Starter Problems 1989 Lincoln

donmarconc

My daughter purchased a 1989 Lincoln Town Car recently. It appears to have only 35,000 miles...the interior and exterior looks like it has only this much use. After using it for a couple thousand miles and a few months, the starter failed to shut off when she was starting the car. We replaced the relay and battery (mechanic indicated it was weak when he was doing checks) and then it worked for a while. Then, again ...she cranks the engine, it turns over and the starter continues to run making a loud noise as it spins too fast with the engine, she turns off the key and it continues to crank. This time we replaced the relay under warranty and the top side wires and grounds. The mechanic is now replacing the switch in the steering column and checking the rod in the column that activates the switch. He also is highly recommending replacing the starter since after 4 or 5 cases with this happening it has taken a beating. Anyone have similar experiences or any advice. The fun of owning an old car is fading and at 16 she has lost faith in the car. Hoping to restore her faith.

Mr_Shiftright

It's quite possible you have a loose starter bolt and/or the starter isn't shimmed properly---sometimes people replace or remove the starter and do not use the proper bolts in the proper order. This will cause the starter to jam in the flywheel (basically, it can't let go). Your mechanic should carefully check the specification for starter shims, type of bolts and length of bolts.