Cant stop the engine!

Been reading this site for months since I bought a 1981 Series III Station Wagon but this is my first post as I am now in need of advice. Absolutely love the landy and have been learning how to work on it. I am now how ever at a loss. I pulled into the petrol station last week and turned the keys off and took them out but the engine just kept running. It wasnt just over running, everything stayed on, the choke light and instrument panel lights etc. Abit bemused I just stalled it and carried on. Same thing when I got home. So got a new ignition switch from Paddocks, dash board off (that was fun) and fitted the new switch but now still the same. When I turn the key to off and even take them out the landy just keeps running and running.

Before I admit defeat and take it to a professional, can any one give me any ideas as to the cause?

Thanks.

petrol not doozel

Sorry, yes its petrol

once you have stalled it do the ignition lights go out?

No everything stays on as if the keys were in

i'm guessing its the ignition switch (the bit behind the barrel) is on the fritz or just plain buggered

Thats what I figured but I've put a new one in and the same thing happens. The brass rod through the middle of the barrell connects fine, the little pin on the end fits into the new switch, all the wiring seems in decent condition as well.

check in the fuse box, if fuses 2 and 3 short out it completes the ign circuit or is it 1 and 2 or maybe 3 and 4. oh folk i can't remember which two it is!

but it can happen so hav ea look there

i just came back on here to post the exact same thin Sir Slob has just said

All the fuses appear to be pretty good, can they go but look OK?

its not how good they look that is important.
if they have shorted out either in teh box or above it where the wire go then it will cause yer ign circuit to alway be live.
take the box out and check if anything is shorted .

i'll dig out me big book of landies later and check which fuses it is then you should be able to test for a short by using a meter

Not the fuses themselves, but shorting out between the fuses or terminals.

is gonna be a nail ontop of the foooze box init

Thanks for all the ideas, unfortunately the fuse box all looks as it should be, I cant see any shorting between terminals or wiring in that area, the wiring seems to be in good condition, maybe its further forward through the bulkhead? Can a problem in any of the other items on that circuit, solenoid or alternator cause this sort of thing?

if yer can't stop it with the key, and all the lights come on after yer stall it and remove the key, then there has to be a short to the ign system somewhere in the circuit after the ign switch.

first place to look is the fuse box, just to be sure yer at the right bit, its the fuse box under the steering wheel. normally thats the only one but yer can't be too sure rthat another has bin fitted.

if thats ok then yule have to get a meter and a wiring diagram and check yer wires.

you could try disconnecting the wires at the fuse box to see which extinquish yer lights

Have a look at the cct diag for you landy

LAND ROVER MANUALS DOWNLOAD

Have a look at the indicator/dip switch, that's one of the areas where switched and unswitched circuits get close.

Thanks for all the advice, I'll have a look and keep you informed

Progress at last, started at the fuse box as suggested and found that the circuit keeping the ignition live was attached to no. 6 on the fuse box. Two green wires leave this side of the fusebox, a thick one and a thin one, the thin one on the inside of the fuse box towards the middle when disconnected turned off the live ignition circuit. Bingo, checked the circuit diagram and the two items leaving no. 6 are the indicators and the wiper motor. How ever with the troublesome wire detached, the wipers and the indicators still work, I've checked every other switch I can find and everything appears to be working. Bit of a mystery still but at least I can turn the engine off now without having to stall it!

i wouldn't believe the positions on the fuse box 100% as it is an old vehicle and people have a tendancy to fook about with wiring you may have to do some continuity test to make sure the wiper/ indicator circuits are the ones you are looking at