Need Help: Car won't start, starts but then wont stop!

[twodoorcamry]

Big problem, and I really need you guys' help...

My car (94 camry 2.2l Automatic trans) wouldn't start after being parked overnight. Then once it started, I couldn't shut it of...

Okay, so I will try to organize the facts and hopefully I won't forget anything important...

First time it happened (three days ago) I was parked up-hill overnight, got in the car turned the key but the starter motor don't engage. dashlights, interior lights, everything is fine, but it don't turn.
I did two things: let down the parking brake and move the transmission stick back and forth. Afterwards it started...

Second time (yesterday) it was the same, only differance I only had to wiggle the transmission stick, it started afterwards with the p-brake up.

Now today, with the car being on somewhat flat ground, i turned the key, but nothing happens. the lights light up, i wiggle things around the steering wheel also, i go out and rock the car... keep trying. At one point, it starts (it seems i did something with the parking brake right as it started... pulling it up and letting it down again), so I think to turn it of and see if it will start up a second time, but here's what happens... I shut the ignition of, pull the key out, but the starter keeps going anywhay.

The starter keeps going and it almost sounds like the engine is on the verge of running, all the belts are running and it sounds really veired.

I put the key back in and start the car up fully. the engine sounds strange and rattly. I think that the starter is actually engaged continuosly as the engine is running.

Every time i try to turn it of and even take the key out it just keeps going! I put down the hood and drive a bit back and forth, parking in different places and try to shut it of with no luck. finnally I think to disconect the battery. I open the hood and see smoke comming from the one battery pole (from being overworked i guessed, with the starter going for so long). I don't have a wrench handy to disconect the battery... i make one last try to shut it of and somehow it stops...

I know that this post is long already, but there are some facts about the car I would like to mention...

Engine mounts and maybe also the transmission mount are bad. Been meaning to replace the whole kit, just waiting for time and money. It's been building up, when I put it in R it jolts, and lately also makes a nasty ratteling sound when in R.

Parking brake needs to be tightened... Somehow I feel that this is relevant, but who knows... I figure a bit to much of the cars weight is resting on the parking gear instead of on the parking brake when in a hill.

In case it's ignition related... The ignition lock has a small issue: it sometimes doesn't "click" as i take out the key, so that the car thinks that the key is still in the lock, and gives me the warning sound for that as i open the door, and I just have to tap the front of the lock lightly whenever that happenes. Mentioning this just in case this could be a syptom that something inside the ignition mechanism is not in order...

Thanks for reading... thanks in advance for any help!

[96ToyoCam164K]

Your car is possessed. I think an exorcism is in order here...

The ignition lock has a small issue: it sometimes doesn't "click" as i take out the key, so that the car thinks that the key is still in the lock, and gives me the warning sound for that as i open the door, and I just have to tap the front of the lock lightly whenever that happenes. Mentioning this just in case this could be a syptom that something inside the ignition mechanism is not in order...

Well once the key is turned to the next level to the left the car should shut off regardless of whether the key is still in or not.

Do you know if the car was ever broken into or tried to be rigged by chance?

[Mister_Perkins]

next time this happens, grab a hammer and hit the top of the starter with some force. If it stops, the solenoids / plunger are sticking and the solenoids probably need replaced.

Another thing you can do is when you turn the key to the start position and then turn it to the off position, see if you have voltage still going out towards the firewall. (check with a multimeter)

If you do, theres a problem with the ignition switch not cutting the voltage off. (Make sure your checking the correct wire //// switched voltage )

[hill8570]

Starter solenoid and plunger need to be replaced. The initial symptoms (no start until multiple turns of the key) are classic; the second (contacts and plunger welding themselves together so that the starter won't disengage) will happen if the first symptoms are allowed to continue too long.

Hopefully, the starter isn't ruined. At this point, I'd replace at least the contacts and the plunger, and would be real tempted to buy a replacement solenoid and change out all the interior parts of the old one (removing the solenoid from the starter is a pain, so I prefer just to change out all the wear parts from the new to the old solenoid.

[twodoorcamry]

So, can anyone make anything of the fact that once it starts (on the other days) it would start and stop many times without problems? I work in delivery and use the car for it, so that means realy alot of times starting and stopping without problems... It really seemed to be after a longer time of being parked...

Just seeing if it's possible to pin it down, by this...

I will research starters...

[twodoorcamry]

Also, one more veird thing, the BRAKE light on the dash came on at various times, which struck me as veird...