similar? What was the problem?

Herby????

eyescreamcone

Don't mind the mechanic, you should've called...


...Ghostbusters !

MarkR

Cam diesel runaway start an engine? Either that or dodgy electrics in the ignition circuit?

YbFocus

Something is completing the circuit for the starter, but it doesn't start because I'd the immobiliser I presume.
New starter and the wiring diagnosed and fixed should solve it for you

Still a strange one though!

gramar

YbFocus wrote: »

Something is completing the circuit for the starter, but it doesn't start because I'd the immobiliser I presume.
New starter and the wiring diagnosed and fixed should solve it for you

Still a strange one though!

Too right it's a strange one. It really threw us at the beginning.

Could the car have gone on fire and possibly burned the house down? It's a diesel engine so I don't think it would explode but there was smoke from the engine and had it been left long enough could it have gone up in flames?

Stavros Murphy

happens often enough with diesel machinery, with diggers etc - usually the ignition switch shorting. Often it goes on fire because it keeps on trying to start and the starter wires glow red-hot, melt, and burn...which, being a 206, and given an open area, may be a mixed blessing..joking...get the ignition switch replaced, should be ok, if the wiring loom isn't bunched..otherwise, replacing the loom may be a bit of a pain/costly and the starter may need to go back to "being a starter" school for a refurb/replacement.

YbFocus

gramar wrote: »

Too right it's a strange one. It really threw us at the beginning.

Could the car have gone on fire and possibly burned the house down? It's a diesel engine so I don't think it would explode but there was smoke from the engine and had it been left long enough could it have gone up in flames?

The smoke would have been the starter getting seriously hot as it's not supposed to do prolonged use, they are known to start fires but you got away with it

gramar

To top it off before sitting down to watch the football I went to get a car of beer after I'd brought it to the garage and it was empty! A perfectly normal looking can of beer unopened but not a drop inside.

Strange goings on indeed!

Stavros Murphy

Poultrygoose. I'm telling you, the cat is for it next. Any troubled Teens in the house? Or thirsty ones..

gramar

Stavros Murphy wrote: »

Poultrygoose. I'm telling you, the cat is for it next. Any troubled Teens in the house? Or thirsty ones..

No teens of any description so it's definitely the poultrygoose.

I was chatting to someone here at work about it. He told me that a fella who used to work here had the same thing happen. He parked the car when he came back after lunch and about half an hour later the engine was running with flames coming out from under the bonnet.

cabb8ge

MarkR wrote: »

Cam diesel runaway start an engine? Either that or dodgy electrics in the ignition circuit?

runaway diesel is when it use enginr oil as fuel, with car stopped fuel available no good without compression too, no compression if car shut down.

Your second idea more like the cause.

barone

is it a kitt car :P

Wetbench4

This is the first thing that sprang to mind http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091499/?ref_=nv_sr_2

gramar

Wetbench4 wrote: »

This is the first thing that sprang to mind http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091499/?ref_=nv_sr_2

That's just what it was like! After it started up, it went into reverse and tried to slam me into the back wall of the garage. I jumped out of the way just in time and was trying to get past it when the passenger door flew open and
caught me full on. Then the bonnet began to go up and down Herbie style
but that was it's mistake as I reached in and disconneted the battery.

True story.

Wetbench4

gramar wrote: »

That's just what it was like! After it started up, it went into reverse and tried to slam me into the back wall of the garage. I jumped out of the way just in time and was trying to get past it when the passenger door flew open and
caught me full on. Then the bonnet began to go up and down Herbie style
but that was it's mistake as I reached in and disconneted the battery.

True story.

Yeah i heard that happen to mate of mines peugeot aswell, it still passed the nct though.

Supergurrier

Its entered return to France mode an optional feature I believe.

Wetbench4

Supergurrier wrote: »

Its entered return to France mode an optional feature I believe.

6 Nations related maybe.... Ok i'll shut up now

Cee-Jay-Cee

Its very simple...It's a Peugeot. Piss poor electrics.

flazio

gramar wrote: »

To top it off before sitting down to watch the football I went to get a car of beer after I'd brought it to the garage and it was empty! A perfectly normal looking can of beer unopened but not a drop inside.

Strange goings on indeed!

A whole car's worth of beer? The self starting car story is taking a whole new complexion

corktina

You'd better get those Pesky Kids in in case it is the Janitor doing it. Zoinks!

gramar

corktina wrote: »

You'd better get those Pesky Kids in in case it is the Janitor doing it. Zoinks!

I'll have to rename the car 'the mystery machine'.

I would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren't for you meddling kids.

Stella Virgo

gramar wrote: »

I had the wifes' 206 yesterday a 1.4 turbo diesel. I drove home and parked in the garage. About a minute later I was still in the garage chatting to herself and we heard a noise like a car starting.

It was her car that was trying to start all on it's own! She asked me if I'd left the keys in the ignition but they were in my pocket and we didn't know what the hell was going on.

I tried putting in the key and turning it on and off but to no avail and I had to disconnect the battery to turn it off by which time there was smoke and a lovely burning smell. Needless to say I called the recovery truck and it's with the mechanic now and I'm guessing it will at the least need a new starter motor which I suppose is the origin of the problem.

Has anyone else experienced anything similar? What was the problem?

http://stephenking.wikia.com/wiki/Christine_(car)
read this and be afraid.....very afraid.... you are going to DIE .....:eek::eek: