[whizco]

My neighbor and I was talking about kill switches tonight, and how I'm wanting one for the vert. but I am totally against toggle switches (even if they are hidden). He suggested using the lighter as a kill switch by pushing it in to bypass the circuit to the coil, I could even hook it to the Tach wire to help conceal it identity

I thought that was on track with what I had in mind, but also thought the way my luck is, the thief would get frustrated on trying to find the kill switch and take a break and want to light up a cigarette with the lighter, see that it doesn't work, get upset, throw the lighter knob on the floor, and try starting the car again to find out it will start this time. /forums/images/icons/shocked.gif Doh!!!

I had heard about using a reed switch behind the dash, and keeping a magnet handy to activate it. So I got to thinking there has got to be a way to incorporate the lighter idea, with the magnet idea, this way I don't have to worry about scratching the paint on the dash with a magnet. How about using the lighter as the Reed Switch? For those that might not know what a reed switch is, this is a small switch that is activated by a magnet. The actual reed switch is enclosed in a sealed glass cylinder, with a terminal on each end. This is similar to the magnetic switches used on house alarms on windows & doors. When the magnetic field is broken between the two magnets, the alarm sounds. they have a normally opened type and normally closed type depending on what you need.

The way I would use it here, is to place a reed switch behind the cigarette lighter socket, and to mount a magnet inside the lighter knob itself. This way when the lighter is in the socket, the magnet closes the circuit and the car can be started, but once the lighter knob is removed it opens the circuit, therefore acting as a kill switch!

Even if the thief was up on how lighters being used as kill switches the normal way of being pushed in to kill the ignition, and just in case someone did a reverse electric kill switch (similar to this idea) where the lighter is removed instead of pushed in to break the circuit,and the thief thought of this too, by bringing a pocket full of universal lighter knobs, he still wouldn't be able to activate my switch unless he brought a magnet as well!

So what do you think? Would this be worth the effort to try and do? Do you see any drawbacks with this type of system? I know nothing will stop a thief if he wants the car bad enough, but for those amateur joy riders, hopefully they wouldn't know what to look for, and wouldn't want to waste more time trying to figure it out. Of course this wouldn't be the only line of security for the car, but might be a good deterrent.

 

[TrixSlice]

Wow, awesome. I like, I like.

If the Thief *can* figure it out in a resonable time, then might as well just give the genius the damn car

Bravo mate, bravo.

 

[Huskinhano]

Let's face it. If A pro thief wants your car....it's gone. He could just as well use a tow truck, which I knew someone who had his very nice Chevelle stolen this way from his house! The best thing you can do is to take up as much of his time as you can to discourage him. Put multible kill switches or some sort of steering lock, such as a piece of chain arounf the spindle and control arm, remove the rotor from the distributer, ect.

My favorite methood? Open headers! *LOL*

BTW, my uncle had his Chevy Suburban stolen from his driveway early in the morning. He heard some one outside. He was on the phone with the police as the thief was driving down his block. His Suburban was never found!

 

[geegee]

The easiest way to steal the car is to prepare a hot wire harness in advance, lift the hood, jumper the ignition and starter solenoid and then take off with the car. If you're a thief, why mess with the key at all?

 

[68CVert]

Wouldn't you do just as well to incorporate some sort of kill switch and a hood lock. This would deter the thief who has the 'harness' pre wired and the one who would just try to hot wire it from inside the car.

BTW, I like your Kill switch idea. I don't know enough about wiring to be of much help, but when you figure it out, let us know!!

Gregg

 

[mike65]

When I used my 68 GT Coupe as a daily driver I used to pull the dist rotor every time I parked it & hooked the cap back on the dist so it would look like nothing is missing. NEVER had it stolen. Worked for me & the car was parked in some shadey neighborhoods when I was younger & went to visit friends.

