Crazy electrical problem... car starting by turning on parking lights
 

Yeah....
While driving with my parking lights on the car all of sudden acted like it was trying to start itself while it was running. As soon as I turned off the parking lights the car ran fine.
So I'm currently stuck trying to figure out what is causing it all.
I turn the key to the "on" position and I can turn the parking lights on and the car begins to start itself (like push button start). This happens without the clutch engaged. As long as I leave the parking lights on the car continually attempts to start, and once I turn the parking lights off the car runs.

New Discovery... Just took the Tail/accessory 15a fuse out and I can turn the parking lights on without the car starting. I can start the car and everything seems normal aside from having no tail/accessory lights.

Sound like a short problem.

But just wondering if anyone has ever heard of this...

Well I can disconnect the ignition switch and the car still starts

Sound like there is direct power in contact with the solenoid exciter wire. If you put a test light down there or on your ST wire on the ignition then turn your parking lights on that would tell you if there is a direct feed into that line.

Hey Jeremy, I see my old car is causing a few problems. After five+ years I still miss that 3rd gen. ( but I like my house more :) ). I pulled up the wiring diagrams and the only thing I can see that is common is the start circuit and the running lights both go to the no. 2 CPU mounted in the driver side kick panel. Like I said earlier I have never heard of this before but it is possible the CPU is shorted out inside or the wires going to it somehow got melted together. I hope somone else has more help to offer.

Good luck
Woody

Thanks Woody... Me and my brother both came to a revelation this morning after we got back to Austin... I noticed a couple months ago that the bundle of wires that runs behind the headlight assemblies was sitting awfully close to the fenderwell, that of which tends to be rubbed by the tire on hard right turns. At the time I readjusted the bundle to sit a little higher and I am thinking that maybe the tire finally rubbed through the well and into the bundle of wires shorting a few. I assume the parking lights wires run through there, but I don't know what others do. I need to check the diagrams again to see for sure. But I have to come back into town next weekend to give my dad his car back so that is going to be the first thing I check.