Is it my starter or something worse?

[blessedofthelord]

For the past week when I try to start the car, at first I just get a click but on the second attempt it turns over. Yesterday when I tried to turn the car off the engine continued to run for a minute until it eventually shut down. Then ther weirdest thing is that the car tried to start itself, even with the key out of the ignition you could hear the car trying to start. All power eventually drained from the car. I had to jump it to start it and then it sounded like the starter war cranking in the background. This morning it was dead & wouldn't take a jump. Please let me know if you have any ideas about this.
Thanks a million...

 

[Daniel J. Stern]

Given that you don't bother specifying whether you've got a '56 DeSoto or an '05 Chrysler or something in between, you cannot be helped at this time.

 

[SN]

For the past week when I try to start the car, at first I just get a click but on the second attempt it turns over. Yesterday when I tried to turn the car off the engine continued to run for a minute until it eventually shut down. Then ther weirdest thing is that the car tried to start itself, even with the key out of the ignition you could hear the car trying to start. All power eventually drained from the car. I had to jump it to start it and then it sounded like the starter war cranking in the background. This morning it was dead & wouldn't take a jump. Please let me know if you have any ideas about this.
Thanks a million...

The starter solenoid sounds like it's stuck in the start mode. I had the same problem with my minivan last summer. I started the engine and it was making a hell of a racket. Finally figured out that the starter was still cranking even though the engine was running. I had to disconnect the pos. battery cable to get the starter shut off. You need to replace the solenoid on the starter.

 

[blessedofthelord]

Sorry, I neglected to mention that I'm talking about a 1996 Chrysler Town & Country Minivan.