Reeltales

Has anyone found a simple way to add security to their car by adding a kill switch? I was trying to find a way to kill the ignition spark so that if someone tried to hot wire, the car would not crank. I would prefer something under the dash so that it could be enabled easily.
Any ideas?

Ron Miller

Yep, I bought a Battery Brain, a remote key fob battery disconnect. One press and it disconnects the battery, a second press reconnects it. Pretty simple and effective. You can run a bypass wire to the radio to keep power to your preset stations, should you be running an aftermarket radio such as I do.

The Battery Brain comes in at least 3 different models, you can find it I think on e-Bay or Amazon. I like mine.

Reeltales

I will look into the battery brain. Sounds like what I am after. I just want something that will make it more difficult to steal the car. I figure a theif will not spend to much time trying to figure out why it will not crank.

Astrodokk

I'm planning on putting a kill switch for the electric fuel pump (if you jave one) in the driver's side door well, so that when I get out, I flick the switch and no one's the wiser. They can hot wire the car, but won't get far if no gas! I think any other type of security system can be defeated rather easily by a pro. Currently, I exchange the coil wire with a plug wire, so it looks right but only fires one cylinder (coil wire to cylinder one on distributer, and that cylinder plug wire to the center plug of dizzy). Takes time to figure it out so they move on!

ghostrider20

When I bought my car under the dash, mounted very stealthily where 2 switches. One killed the power to the solenoid, the other to the coil. Look like it was done professionally.

It was actually very handy, you could motor the starter over without starting the car.

If someone can get into the car, they can pop the hood. If they can pop the hood, a 6 foot piece of wire with alligator clamps is all it takes to start a manual transmission car, (pos batt. post to pos terminal on coil) that is if you have some help to push start the car.

mechron

hey DOKK, thanks for the help on the pantera today.... forget kill switches, do what i did on my pantera, i installed a steering wheel with a push button release in the center.... one push of the button and the steering wheel comes off, who would ever try to steal a car without a steering wheel...

emccomas

Somebody with a roll back, which is also true of cars with kill switches. Both of these ideas may stop the amateurs, but they wont even slow down the professionals.

I once had an in depth conversation with a professional car thief. He specialized in high end cars to order (Ferrari, Mercedes, Porsche, Lamborghini, etc.) I asked him how to keep someone like him from stealing my car.

His reply was "Defense in depth". Multiple security systems. He suggested the kill switch, a steering column club (the version that also presses the brake pedal), a high end alarm system (with a separate battery applying power), and a tracking device (Lo-Jack).

He then said that none of these would stop a truly determined professional, but they would slow him down enough that he would move onto the next car.

His final advice: "Your best option is a big *** chain, and high quality padlocks. Chain the car to a tree. A logging chain and a pair of quality padlocks. The Dale Pearman school of auto security.

Ron Miller

Here's a link to the Battery Brain Type II, Silver, which is what I purchased. Pretty convenient. The writeup also has links to the other Battery Brains as well (Gold, etc.), but the Silver level product was enough for me.

http://www.amazon.com/Battery-Brain-...1548944&sr=8-9

Other posts are right, you'll never be able to completely protect a car with a disconnect, but it'll eliminate a lot of the impulse thefts, joy riders, etc., in my opinion. But, if a determined thief wants to steal your car, Dobermans, LoJack, cellphone tracking, locked buildings, and removing the wheels, engine, and seats won't help. Still, it doesn't hurt in my opinion to add some deterrents such as ignition disabling. But, we've got to draw the line somewhere on just how much we're gonna invest to prevent a theft.

(Good insurance is the final element in protecting yourself from a loss, in my opinion.)

Check out the Battery Brain, I think you'll like it for the ease of installation and convenience. Also, the ability to totally disconnect the battery provides a level of fire protection from wiring hazard shorts when the car is garaged.

chris ritchie

It's highly unlikely that you'l be able to hide a switch under the dash that you can easily reach. There's not that much room up there. A thief won't have to look much to find it. It's usually a mistake to think that an amateur (you) can outsmart a professional (the thief). The pro has seen things you can't even imagine. In the day, my grandmother and most children knew about the cigarette lighter trick.

It's not worth the bother to use the switch to interrupt the circuit to the ignition or starter. Any self respecting thief carries a length of heavy gauge wire with alligator clips on both ends. I still have mine. (Not that I ever used them for such purposes. I used them for test purposes.) A thief is in a hurry. He's not going to screw around trying to figure out your kill switch. He simply attaches his wire to bypass all your stuff and give himself a trustworthy source of ignition.

