OLDSKOOLACURA
New Member
good thinking
Kill switch idea (anti-theft)
- Thread starter 72Spitfire
- Start date
suspendedHatch
Legalize Illegal Aliens
You don't need a flatbed to overcome a fuel kill switch LOL! Fuel kill switches have been along for as long as electric fuel pumps. Every car thief knows how to bypass them. Very easy to run power straight to the pump. The same can be said for the starter and the ignition. In the How-to section there's a write-up on how to put a kill switch on your main relay. The main relay controls so many things that you can't pinpoint the problem and you can't bypass it in one, two, or even three steps. Also, it's virtually foolproof for you to cause any damage to your car if you don't know what you're doing when wiring your kill switch.
Not all switches in the car lend themselves easily to being used as a ghost kill switch. To use it as a kill switch, you have to be able to easily isolate it from the circuit it's intended for, and it needs to be a simple on/off and not a momentary push button, variable resistor etc. Not that it's impossible, but it gets more complicated than it's worth. So hazards, turn signal, dimmer are all out. AC, Cruise, Radio Acc power, headlights, horn, etc are all good choices.
No matter what switch you use, you'll need a SPDT 20 to 30A auto relay. Never attempt to send the full power of your kill circuit through the switch or you'll burn the switch and in many cases you'll melt your dash wiring. You cut the circuit you're killing and connect one cut end to 30, the other to 87. To enable the relay, power has to pass across 86 and 85. So depending on whether your switch is negative or positive switching, the switch will be on either 86 or 85 and whatever it needs, power or ground will be on the other side either 86 or 85.
To make the horn sound if someone tries to start the car w/out hitting the switch, you simply wire your horn to 87A. Make sure 87 is connected to the ground side of the circuit you're killing.
This probably sounds like Greek to most of you guys but that's how it has to be if you're not specific on what circuit you want to kill and what switch you want to ghost. I used to make specific write-ups but I found that everyone will EXACTLY duplicate the example I give instead of working it out and then making it their own. So it's worthless. The main relay kill write-up I did is something everyone can duplicate and it will still be effective (notice I left out the details about where to mount your aftermarket switch).
Not all switches in the car lend themselves easily to being used as a ghost kill switch. To use it as a kill switch, you have to be able to easily isolate it from the circuit it's intended for, and it needs to be a simple on/off and not a momentary push button, variable resistor etc. Not that it's impossible, but it gets more complicated than it's worth. So hazards, turn signal, dimmer are all out. AC, Cruise, Radio Acc power, headlights, horn, etc are all good choices.
No matter what switch you use, you'll need a SPDT 20 to 30A auto relay. Never attempt to send the full power of your kill circuit through the switch or you'll burn the switch and in many cases you'll melt your dash wiring. You cut the circuit you're killing and connect one cut end to 30, the other to 87. To enable the relay, power has to pass across 86 and 85. So depending on whether your switch is negative or positive switching, the switch will be on either 86 or 85 and whatever it needs, power or ground will be on the other side either 86 or 85.
To make the horn sound if someone tries to start the car w/out hitting the switch, you simply wire your horn to 87A. Make sure 87 is connected to the ground side of the circuit you're killing.
This probably sounds like Greek to most of you guys but that's how it has to be if you're not specific on what circuit you want to kill and what switch you want to ghost. I used to make specific write-ups but I found that everyone will EXACTLY duplicate the example I give instead of working it out and then making it their own. So it's worthless. The main relay kill write-up I did is something everyone can duplicate and it will still be effective (notice I left out the details about where to mount your aftermarket switch).
OLDSKOOLACURA
New Member
:thumbup:
suspendedHatch
Legalize Illegal Aliens
I forgot something extremely important if you're going to use a ghost switch. It's been over a year since I did this.
