I've been looking at ways to avoid lifting my carpet to disconnect the battery. I noticed on a few trucks, people have installed a battery disconnect that comes with a removable key. (dewayne has one HINT) I was wondering if they are worth installing? I know they serve a purpose for car theft. I've seen the ones that mount on your terminal and have a green handle which you turn. I don't care for those. Also, if you guys have one, what do you need to install one and where did you mount yours for easy access. Do I have to drill a hole into my floorboard?

 

Lower -

My truck came with a keyed ground switch. The PO mounted it in the vertical panel (aft of the cab) in the running board. It had a key that came out when turned off and was locked into the switch all the time it was on. Looked pretty crummy after 10 years and I didn't like the placement. I have no idea who made it or where to get a new one.

I took it out to redo the panel and running boards. I plan to relocate it into the rear (cab) wall of the right front fender, where it isn't in plain sight and is just the other side of the cab wall from the battery. Easy access and connection.

I also have a simple switch on the battery hot lead that is a lever switch. I have to open the floor panel and throw the switch. I use this when I'm working on the truck electrical, because it's a whole lot easier than taking a strap off. I don't have any interior tho, so no big deal to access the panel. I probably will remove that switch when the interior gets done, like you want to.

 

Lower

I installed my switch for a couple reasons.

1. With 30 seconds of instruction, I think the average second grader could rip off an Effie with a paper clip. It is one of several theft deterrents on my truck. I have the coil power killed elsewhere as well. Of course it could still be stolen, but it was ridiculously easy before.

2. I took a long time to wire up my truck, and then continously playing with audio and other stuff. Hot wires laying everywhere. I slept a little better with the juice killed when unattended. You already know the battery is less than convenient to disconnect several times a day.

 

I was thinking about the theft deterrent issue as well and had this web site bookmarked Battery Disconnect Switches. I was considering their unit that is invisibly mounted behind any non-steel panel and is magnetically activated. A web search will turn up a whole lot more as well.

 

BTW, there are several levels of the standard cutoff switch. One is about $25 (mine) and the HD edition ($50) is probably recommended for a 460 with 11:1 compression. Difference is amperage rating. The race car gang uses the heavy switch.

If you don't want to jack with this, at a minumum the coil wire circuit can be switched for a couple bucks. Car stealing isn't a big sport where I live, but I plan to drive to places that are someday.

 

I have used an item sold by Hottronics that is a remote activated cutoff. It resembles a Ford starter solenoild and can be mounted in an inconspicous spot betwenn flip switch and battery. $100.00. I have had one on my 46 Ford coupe for probably 5 years. It has performed perfectly. I also have one on my 53 F100. It is very easy to hide the switch up under the dash.

 

Sorry Earl. I did not catch your referrence site. The Hotronics unit is very similar to Watsons. I have used Watsons stuff also, and would not hesitate to use their cutoff.

 

Caterpillars use a heavy diconnect switch that has a removable key. They could be had for a price. Funny thing though, they all used the same key. If you had a Cat key, you could throw the switch on any Cat. This changed a few years ago.

 

I used the type with the removeable plastic key. I installed it on the ground side between the battery and the frame.I did it this way because of the risk of too much amp draw thru the pos side could occur.

Its actually mounted under the pass cab mount chanel. There were already holes in this area.

If I get a chance I'll take a pic.
\
Kevin Bigwin

 

Oh now you guys bring it up. If I would have thought about a kill switch when everything was torn apart, then I would have liked to put it right on the dash in plain site. Just another **** disguished as a light switch. Jag

 

Since we are talking about kill switches, does anybody know how to set one up so that when you switch it, there is still power to the radio so that you don't lose all the station settings? I know a coil wire cutoff will give me that feature, but I want to kill power to the starter and door solenoids as well. The previous setup was a ground cutout switch. Killed everything. Seems like maybe a hot lead cutout (with a bypass to radio?) might be the ticket.

Ideas?

 

I was thinking of adding one to my 54 under the passengers seat. I would use the $20-25 plastic key version commonly available. I figured I could mount it flush with the floor, add a gromet to the carpet, and it would look pretty clean. That location is close the battery so wiring would be easy, and in easy reach from the driver for on/off.

I too would like to keep my stereo presets - any ideas?

 

I placed a kill switch on my Electronic Fuel Pump......They could try to start it but not going anywhere without gas.....

 

RJ

Bypass the fuseblock. Use inline protection. Run a wire from the input side of your kill switch into the interior. That would be a good spot to use a fusible link. It will have the ring you need pre-installed. Don't forget to use inline fuses after the fuselink (inside the interior) because you are powering up stuff that will nuke out in a heartbeat.

Option two, you could add a small jumper box with a couple circuits that are not bypassed, though I don't see any functional advantage to doing it this way.

When complete, tell me how you wish you had really done it and I'll do mine that way. That way I don't have to be the crash dummy.

Brad

You got a source for carpet grommets?

 

I'm a little confused here? I noticed on the switch itself, it has two contacts. Does the ground cable from the battery where it connects to the frame connect on one side of the switch contacts? and then the other to the frame? OR... Does it splice between the positive side of the battery and then to the starter solenoid? If I were to mount this say under the seat. How many holes need to be drilled into the floor and carpet? Is the switch mounted with screws or bolts? Just want to get an idea before I start tearing into it again or possibly ruining my new carpet. (smile)

DJ and Fatfenders - as to keeping the setting on the radio, would it possible to run a hot lead wire from the positive side of the battery directly to the wire on the stereo that requires constant hot for the clock, settings etc. In other words bypassing the kill switch with one hot wire or even putting a mini fuse block in somewhere for other accessories to work. It would seem you only need the one live wire to keep it going. Of course I'd put a good inline fuse somewhere in between. If the kill switch is on the ground side, perhaps the black ground wire coming from the radio could ground to the firewall or dash somewhere, not sure if that would work? I never did well in basic electronics class.