Robbo09

Hello guys! I appreciate you reading this. I am looking for anyone who has heard or knows of similar incidents happening, or any sort of unofficial recall, starter issues, etc. I can SWEAR to you, every bit of this is true. I have a 2008 6.2, Z51 package, 6 Speed manual. Less than 60k miles

Everyday I back my car into the garage, and leave it in 1st gear(6 speed) with the emergency brake on. My key fob is stored about 40 feet away, on a table (same place the last 4+ years).

Saturday morning I am laying in bed with my wife, and I hear a loud metallic crashing sound, and scraping. I initially think it is construction, etc. in the neighborhood, but something tells me to go to the front door to check. I see my car "driving" down the driveway and out into the street! I run to grab the key fob, and my wife calls 911 (thinking it was being stolen).

I am able to catch the car before it hits the curb on the other side of the street. The car isn't running (with gas), but it sounds like the starter motor is cranking full time. I put it the car in Neutral, and try to turn it off. It wont shut off. So I try to turn it on (with gas) with the clutch pressed in, and it wont do it. The electronics of the car appear to be off, or at least not normal. It wont respond to the push start. It is stuck in some sort of starter motor spinning funk. I then put it in reverse and the car slowly makes it back into the driveway.

I leave it in neutral with the emergency brake on, and some rocks in front of the tires. The starter appears to start cycling (going on and off, but repeating this behavior in front of him. Eventually the police officer and I disconnect the battery and it shuts off.

I promise you, I am not crazy. 3 weeks ago I took the car into the dealer for the UBEC recall with the headlight relay....

Any thoughts? Every heard of this before? I fear the fight I have coming with the Insurance and GM... any advice?

Thank you guys, I really appreciate any feedback.

EVRose

The only thing close to this that I've ever read was here a few months ago when a guy had his car at a repair shop and it somehow drove itself backwards through the garage door while being worked on. I don't recall the circumstances of how they think it happened. Other than that, I've never seen or heard of anything like that happening.

Corvette_Ed

In that incident the mechanic had pressed the start button on the car.

EVRose

That's right and the car actually started I think, right? So it's totally different than this.

dmaxx3500

what did your ins co say?

saplumr

That has to be one for the book. Seems virtually impossible.

Welker1

It sounds like some (hot) wires got crossed somehow causing the starter to run constantly. I would definitely ensure your insurance agent is informed of the last electrical work done on the vehicle, especially since it involved the fuse box.

FatsWaller

It's amazing how much torque an electric motor has, and coupled with the ratio of the starter pinion to the ring gear plus an already low first gear ratio, I'd guess most cars can be started in first gear. I know your's didn't start, but there's enough energy in a fully charged battery to move the car in that situation a fair bit. Sounds to me like some wiring problem tripped the starter solenoid. AFAIK, unless the battery is disconnected, there are always big amps available to the +ve side of the solenoid.

danzio56

That's a helluva story. Kinda' reminds me of this one.

captain vette

As a owner of a 6mt C6 this is quite a scary story Thank for posting keep us updated please

Jstan2014

Good luck, op. Please report back when some info is available. I’ve never heard of such a wild situation.

4SUMERZ

That's a scary scenario for sure. Seems strange that electronic work was done just previous to this happening.

Keep us posted on any findings.

jimijam

Aliens

C6KWJ

Did you have your ebrake on?

Usfive

Something similar happened to my previous C4. The starter continued to run when I started the car. Put it in neutral and disconnect the battery to stop it. After 20+ years of starts the solenoid wore groves in the contacts and it got stuck in the grove. Replaced the contacts and it was good as new. Possibly something similar happened to yours as the engine cooled or the solenoid shorted, or return spring was weak or broken.

Frankie15

Also wondering this. Crazy story! Especially scary as I have an M6 as well.

Bruze

According to the unedited OP -- yes.

I don't know anything about the starting circuit on these rolling computers (and that's probably the root of the problem) but in a pre-computer car I don't see how a solenoid could suddenly energize itself.

The solution to this should be interesting.

EDIT: "Solution" ^ ^ should be "cause."

TraceZ

If you reconnect the battery does the starter still run? In neutral of course.

marinablu67

When I was a little kid, about 60 years ago, my father had a Chevy 3100 series panel truck for his business. It was a 3 speed on the column. My younger brother use to get into it without the key, put it in first, step on the starter button on the floor, and drive it around the parking lot with only the starter, until he finally burnt it out!

ontime

Many moons ago we used to move cars and trucks that couldn't fire over by putting it in gear and hitting the starter switch to let the starter crank the engine and move the car forward or reverse. What happened to you is very plausible in that situation being in gear but what caused it to transfer the power unassisted is going to be very interesting. Good luck and thank goodness no one was injured. Things like this are rare events but they sure give you something to talk about later on in life.....remember when that vette of mine.....?