All of those switches in the vehicle are run on Accessory power. In other words, when you're cranking the starter, the power drops out, ie, your radio turns off. So none of them will work unless you re-wire them to Ignition power. For this reason it's much preferred to use a dead switch. You can use an AC switch if your car doesn't have AC, or a cruise switch if your car doesn't have cruise. Then snip the power wire and cap the dash side of the wire, and run the switch side to the ignition power option output on the under-dash fuse box.
Also, many switches like the AC button have both an on/off circuit and a dash lighting circuit to indicate when they're on. That's why there's four wires instead of two. The little bulbs are very high resistance so you'll have to be sure to use the on/off wires to control your kill switch. The quickest way to figure out which wires you need is to download the Helms manual from Hondahookup and scroll down to the electrical section.
All of those switches in the vehicle are run on Accessory power. In other words, when you're cranking the starter, the power drops out, ie, your radio turns off. So none of them will work unless you re-wire them to Ignition power. For this reason it's much preferred to use a dead switch. You can use an AC switch if your car doesn't have AC, or a cruise switch if your car doesn't have cruise. Then snip the power wire and cap the dash side of the wire, and run the switch side to the ignition power option output on the under-dash fuse box.
Also, many switches like the AC button have both an on/off circuit and a dash lighting circuit to indicate when they're on. That's why there's four wires instead of two. The little bulbs are very high resistance so you'll have to be sure to use the on/off wires to control your kill switch. The quickest way to figure out which wires you need is to download the Helms manual from Hondahookup and scroll down to the electrical section.
suspendedHatch
Legalize Illegal Aliens
:thumbup:
j_mee_5
Member
POST it up for us thanks.
allmotorryan
New Member
bump
suspendedHatch
Legalize Illegal Aliens
Would have been clearer if you included the numbers ie 30, 87a, 87, 85, 86.
This is important. DO NOT cut the starter wire at the ignition harness. It is pointless to do so! It is easily accessible and very obvious. This is where the thief is already going to hot wire your car. So he's going to find this unless he has your keys. Yeah, a lot of thieves will just punch the ignition and break the steering lock, but once the car doesn't start they're going straight for the ignition harness.
There are lots of places where you can easily get to the starter wire and it's not as obvious. At / around the under dash fuse box. Behind the driver's side shock tower is a two-pin plug with the blk/wh wire. I have a method of making an interconnect using a junkyard harness so as to avoid cutting / splicing. If you want to be super ninja, you can trace this wire until it disappears into the split loom and make your cut there.
This is important. DO NOT cut the starter wire at the ignition harness. It is pointless to do so! It is easily accessible and very obvious. This is where the thief is already going to hot wire your car. So he's going to find this unless he has your keys. Yeah, a lot of thieves will just punch the ignition and break the steering lock, but once the car doesn't start they're going straight for the ignition harness.
There are lots of places where you can easily get to the starter wire and it's not as obvious. At / around the under dash fuse box. Behind the driver's side shock tower is a two-pin plug with the blk/wh wire. I have a method of making an interconnect using a junkyard harness so as to avoid cutting / splicing. If you want to be super ninja, you can trace this wire until it disappears into the split loom and make your cut there.
killjoy
New Member
I suppose if someone was trying to explain how to do this without a picture, the pin numbers/locations would be relevant, but since I provided a picture,....meh
It's not completely necessary to cut the starter wire somewhere other than at the ignition switch. What you said was true, but not for MOST thieves... the majority of thieves don't have that kind of knowledge..
kill switches and alarms are really just to ward of honest thieves. I.E., not serious criminals that actually know exactly what they're doing or, ones that walk by and think they can get your car on a whim/impulse. No matter how much you protect your car, they can just flatbed the thing if they really want it that badly
It's not completely necessary to cut the starter wire somewhere other than at the ignition switch. What you said was true, but not for MOST thieves... the majority of thieves don't have that kind of knowledge..
kill switches and alarms are really just to ward of honest thieves. I.E., not serious criminals that actually know exactly what they're doing or, ones that walk by and think they can get your car on a whim/impulse. No matter how much you protect your car, they can just flatbed the thing if they really want it that badly