Notices
1987 - 1996 F150 & Larger F-Series Trucks 1987 - 1996 Ford F-150, F-250, F-350 and larger pickups - including the 1997 heavy-duty F250/F350+ trucks

custom kill switch

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Feb 16, 2004 | 12:06 AM
  #1  
Trav460's Avatar
Trav460
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 180
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver
custom kill switch

after looking at the price on alarms these days and seen the price.. dam out here in canada its around $600 installed with a pager... i made my own set up with my old truck.. with a blinking LED when the ignition is off.. and a cheap alarm from the local parts store ($60) that included a shock sensor and voltage sensor.. but all this in and added my own heavy duty switch where i tapped into the ignition to the starter.. got myself a fine alarm system for 100.. i would like to do this with the new ford.. but where on these trucks is the igntion wire?? or wut i was thinkin since my truck is standard.. if i cut into the clutch sensor which tells the computer the clutch is in before can start it.. maybe if i put that on a switch it would be theft proof? well nothins theft proof.. any ideas are welcome.. thanx
 
Reply
Old Feb 16, 2004 | 07:06 AM
  #2  
SoFla David's Avatar
SoFla David
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 315
Likes: 2
From: Miami
Due to the location of the Starter Solenoid on our trucks, Disabling the starter is not much of a deterrent. All they have to du is jumper the solenoid with a screw driver and bypass any kill switch you added.

A better aproach would be to put a kill switch on the Fuel pump or ignition circuit.

There is a Fuel pump switch on the firewall right behind the pedals inside the truck that cuts power to the fuelpump if the truck flips over. This would be a great place to tap into the wires and add your own cutoff switch.
 
Reply
Old Feb 16, 2004 | 07:28 AM
  #3  
77redf250's Avatar
77redf250
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 202
Likes: 0
From: fairbanks usa
the ignition wire should be red/ltgreen at the ignition switch on the steering column. there should be only 2 wires at the clutch switch if you don't have cruise one goes to the ignition switch the other goes to the starter relay. with most alarm setups you cut the ignition wire and the starter wire and hook them up to relay's a good alarm should have built in relays. when you dissarm the system it closes the relay's with a negative output usually. if you want to go the poormans route hide a switch somewhere and wire it from the ignition wire to the relays this way it won't kill the battery and is foolproof. just remember this when the truck won't start. another thing you might want to consider is a remote starter unit you can get them from canadian tire fairly cheap $130 or so on sale for a manual. they have alarm features built in to hook up relays and keyless entry i put one in my 89 and added aftermarket door lock actuators and man i couldn't live without it. if you decide to to this get a wiring diagram from this site
http://www.bulldogsecurity.com/ and hook the starter wire directly to the solenoid. well good luck in whatever you decide to do.
 
Reply
Old Feb 16, 2004 | 09:12 AM
  #4  
frederic's Avatar
frederic
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
Since the starter solenoid is right out in the open, David gave you good advice.

You can cut power to the fuel pump(s), you can cut 12V off the ignition coil, blah blah blah. Lots of ways to do this.

I'm assuming most of the $600 you were quoted was installation, because paging alarm systems are significantly less than that.

Like so:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=33724

I have no affilitation with the seller, just using it as a point of reference.

Buy something like that, and install it yourself? If you're considering splicing in a starter-defeat switch, you obviously have the ability to tackle the installation of such an alarm system.

Just a thought...
 
Reply
Old Feb 16, 2004 | 08:34 PM
  #5  
Trav460's Avatar
Trav460
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 180
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver
well to tell the truth i'v never installed an alarm myself.. to me it looks like theres way to many wires.. but i guess they do come with instructions right?? yes this one was installed.. for that price.. and u gota think.. your ebay add there is US funds.. double it up for close to canadian funds.. i guess the install is the expensive part of the alarm..?
As for the fuel pump cut off.. that is a good idea.. but how do i find the exact wire under the dash there?
 
Reply
Old Feb 17, 2004 | 06:35 AM
  #6  
SoFla David's Avatar
SoFla David
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 315
Likes: 2
From: Miami
Originally posted by Trav460
As for the fuel pump cut off.. that is a good idea.. but how do i find the exact wire under the dash there?
Do you have a service Manual?

