The AUSubaru.com.au Forums

Gees, anyone seen this before ?

Starter motor turned blue from hot. Replaced with new and similar bad things within 15km ! Engine cut out while drivng at 80k, won't start - tow truck. Pulled new starter to find the once insulated thick wire of copper braid 8mm dia from solenoid to starter burnt to a crisp - no contact!

A short somewhere in starter while driving ??

Have read in dirty wheels of dudes fitting up hot motor in Falcon, firing up, run, only to die and not restart. They discovered after a very long time , the throttle cable burnt to a crisp ??? Turns out someone forgot the earth strap from body to donk and the only earth path for the starter motor to get battery neg was the acc cable - it burnt out doing so. Burnt out not a short...

This is a Mazda 626 92 four pot

Any clues ??

It sounds like the starter motor is under power all the time.
They are only designed for short term cranking bursts.
Ign switch stuck on crank?
The starter clutch can let the gear pull back in once the flywheel/starter speeds are equalised.
Seen it in V8 boats.
Never in a Subaru, but this isn't.

power would also engage the drive dog gear wooden tit? Does not look like it. Might be what stopped car though !

It may be something weird in starter switch or even its relay, or if the owner has some weird keyring ?