Sorry in advance for the length of this post, but I want to be as in depth as possible. Here goes: Saturday morning I tried to leave work, but the car wouldn't start. The battery hasn't been tolerating the cold very well and it was 5 below. The starter cranked for a little while and I shut the ignition off to try again. However, when I shut off the ignition the starter continued to run (slowly) until the battery was drained. All my co-workers thought it sounded like the starter solenoid was bad, so I laid on the frozen tundra and changed the solenoid today. Knowing the battery was dead, I tried to jump start the car when finished. Once again the starter continued to run very slowly even with the ignition switch off and the jumper cables attached. The cables got very hot, and I had smoke coming off the battery of my Bonne. I hope someone has seen this before.

(Before you ask, I don't have a scantool.)

these starters are known to go out, I am not sure if GM used the same starters as they did in the late 80'* but when mine went out it was middle of winter and it got slower and slower. to the point it would not even crank. The solenoid was replaced, still nothing, replaced starter, never had a problem with it again.

Your battery could also be really really trashed but I doubt it.

I am guessing the starter though since you say it got slow all of sudden. I dont know anything about yours but mine was a real PITA to replace as the subframe and manifolld was in the way.

Thanks for the input. Just talked to my father-in-law and he said it could be the starter drive. I guess I should've had it tested while it was off the car (lesson learned). I'll pull it off again tomorrow and take it in.

find ur local napa

sounds like the ignition switch broke

I took the starter off again today, and took it in to Del-Ray. ( A local starter and alternator rebuilder.) They dismantled it and said it looks like it had just been rebuilt. I know when I've been beat so I had my local GM dealer tow it to their shop. They didn't have time to look at it today. I'll post the results later.

As is often the case with my cars it turned out to be one of those I-D-10-T errors. I knew the battery was going, but I didn't suspect it was gone far enough that it wouldn't take a jump. New battery and a $210 service bill and it turns right over. I just wish it wasn't so cold-blooded; mine too has the dreaded 'rough idle and stall' when it'* cold out.

Army by chance?

The reason why the starter was still going with the key off though was because you probably tried cranking on it long enough without enough voltage that you more or less melted or welded something open...I forgot what it is....but I've been a victim of that before on a semi truck.

Army by chance?[/quote]

My brother served in the Army. I first heard the term from a co-worker.