ignition/ wiring tricks.

I drive a geo metro convertible, and anything inside the car is worth less than the 2 y.o. soft top. That being the case i leave it unlocked at all times. i would love to hear some wiring tricks or ignition tricks to keep it from being stolen (yeah some people are that stupid). I have heard of people wiring in switches that have to be on to operate the car. Any shared experiences/ advise would be appreciated.

My father put a toggle switch in the positive wire to the coil them hid it under the dash. This was the late 60's on a 66 Chevy P/U in southern California. Truck would crank but not start. I have a Horible Freight battery cutout swith in the negative battery lead hidden under the dash of my Spitfire. Car wont start but will run if turned off.

What about an aftermarket steering wheel lock? The visible type, that clamps onto the actual wheel.

I've heard of people removing the rotor button from the distributor each time they leave their car, but that just seems like way too much effort to me.

A toggle switch under the dash to kill the ignition is a quick and easy way to disable a car. Get a good quality switch rated at least for 15 amps and once wired in do NOT tell anyone where it is. Some times yo' friends ain't yo' friends. Or maybe THEIR friends ain't yo' friends.

There is probably a clutch kill switch that prevents the car from starting unless you have your foot on the clutch pedal. How about creatively relocating that?

I pull the PCM fuse off my protege when I'm leaving it somewhere for extended periods. I can't imagine someone would figure that one out in a hurry.

Everything looks right underhood. Cranks but won't start.

derekshannon wrote:

Luke wrote: What about an aftermarket steering wheel lock? The visible type, that clamps onto the actual wheel.

I know the steering wheel is pretty easy to hack-saw through. The bar comes right off after that. I used to think I was smart taking the coil wire off my Wrangler until I realized that you could take an ignition wire off to replace it. It made a straight-6 into a straight-5 but it would still be able to be driven away.

You don't even need a hacksaw. Bolt cutters take about 5 seconds to cut through a steering wheel.

MadScientistMatt wrote: There is probably a clutch kill switch that prevents the car from starting unless you have your foot on the clutch pedal. How about creatively relocating that?

where can i find this?

If you follow the pedal up it is usually around the top of the pedal. I would leave it... just wire in a switch on the ignition. It has to be hidden REALLY well but that's all you need. There is no way they can get it running unless they mess with all the wiring.

You could enforce it with a battery cut-off as well. That one usually comes in handy for working on the car, too.

genius

I wired in a switch in the clutch pedal/starter interrupt circuit on one of mine. It was really easy. I'd rather have made it so it would crank but not start (ie: the ignition circuit) but this was "good enough."

one that I always wanted to do was to get a two position rotary switch (I never found one with only two positions...they always had more...but that's really not a problem) and mock up a fake cigar lighter knob.

You'd have to twist the cigar lighter knob to enable the ignition and/or starter.

This could be done with a push switch too.

A neighbor has a car that you have to actuate two of the power window switches before it will start. It's a mazda...I don't know if that's an aftermarket security feature or what...

Clem

I just completed a Megajolt installation in my car. The Mj unit is about the size of a pack of smokes. Unplug the vac line and the one plug with the wires. Put in pocket and go. Unless you are another Mj and the corect map in it you are not going anywhere.

My buddy had a setup in his Toyota pickup that used a cig lighter.

He used a Bosch relay in the ignition lead and used the cig lighter to ground the relay.

Push in lighter, lighter completes relay circuit and engages realy. Relay completes ignition circuit and it starts.

It disables you cigarette lighters "lighter" function but works great, just put the lighter in your pocket when you walk away.

What theif would bring a replacement cig lighter with them?

Shawn

All you would need is a small screwdriver to complete the connection.

You guys kill switches are alot more clever than mine I wired a toggle switch under the dash of my wifes car when her purse was stolen.

When i bought my new RX-7(1979) I wired a toggle into coil circuit. The switch was hidden inside the console, along side of the seat. I would hit the switch when buckling and unbuckling the seat belt, so even if you rode with me, you never knew it was there.

Tommy Suddard wrote: All you would need is a small screwdriver to complete the connection.

Who sticks a screwdriver into a lighter socket to start a car?

Seriously, if they really want it they'll bring a rolllback.

Shawn

minimac wrote: When i bought my new RX-7(1979) I wired a toggle into coil circuit. The switch was hidden inside the console, along side of the seat. I would hit the switch when buckling and unbuckling the seat belt, so even if you rode with me, you never knew it was there.

I was going to suggest something like this also. Something near the seat that you don't have to make an obvious reach for. Makes it easier to activate, and harder to notice you turning it on.

The cigarette lighter trick is definitely nice, but it does make it a pain if you ever want to use anything powered through the lighter (which a lot of things are these days).

Several years ago my window dropped into the channel when I pulled into work. I parked the car under the parking structure to protect from the rain, popped the hood and took the ignition coil wire with me.

Trans_Maro wrote:

Tommy Suddard wrote: All you would need is a small screwdriver to complete the connection.

Who sticks a screwdriver into a lighter socket to start a car? Seriously, if they really want it they'll bring a rolllback. Shawn

i just busted out laughing! but seriously, who could figure that out?

If you had a Cavalier you wouldn't have to worry. I drove with two missing windows for a month before I had time to replace them. No one even took the change out of my ashtray at the train station.