Bob:

Yes, but come to think of it, IF the Mazda solenoid is just an electrical contactor, not also a gear engagement mechanism (I don't know), you could bypass the original solenoid altogether. 

 

Oh-oh, my book indicates you have to use both. The original engages the gear. 

 

Bob Darrah

 

Yes it does engage the gear so I did wire the two solonoids in parallel on the activation wire but I disconected the battery cable from its' normal input side of the mazda solonoid and put it on the side that has the cable going to the motor. This way (I thought) no current is going through the mazda solonoid contacts.  In spite of my being convinced this would solve the problem, I regret to say there is no change: stays running after starter switch opened.

So doesn't this have to mean that power is getting from the contacts to the coil of the solonoid???.

Peter