This one has me scratching my head..help!

[stanwich]

Hi everyone! This is my first post and I hope someone can help me brainstorm. I am helping a neighbour get her truck running, its a 98 2500 I think, I gave it a jump last week and got it running but then I noticed that the battery (which she says she bought last year before they parked it for the winter) was completely busted open, it expanded and cracked. Her son bought a new one and they plugged it in. This is the kicker, With no key in the ignition as soon as I hook up the terminals the engine starts up. I noticed the Gen fuse between the terminals is blown as well. I don't know if they accidently hooked the cables backwards. I assuming maybe the starter solenoid is stuck but I don't know where it is yet.. Any other ideas?

 

[0rion]

Wow...this is a new one to me. Does it actually start and run or does the starter just turn over? I would also look at the starter relay but if it's actually starting and running I have nothing.

 

[DodgeTx]

wiring all messed up in cab? (someone tried to install alarm or hotwire in past?) if not replace that fuse pull the start relay and install the ground cable first.

Replace the starter relay with key in ignition and report back.

 

[stanwich]

Thanks for the reply, I did not change the fuse yet, but id like to add something...it looks like the truck had some additional wiring added for front plow. I disconnected it all, then I switched the relays because it uses 3 of the same relays in the fusebox and I thought maybe the starter relay was stuck. I hooked up the battery and it still started up. I disconnected the aux from the starter so it wont engage and hooked the battery back up. All the relays are cycling off and on , like power is pulsing through everything. door locks , starter relay, almost everything. Could a blown gen fuse( fuse between terminals) do this? Im just a little worried about hooking up the fuse only to have it blow( 25 bucks)