If you don't, get one.

If you are planning on doing any work on the truck yourself, it will make life much simpler.
 
Reply
Old Feb 17, 2004 | 09:12 AM
  #7  
frederic's Avatar
frederic
Post Fiend
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 6,214
Likes: 13
From: New Jersey
Originally posted by Trav460
well to tell the truth i'v never installed an alarm myself.. to me it looks like theres way to many wires.. but i guess they do come with instructions right?? yes this one was installed.. for that price.. and u gota think.. your ebay add there is US funds.. double it up for close to canadian funds.. i guess the install is the expensive part of the alarm..?
As for the fuel pump cut off.. that is a good idea.. but how do i find the exact wire under the dash there?
Well, I picked that ebay auction fairly randomly just to illustrate that installation was more expensive than the alarm system. A little shopping around you could find something you like, feel is reasonably priced, etc.

The simpler the alarm, the less wires of course, but yes they generally do come with instructions.

My F350 has an aftermarket alarm module I plucked out of a Lincoln Town Car in a junkyard a year ago. $1. I ordered a $3 connector from www.digikey.com and a red LED out of my junk drawer and spliced it in. Its not a remote paging alarm like you want, but for me it was $4 well spent. Instead of using a siren, I simply have it close the horn relay instead.

Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep.

Mitchell manuals if you can find them at your library, have very detailed wiring diagrams of vehicles, including circuit numbers and wiring color codes. VERY helpful when you're underneath the dash, on your back, holding a flashlight in your mouth.

Aside from Mitchell, "alldata" offers detailed wiring diagrams, if you are friendly with your ford dealer or a service station they might be able to print out a few wiring diagrams for you.

To wire an alarm in, you need the "body wiring diagrams" not the engine wiring diagrams.

What year is your F-series? If its a 93 I have the diagrams
 
Reply
Old Feb 18, 2004 | 02:09 AM
  #8  
borin&strokin's Avatar
borin&strokin
Senior User
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 262
Likes: 0
I know on the older trucks there is one primary wire that feeds the interior stuff. It was yellow on the 89 the fuesable link went out on. Kills everything in the interior (or very nearly, at least). Ignition, buzzers, radios, lights, etc. That one is easy to find, and it kills EVERYTHING computer, fuel pumps, starter... as opposed to just the ignition, which is fairly easy to bypass for an experienced thief, or just the starter, or just the fuel pumps (a little harder to bypass and trace, but still less than 5 min for someone set up well. And the wire splice can be buried back inside the harness, way under the dash near the "end" of the wire. (harder to install, harder to get at to bypass, too) But, as comfortable as all this fancy crap may make us feel, flat bed trailers, or the hydraulic style dollies that hook to the reciever of a pickup like repo guys use make ANY vehicle vulnerable. Have fun.
 
Reply
Old Feb 18, 2004 | 07:44 AM
  #9  
77redf250's Avatar
77redf250
Senior User
Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 202
Likes: 0
From: fairbanks usa
if your that woried about theft pull your relays when your parked. and put a big old protected by smith&wesson sticker on the back.
 
Reply
Old Feb 18, 2004 | 11:22 PM
  #10  
Trav460's Avatar
Trav460
Thread Starter
|
Senior User
Joined: Feb 2004
Posts: 180
Likes: 0
From: Vancouver
Well i em very worried about theft.. i live in the #1 in the english speaking language city for car theft.. but the whole relay thing.. thats to much work... i'm gona go look at some alarm systems this weekend.
 
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
ExPACamper
1999 - 2003 7.3L Power Stroke Diesel
29
May 3, 2017 07:11 PM
Pat D.
1983 - 2012 Ranger & B-Series
1
Apr 10, 2016 01:41 PM
JRinSpokane
1997 - 2006 Expedition & Navigator
7
Feb 20, 2016 09:34 AM
sd75mac
2009 - 2014 F150
8
Sep 28, 2014 01:30 PM
bobwebb
1997 - 2003 F150
2
Apr 1, 2002 06:58 PM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 06:53 AM.