What I did is to run a switched wire from a ground in my trunk to the "-" post on the coil. The coil and its wires gets hidden by the distributor ignition shield. Don't use cap screws or wing nuts on the shield. Use hex head screws. Not many thieves carry hex key wrenches. Get stainless button headed ones that look pretty and you'll be the envy of your friends at the next car show. Whenever I leave or come to my car, I go to the trunk first before getting in the car. I alway have to leave or pickup something (hat, glasses, bag, book, etc.).

Yes, you will forget the switch every once in a while. Can't tell if it's on or off. Make sure you have a good battery because you may need to crank for a while until you decide you forgot and left the switch on.

The "green ****" is helpful here too. Just unscrew it all the way, and put it in your pocket when you leave the car. You should have one of these anyway for storage purposes.

Astrodokk

Another simple device similar to the Green **** is the Red Key. I have one of these. It disconnects the battery. While in the garage though, I don't bother taking the red key, I just pull the knife switch on the positive to extend batt. life and prevent fire.
Oh, also my cat watches it at night.

Ron Miller

If a professional wants your car, he won't need a hex head wrench nor access to the trunk either. Just a rollback and a length of chain will load most cars, or an enclosed truck/trailer and a winch.

But, a good battery disconnect will protect you from a lot of the kids and joyriders who'd like to take a ride in a classic Corvette, in my opinion! And it provides a big step of improvement over nothing at all.

Reeltales

The Battery Brain should work for the quick deterent. I want something that I could use when I have to run into a Jiffy store or gas station etc.. I think a better security item for the house will be a wheel boot. I am not sure if there is an easy way to defeat the one like the cops and tow companies use.

Jim_C

A simple one I really love is to use the cigarette lighter. Hook the terminal on the lighter to the points. Push the lighter in and it shorts the points. When you go to start the car, just pop the lighter out. Won't stop someone with a flat bed, but will stop someone from hot wiring it.
CUL Jim

rustylugnuts

I agree.... So if you remove your steering wheel thats cool, but wouldn't you look silly walking around the mall with a steering wheel....

rustylugnuts

jlagarde

After doing my research, the most practical advice I got was "have good insurance". That being said, how about a pushbutton switch mounted below the carpet. You have to press it with your foot to start. Can't see it and others won't notice.

Wondertoad

A long time ago, I set up my Corvettes with circuit that used a magnetic switch and relay. The circuit grounded out the hot wire to the coil unless the relay was energized. The relay was tucked up under the dash, the wiring to the coil was covered by the shielding and the wired half of the magnetic switch was hidden behind the fiberglass console/radio panel area so it was out of the way.

To start the car, the ignition had to be on and then the other half of the magnetic switch (or any magnet) was placed on the console opposite the other half of the switch. This closed the switch which tripped the relay and completed the coil circuit. Without the magnetic switch closed, the car would crank but not start.

As with most of the suggestions, this system was designed to delay the thieves to the point that they would get discouraged and leave. This was also long before the days of rollbacks and the like.

Bill

jlagarde

I like this one!

Kensmith

If a thief wants your car he can scope out your car in a parking lot or driveway and use a tow truck like the repo guys. Best to have a GOOD insurance policy!

3UZFTE

Funny story, when I was young, I was fooling around under the dash and I ended up flicking a switch that said On/Off, which I thought was for the radio. Well the car now doesn't start, my dad's freaking out, ended up having it flat bed to a local garage where they called him up and asked if he knew he had a kill switch under the dash, "he replied, I didn't but now I do." It is connected to the coil, so if you are cranking the motor, it will not start, fuel is there, but no spark. It has worked for us for about 13 years, but like Kensmith said, if they want you car, their going to have it. The switch is mount behind the center protrusion, where the radio is, and you have to reach a little under the dash, the object is to slow the thief down and not let it be super easy to steal, make it as difficult as possible.

mrg

Playing the percentages (kill switch, fuel shutoff, etc.) to slow a would-be thief down is a good thing. At least it's 'something'. .. It could be just enough to discourage the amateurs out there.

Should a rollback come into play to do the dastardly deed there's a good chance someone just might see the going's on. Possible long shot on this one, nevertheless. Just the same it puts the perp at some risk of getting caught - assuming a sharp witness is around who can provide necessary details. Any kind of classic car being 'rolled up' is bound to get attention.

How about removing the rotor? .. Not likely someone is carrying around one of those in his pocket.