Learn me: Breathalyzer Immobilization Systems (NMNA. Seriously, not mine, etc...)

So, here's the deal: My daughter's friend came over tonight. She got busted for DUI a while back and had to have breathalyzer installed in her car. I have no sympathy for her.

Anyway, the car is in my driveway, blocking in two of my cars, and the system is dead. It's not getting any power and doesn't even give you the opportunity to give it your best shot. I checked all the fuses, and they are all good. All other accessories seem to work. There is a cable that runs from the unit down under the center console. I suspect that it gets power from the cigarette lighter.

I took a peek at the starter, which looks like a gear reduction unit. I don't see any extra wires going to it, but it does have a fairly clean male spade terminal that has nothing connected to it. I can't find a stray wire for it in the areas.

Does anyone know how these things are wired?

The car is a Volvo V70 with 290k miles. I just want this thing out of my driveway.

Not a clue. I would think they would interrupt the hot wire firing the starter solenoid until blown clean.

As to car removal, tow truck. Drunk drivers get less than no sympathy from me.

Tow truck is coming in the morning.

I had a kid try and get me to blow clean on his 70s malibu so i could diagnose the carb. As i took the last of my third beer down, i said no..... and wondered how hard it would be to bypass one of those on a carbed non ecu car. I mean...two wires and it runs.....

Can't you still put it in neutral and push?

You steer, she pushes.

Harbor freight tire dollies. Skateboard that Swedish turd across the driveway.

Jack up the drive wheels with floor jack, have people push car while you steer it into street

Chain and a tow hitch....... tires skid fine.

I just did some work for somebody that has one of these (again, seriously, NMNA) and apparently the unit has internal pancake batteries. All units may not be the same, though, I only know because I had the battery out of it for so long that the unit drained the internal batteries, too.

Interesting side note, when I started working on the car, he called into a number of some sort to let them know that his car was going to be down for repairs for a few days and he would not be driving. Apparently if his went dark, some alarm was thrown or something.

Oh, forgot to add: His seemed to be wired into the main wiring harness. It seemed to bypass power to all of the fuel injectors.

airwerks wrote: Chain and a tow hitch....... tires skid fine.

Not this time. ~> Studded Hakkapeliittas.

I can tell you this about them.. my Brother in Law got nailed twice for DUI, by the same cop, three days apart. (he's not the brightest bulb) and his diesel work truck will not work with whatever system NJ uses. His choice is either to buy a newer gas truck, or not drive

I think Brett nailed it: It was probably failing pancake batteries. After an overnight rest, it started right up in the morning.

I hope never to see that car again.

I have dealt with a number of them over the years, not much to them all they do is cut the starter signal wire either at the switch or past the relay and run it through the blow and go box. The box should have it's own battery's and a B+ power supply they can be bypassed without much work but the blow and go will record this event and some can even record GPS data. The installer will inform the MVA of the event and the driver could/ will be in deep dodo unless the car was at a shop and the shop had called the MVA.

Paul B

Woody wrote: Not this time. ~> Studded Hakkapeliittas.

My favorite snow tires of all time.

Woody wrote: I think Brett nailed it: It was probably failing pancake batteries. After an overnight rest, it started right up in the morning. I hope never to see that car again.

Just curious...if you fail the test, how long do you have to wait to try to restart it?

I don't know the answer to that, but this wasn't the result of a failed test. The system wasn't getting power.

She said that she actually has to rent the unit, so it was used and has been installed in other cars before. She also said that this is the second time that one has failed and stranded her. Last time, she had the car towed back to the shop that installed it and it was replaced with another one.

Its enough to drive one to drink.

Wall-e wrote: Its enough to drive one to drink.

At least you remain stationary.

We had a volunteer worker at one of our events, who had one of those devices in their car. Needed car to start, to move and allow the event to run. About 10 of us tried the damn thing and couldn't make it work. Miserable thing.

I drove a buddies car that has one once. He had to get it going for me. I then spent the rest of the drive trying to blow in the damned thing to get the alarm to go off. I don't have the lung capacity for it. What a hassle.