Engine keeps running when key is turned off. [solved]

98 rav4 2wd manual trans. Just started happening, the engine continues to run when the key is turned off. The cooling fans, radio, heater fan, etc. shut off but the engine keeps running. Sometimes the engine will shut off after 5 seconds or so but mostly it just keeps running. Either way the battery dies over night (I dump the clutch to stall the engine). I checked the ignition switch and the ign1 ign2 and st relays, they are ok. Also the air bag light is dimmly lit. There are no other warning lights and the car runs fine otherwise. Anyone seen this before or have any ideas what might cause this? Thanks in advance.

Gordon

[DJ Sueno]

Welcome to the forums Gordon...

That is a pretty odd issue... It could be a ground related issue... was any type of work or maintenance done recently to the vehicle? does the car have an alarm system?

It may be related to the starter? You might want to also check the starter ground... Just curious if you put the key in the ON position without starting the car, do you hear any noises? (when doing this, I would also make sure for safety to have the foot on the brake and clutch in, just in case it is a starter related issue)

I recall when a friend and I changed another friend's starter (this was in a different vehicle, but just to give an example), he would put the key in the ON position and immediately you could hear the starter kick-on trying to start the car and wouldn't stop spinning... not saying this is your issue, but just an idea...

Either way I would recommend you getting it checked out by your local dealership or local mechanic ASAP...

Good luck, and let us know what you find out... 8)

Thanks for the reply. No work has been done to the car recently and it does not have an alarm system or any other aftermarket accessories. It is the engine that continues to run not the starter motor, that is working fine. When I turn the key to the on position the accessories come on as normal. The car starts and runs fine, it just wont shut off when I turn it off and pull out the key. Very strange indeed. Perhaps it is the ECM?

[philmaur]

Could be a faulty ignition switch

[2001SL2]

Originally Posted by philmaur

Could be a faulty ignition switch

That is most probably the issue. It could also be a relay but most probably the switch is not turning inside

Like I said in my first post, the ign switch is OK. I pulled it out and bench tested it. There is a short somewhere that is drawing current when the car is turned off. I have every relay and fuse pulled from under the hood, ignition switch is unplugged, and all the interior fuses are pulled out. I am just going to keep unplugging things until I find the problem. I will post when I figure it out.

Please disregard this post. The solution to this problem is in my 6/22/2010 post!

Well, I finally figured it out. It was a bad rectifier in the alternator, probably caused by a loose battery cable. Apparently only one of the diodes in the trio was shorted out so it was still charging, just not as efficiently, I never got a charge light on the dash either. Not only did the short kill the battery overnite, in a running condition it was back feeding power to the ignition circuit causing the engine to continue running after the key was shut off. Crazy....
After a quick alternator rebuild the car is as good as new. I hope this post helps someone in the future.
Gordon

[2001SL2]

Originally Posted by gm69camaro

Well, I finally figured it out. It was a bad rectifier in the alternator, probably caused by a loose battery cable. Apparently only one of the diodes in the trio was shorted out so it was still charging, just not as efficiently, I never got a charge light on the dash either. Not only did the short kill the battery overnite, in a running condition it was back feeding power to the ignition circuit causing the engine to continue running after the key was shut off. Crazy....
After a quick alternator rebuild the car is as good as new. I hope this post helps someone in the future.
Gordon

Wow, that's weird. Thanks for the update and info.

[JuliaNRichmondVA]

I know this is an old posting but it's the only thing that comes near to what I've been experiencing. This happened a few times LAST summer and now again today. I would turn my RAV4 2000 off, start to walk away, remember to I hadn't locked it so I would use the remote key, and all of a sudden the engine would start up without a key being in the ignition and I would get back in the car, put the key back in the ignition and turn it to the on position and nothing would happen, the engine would continue running. Before, it has stopped after doing this a couple of times. Today it would not. It wasn't until I finally put my foot on the brake that it finally stopped. This is scary because I think that if it can start w/o a key in the ignition, what's to stop it from turning off on it's own as well? Anyone have ideas. Could it be a similar problem to what Gordon had?

Hi Julia. I no longer own that RAV, but my problem was when I turned the key off, the engine would keep running. Later I had more intermittent electrical problems, like the heater fan and dash accessories would stay on after the key was turned off. I posted some possibilities earlier in the thread but now I know for sure that my problems were all caused by a leaking windshield which dripped a lot of water over the top of the fuse block (drivers side) where there is electronics and relays that got shorted out causing the crazy electrical issues. I also had problems with water getting into the relays on the passenger side causing them to fail. Check your floor mats for moisture after a heavy rain. Not sure what else could cause your problem unless your car has a remote control starter that has lost it's mind??

Gordon