1997 Chevy Express Starter

1997 CHEVROLET EXPRESS
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ADG222
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Electrical problem
1997 Chevy Express V8 Two Wheel Drive Automatic

Old starter was bad so I bought a new one. I followed the directions and got everything hooked back up correctly. Went to put negative battery cable back on and van tried to start by itself, ignition is off and keys are in my pocket. So I disconnected starter again and used a test light to make sure that there was not an ignition problem. Big wire is hot, little wire in not and I was told that that indicates that the ignition switch is fine and it had to be the solenoid, so I exchanged starter and the same thing is happening with the new one. Could someone please explain why this keeps happening and what a possible remedy could be. Thank you.
Jan 3, 2009 at 2:30 PM
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BUDDYCRAIGG
  • ✓ASE Certified Mechanic
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are you hooking the battery cable to the correct stud?

On the Solenoid, there are probably two big studs.
one stud should have a wire or strap of copper going to the motor.

the other big stud is the one the battery cable goes to.
Jan 3, 2009 at 6:38 PM
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ADG222
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Yes I was hooking it to the correct stud. I took it back off and returned back to O'Reilly Auto, they hooked it up to the machine and once again it came back as the solenoid was not working properly. So I got a refund for it and decided to go across the street to Autozone. Unfortunately I have to wait for the refund to clear my bank before I can get the new starter. I've also decided that I'll spend the extra 10 bucks or so to get a brand new one instead of a remanufactured one. I'll keep everyone posted on outcome. Thank you for response I do appreciate it.
Jan 3, 2009 at 10:39 PM
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BUDDYCRAIGG
  • ✓ASE Certified Mechanic
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  • ASE Certified Mechanic
wow, it's truly sad when you get 2 bad starters right out of the box.
with luck like that, dont waste your money on a lottery ticket.

you might want to have autozone test the new starter for you before you leave the store and go through the trouble of putting on your truck.
Jan 3, 2009 at 10:50 PM
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