Direct solution to engine run-on with ignition off

[Baltimore Sailor]

Pulling the wire out of the center of the distributor cap works well, though upon reflection I should have pulled it out of the coil instead and avoided the several short, sharp shocks I got before the engine actually died. :eek:

Aside from that, is there any harm that can be done to anything by killing the engine that way? Seems like that's pretty much what's supposed to happen when you turn the ignition off, but you never really know sometimes.

[Chip Hindes]

“Doctor, doctor, it hurts when I do this…” :)

If engine run on is caused by continued ignition which won’t shut off, the best way to stop it is by pulling the low voltage (12V) primary wire off the coil. That’s what shutting off the key is supposed to do. Though it shouldn’t do any harm for the brief amount of time the motor takes to run down, grabbing and yanking the high voltage secondary wire with your bare hands is always an iffy proposition. The biggest potential problem is that the shock you might get is liable to make you jerk involuntarily and your hand, arm or whatever goes onto a hot exhaust manifold, the fan belt or some other moving part.

[Jesse Delanoy]

I had an engine run-on problem many years ago in my Opel 2 liter sports car. When it annoyed me enough, I took it to the garage. They did a quick timing adjustment and that solved the problem.