Hello-

I'm a bit of an engine newb/novice/idiot so please bear with me as I
try to explain a problem which occured today.

* Van (87 Westy GL) started up normally, but after starting, a high-
pitched whine was heard.

* This has happened before.  Something is stuck "on".  Usually
turning engine off and restarting it will correct it.  Also, it
usually goes off after about 30 seconds.  It happens sporadically,
and very rarely (every couple months).

* Attempting to restart the van does nothing, doesn't even try to
turn over.  This compounds my theory that the starter is "busy" or
that some crucial relay is locked in an unpleasant manner.

* Today, it did not go off.  After about 3 minutes of the very
unpleasant sound, I disconnected the grounding strap of battery.

* Connecting the grounding strap instantly activated it

* Went to the engine to take a look, and the sound seemed to be
coming from the starter motor (toward the lip of the engine bay
closet to the front of the van)

* As I grabbed the Bentley to see what was what, it finally stopped.

After looking at the engine diagrams, I believe it was the starter
motor, but I have very little confidence here since I couldn't see
anything moving.  The van usually starts just fine, every once in a
while it will hesitate slightly, and I assume I need to work on the
grounds.

Any ideas on how to diagnose this without waiting for it to happen
again?  Is this a troubleshooting job a novice can handle?  Any
theories on how and when this will become worse?

Thanks for any input

Rob Campbell
87 Westy, Long Beach CA