The Stovebolt Site Forums The Shop Area The Electrical Bay ***SPECIAL KILL SWITCH***

When we finish our projects and they are no longer in the garage and safe from thieves, we need to take whatever care necessary to keep them from being stolen.
I know all about kill switches and how they work. I don't however know if anyone manufactures one that does what I need.
It should open contact when the key is turned off forcing the driver to flip the on switch to start each time. In other words it should go to an automatic lock position when the key is turned off.
Has anyone seen one with these characteristics?

Hiya Big Chevy was thinking of doing this myself so I looked it up a while back and found this hope it helps.


Take one DPDT relay.
Connect your ignition line to the microswitch.
Connect the microswitch to the coil.
Connect your coil to ground.
Now connect your ignition to the NO (normally open) on one of the relays contacts.
Connect the COM (common) for these contacts to the coil.
The other set of contacts will operate your load (or a bigger relay).
When you turn the ignition on the relay will not operate until the microswitch is pressed. Once the microswitch is pressed, the relay will keep itself powered until the ignition is turned off again

A simple Bosch relay and a momentary-contact push button switch can be wired with a self-holding circuit to provide the operation you describe. If you will send me an IM with your email address, I'll draw up the circuit and scan a copy to you.
Jerry

Look up 3 wire control and you should find a drawing there. Very very common in industry.

Dan Bentler

Email sent! Feel free to share that circuit if you want to!
Jerry

Thanks Buddy!!!

Well here's the issue, most anyone that can hotwire our trucks from the inside know that it's even easier from under the hood if you have a L6. Even with a locking hood it's not too difficult for a theif to clip a jumper from the battery post on your starter to the hot side of the coil and bump the starter while he's there. Now with a V8, or even better yet a remote mounted electric fuel pump, you've got a better chance.

There's a few products out there that allow you to add a relay and a switch, all you do is wire it in under the dash by the firewall and hide your switch. You can disable the ignition and/or the fuel pump (if it's electric) even heard of folks that would use a magnetic reed switch located where it could be reached easily, you just pass a magnet over the location to activate the circut.
You can also hide a valve in your fuel line somewhere you can get at it easy or run a mechanism to (for instance the heater temperature lever on my truck doesn't go to anything), but where it's not obvious. Those are fun because the theives get just far enough to be obvious when they conk out.

These things are easy to do and as hobbyist with these trucks, a good project. We should all take care to protect what we have worked so long and hard on. I would hate to read here on the Stovebolt where, "BIG CHEVY 3600's bolt has been stolen."

A determined pro car thief is going to succeed in stealing whatever he wants, regardless of the security precautions we take. The idea is to make things difficult for the amateur out to take a joyride so he will pick on somebody else.

I used to patronze a sleazy beer joint in a rough part of Nashville occasionally. They had a sign on the wall that read:

AFTER BUSINESS HOURS THIS BUILDING IS GUARDED BY A PIT BULL WITH AIDS.

IF THAT DOESN'T IMPRESS YOU, LET ME INTRODUCE YOU TO THE BIKER WHO GAVE THE AIDS TO THE PIT BULL!

'Nuff Said!
Jerry

Remind me to stay out of Nashville bars! lol

Hey, Jerry.

I lived in Nashville for 10 years (through the 80s til '93) ... what joint & where, I wonder?

My favorite was the Bluebird Cafe - theirs was:

"Shhhh! If you didn't come here to listen then go someplace else."

Alan

My favorite was the Burkle's Bakery cafe on Overton Sq. in Memphis in the 70s. A place where poets and musicians hung out. Sign said, "No Shoes Bad News Bare Feet Can't Eat!"

Alan, the one I have in mind was a couple of blocks off Hermitage Avenue toward the river, across the railroad tracks from Abernathy Auto Parts and the Airways Motel. (The original "no-tell motel", I believe!)
Jerry

Ha! That *is* the "darker" side of town, Jerry.

Alan