Do you have cruise control and a starter relay? If so you may have a back feed problem where if you energize the starter relay with the brake pedal applied the low current requirement of that (wrong) relay will keep it from dropping out and almost make a latching circuit. Difficult to explain but there is some interaction with the brake warning light and the starter circuit and the cruise has circuitry to make sure the brake light bulbs are good etc. Anyway I have seen this happen. 

Dennis
  

-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com] On Behalf Of John Rodgers
Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2016 11:59 PM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Srarter woes

Tonight, at a major intersection of two county roads with no lighting, traffic flying from every direction, my 88 GL engine stalled out, for reasons unknown at this point. It was running very nicely. Upon trying to restart, the starter engaged, locked itself into runaway mode. It kept turning as soon as I pushed in the clutch. Let ot the clutch and the van tried to lurch forward. It barely made forward progress because of the incline it was on. There was an acrid smell thst came I'm sure from over heated insulation. Finally the starter stopped turning, but Iwas kn the middle of the road, blocking traffic, at night.

Long story short - this is the second starter in the last year or so to do this. What gives. What might I look for?

John