Chrysler Repair: 99 Dodge Caravan starter wont disengage, solenoid switch, starter solenoid

Question
when the van started, I heard a whining sound. I turned the ignition switch off, removed the key, and the starter continued to crank the engine. I disconnected the battery to stop the starter. Is the problem the starter, solenoid, ignition switch, or relay?

Answer
Hi Fred,
I suspect it is the starter solenoid switch or the relay. You can pull the relay out of its socket in the power distribution box under the hood, and that would be a test to see if the solenoid is stuck closed mechanically when you hook up the battery again. If that doesn't cause it to run on its own, then reinsert the solenoid and see if it starts cranking on it own. If it does then it is either the relay or the ignition switch. You can test the relay to see if its points are stuck closed with an ohmmeter, or you can check to see if the innermost pin (85) of its socket is grounded. The first of those would implicate the relay being no good; the second that the wire from pin 85 to the transcontroller being falsely grounded (pcm bad, or wire shorted to ground), or the ignition switch being stuck in the starter position.
Roland