 

[dmcq]

Too over engineered, I suggest the following since it's a convertible /forums/images/icons/wink.gif
Got a power top? Great! You now have a hydraulic pump on board! Install 4 hydraulic jacks near each wheel and simply lift the car off the ground when you park! Sure, they can start it but they can't go anywhere /forums/images/icons/wink.gif Ok, it was a long weekend.... /forums/images/icons/smile.gif
Luck,
D

 

[Guest]

Your idea will deter all amateur car theives. Most pros will just tool up in an unmarked tow truck and wheel it away if they are serious.

 

[Guest]

Pretty cool idea. I'd bet that it foils most of the slimey types. However, I'd also bet that the top drawer thiefs have more resources available to them than we give them credit for. Consider that some of them are operating multi-million dollar businesses.

As for the reed switch, I like it because they are passive devices. Do not require power to function. However, reed switches are not considered highly reliable devices. There are differences in construction, mounting means, and current capacity. Make sure you look at the last item, as they typically don't carry much current, and can weld contacts easily if asked to do too much work. A relay here might solve the current problem. Also can be subject to vibration. Make sure you have enough magnet.

You could also look at a two wire proximity switch. Semi passive device. Does require power to operate. Tons available in 12V. Very reliable and aren't nearly as sensitive to vibration. One problem is they sense metal, not magnets. I'm sure this could be engineered around.

I like the presence of material better than absense of material. Magnets got to be there, or she won't start. Kinda insures that the whole system is working. Tie the system to an electric fuel pump, and it's probably a big step better.

Whew...

BT

 

[390GTAcv]

I take it you still have not installed the simple but very effective hood lock I sent you pics of .

 

[whizco]

As I mentioned in my post "Of course this wouldn't be the only line of security for the car" which I guess many are over looking. I figured the hood lock, a simple kill switch, and one or two other things I have in mind would be enough to frustrate the would be thief. But also as I mentioned in my post, If a thief wants it bad enough, he will find a way around the deterrents.

 

[Guest]

I've seen a device in various online alarm web sites that allows you to convert a surface of the car (glass or metal) into a tap-sensor. You tap a particular programmable pattern in a particular place with your finger, and it opens or closes a circuit. I think it's primarily used for door poppers, but I see no reason why you couldn't use it for an application like this. It's invisible and it requires no extra pieces (like a magnet).

I haven't done this yet on my car, but I plan to hook up my alarm system to interrupt the coil trigger from the distributor instead of the more common ignition interrupt. That should slow down anyone with a premade harness, as they'd then have to trace some different wires, strip them down, and hook them up.

Of course, I've also got Whisperer's T-Lock waiting to be installed, yet another piece of the puzzle.

 

[kvinkler]

Other way to prevent the guy to steel your car. If you using MSD, just ground it via hidden switch, no way to jump start.
If you using electric fuel pump, hidden switch will cut off the pump. Thing is that the guy will run 100 yards, and then you get him.
But against the tow truck, it's no defence.

 

[67fstbk]

Why not a key lock switch? Not fragile like a reed switch, can be concealed and should the bad guys find it, they would still need a key. There are some heavy duty ones out there that could withstand some serious abuse.

 

[whizco]

I thought about a key type switch, as I am in the vending business and have access to some very unique locks that Lock Smith can't even pick. But I don't want to be that obvious. I've got a total of 4 separate systems I will be adding to the car, all work separately of each other, so even if the thief figures out 1 or 2 of them, he will have wasted so much time that I would hope he would move on. The good thing about what I have in mind is I can use 1 or all 4 depending on the level of security I want, or how the long the car will be left un-attended. I know nothing will stop a tow truck or flat bed, or even a real theif that's in it for $$, but joy riders don't usually go to that much trouble to steal a car just to have fun in.

So I guess you could call this a Anti-Deterrent device, not a Anti-Theft device /forums/images/icons/crazy.gif

 

[Guest]

I ran two kill switches off my MSD; one inside the car and one hidden in the trunk. Those along with a battery disconnect (battery in trunk) and a Club on the steering wheel will likely require the use of a tow truck to steal the car.