has anyone ever installed a kill switch that will cut off the fuel so that it can not be started. Theft deterent kind of thing in addition to the alarm system.
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 359
My VIN: 16419
has anyone ever installed a kill switch that will cut off the fuel so that it can not be started. Theft deterent kind of thing in addition to the alarm system.
DeLoreans have two inbuilt ones...
The inertia switch - give it a kick and the car is as good as dead until reset.
The original RPM relay - inbuilt random death timer
Chris
If I'm not mistaken, Biff has one of those. "Nobody car start this car but me"
- Devon
83 Canadian Spec - Manual, Grey, Fixed Pulls, Flat Hood
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 359
My VIN: 16419
I had a kill switch I installed on my old 1948 CJ2A. It was an electrical kill switch that took the ground side of the circuit away from the ignition switch, this rendering the ignition coil useless and preventing the motor from running.
Cost my maybe $5 in parts and an hour of my time.
Jeff
Location: Taylors SC
Posts: 5,326
My VIN: (former)05429
Club(s): (DMWC) (DCUK)
We put a battery cutoff in just about every car. The only downside is that you lose the clock setting and radio stations (on OE radios).
Otherwise it would be pretty easy to splice a switch inline with the inertia switch or the ignition coil. Either one will let a bad guy (assuming he has a key or hot wires the car) crank the starter only. You could also inline the switch in the ignition line from the switch, killing either the ignition (if you want it to crank) or the power (if you just want it to light up the dash and not crank).
The battery cutoff obviously kills everything, and not many bad guys will even know where to find the battery.
Dave S
DMC Midwest - retired but helping
Greenville SC
Location: Sacramento-ish
Posts: 4,408
My VIN: 02100
Club(s): (NCDMC) (DCUK)
My dad used to have those on all of his Chrysler company cars. Hidden in the glovebox. Pretty oldschool but kind of neat. Now I think they mainly use technology like that for people under house arrest, people with bad credit making payments on cars, and people with DUIs. Kind of a two-party authorization to drive mechanism.
Jon
1981 DMC-12 #02100. July 1981. 5-speed, black, grooved w/flap.
restoration log, March 2011 to present
full and detailed photo restoration log
Location: Northern NJ
Posts: 8,581
My VIN: 10757 1st place Concourse 1998
It is unlikely for the car to be stolen. If they are really determined they can always yank it onto a tilt-bed and tow it away. On some of my previous cars I used a momentary push button switch in series with the start position. You had to hold the button AND turn the ignition to start to make the motor go. It was hidden under the dash. If you go with a battery master switch you can always remove the fuse for the radio and run a wire from the fuseblock through an inline fuse directly to the battery ahead of the master switch so you don't lose the radio presets and the time. You can install an alarm with an immobilizer to kill the motor. You can use the inertia switch but it isn't meant to be used like that and you can wear it out. You can get Lojack but that doesn't stop it from being stolen in the first place. If you are parking the car overnight you can also add a switch in the trunk by the fuel pump to kill it. With all of these "kill" options it is up to you to understand and remember what you do because guaranteed one day the car won't start and you won't know why!
David Teitelbaum
Location: Los Angeles
Posts: 359
My VIN: 16419
thats very true, if i did install all the deterents. I would just like one that I know of. I think putting in a kill switch for the ignition might be the best thing. I can easily hide the switch on the inside of one of the knee pads next to the steering wheel. should be simple enough.
Location: Northern NJ
Posts: 8,581
My VIN: 10757 1st place Concourse 1998
The main problem with an ignition kill switch is that you could have a problem and it will look just like the kill switch. It is not uncommon to have starting problems with a Delorean so I would not add to it. Killing the starting circuit is a bit more secret. It also has the added advantage of not being able to kill the battery by cranking it to death in the vain attempt to start it.
David Teitelbaum