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Anti-theft and kill switches etc...

Chief Brody

Chief Brody

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What's you opinions on kill switches as a theft deterrent?

Is it still just too easy to hot wire and steal?

Could you do multiple kill switches and slow them down?

Can you get key fob system that would operate multiple kill switches?

Is it futile?
 
Easiest thing, grab a key fob that operates a relay. Hook the relay up to your coil for the distributor and keep it half decent factory looking under the hood. If you have an electric fuel pump, do the same with that. If the truck is sitting at home and doesn't get used often, pull some fuses and wrap some chain around stuff. More of a PITA it is, the more likely sticky fingers will keep walking.
 
This is the most effective "kill switch" I know of...

kimber-stainlessgoldmatch.jpg


You just have to give up sleeping. :pimp:
 
Rene - you're like Chuck Norris... you dont sleep.... you wait. :haha:


as for theft deterrents, removing a master fuse is the easiest thing. My M1009 also has a battery disconnect switch. But both of these are under the hood, and a proper car thief will case your vehicle before attempting to steal it. if you pop the hood every time you park it, they'll figure it out.

A proper kill switch would be inside the vehicle, hidden in plain sight, where someone might not think to look. but in easy reach so that someone observing from outside the vehicle might not notice you use it.

- Ive seen kill switches in driver door handles.
- up under the dash, looks like you're releasing the parking brake when you lean forward to turn it off.
- floor mounted high beam switch repurposed as a kill switch, with headlight switches mounted on the dash, or in the ashtray.
- repurposed stereo buttons
- switches hidden in the glove box

- I had a friend wire his headlight switch like a kill switch. the idea being since daytime running lights (DRL's) are safer anyway, why not make it so the headlights need to be on for the truck to start. This is my personal favorite. As all the modified wiring is invisible. no extra switches to find in hidden places, nothing that stands out as abnormal. If memory served he used the headlight voltage to trip a relay that controlled power to the starter. Most thieves arent going to turn on the headlights before the truck is started to avoid drawing attention to themselves. last I heard the rig had never been stolen.

Of course you could also leave the TC in neutral, as most people nowadays aren't versed in anything involving manual selection of gears. In fact, nowadays carjackers will make the victim drive the car if it has a manual transmission because the robber doesn't know how to drive stick. One of the many reasons I love manual transmission vehicles over automatic slushboxes.
 
I think they are too much work for little benefit, not to mention potential failure of said system leaving you wondering what the heck is wrong.

I have always believed in the "column guards", which seem to be pretty hard to find nowadays unfortunately.

The way these trucks (and any GM with this style column) are stolen is to smash the opposite side of the column with a hammer, which gives easy access to the ignition switch rod and also unlocks the steering wheel. This is no secret, and although there are far fewer of these vehicles in the wrecking yards today, you could always tell the stolen cars by the broken column. Of course there are ways a thief can get around the column guards, but it's not fast. Anything is going to slow a thief down, but I'd rather they think twice before they even break my window.

Edit: No matter what you do as a deterrent, you only need to unlock the steering wheel, put 12V to the coil, and jump the starter terminals to steal one of these things. If you don't prevent one of those, if the thief wants it bad enough, they'll get it.
 
A good thief will just hook up a tow truck and tow it away. The neighbors have no idea that it's being stolen, they probably think that you're having issues with the vehicle and are having it towed to a shop for repairs. I have a friend that this happened to years ago.
 
they probably think that you're having issues with the vehicle and are having it towed to a shop for repairs.
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Not as likely if they know he hangs out here.......

Most members have their trucks towed home when it breaks...... Not some shop.:D
 
When you take it out just park next to the Ferrari's and vipers. With decisions like that the old k5 should be safe.
 
4X4HIGH said:
A good thief will just hook up a tow truck and tow it away. The neighbors have no idea that it's being stolen, they probably think that you're having issues with the vehicle and are having it towed to a shop for repairs. I have a friend that this happened to years ago.
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x10 :thumb:

and lug locks give me a break . i bypass them all the time on cars so easy .
 
I feel if they want your truck badly enough,they will get it one way or another--and many get stolen with a ramp or tow truck when they know it wont be easy to hot wire it or it has other anti-theft devices on it........................................................................................................My '82 K2500 is not a highly desireable thing to swipe,though a scrapper might take it just because its 3 tons,or the plow might be worth something--truck is rusted now and not many theives want 30 year old 4x4 parts...if anyone did try stealing it,they would have to be pretty well versed in grand theft auto,they would have fun trying to figure out how to hot wire the starter and get the glow plugs to energize,and chances are they wouldn't succeed in getting it to start...and I rarely keep more than a few gallons of fuel in it ,so even if they get it started it wouldn't go that far...and everyone within 1/4 mile will hear it if it starts,the Thrush glasspacks aren't exactly quiet..........................................................................................................................................................................................................My '81 G-10 van is just the opposite end of the spectrum...if you knew how to hot wire the coil and jump the solenoid,you're off!!..the ignition is still in the dash that year,and the colum has no lock!...a person who's familiar with GM trucks of that era could simply jump a few wires at the fuse box and get it to crank and run in maybe 30 seconds to a minute...if I were a felon on the lamb,I'd be looking for an old van like mine for a getaway vehicle!.......................................................................................................................................................................................................Personally,I dislike car alarms a great deal--living within earshot of several car dealers,I hear one going off almost constantly,and they are annoying,and few people ever call the cops when one goes off,unless its it is to bitch about the noise,not so much that someone may have broken into it or was attempting to steal it--....................................................................................................................................................................................................................another thing,I think more car and truck owners have more problems with "security systems" and alarms than anything else on later models,when one wont start because it wont disarm,when the chip in the key goes south,or some other internal computer/sensor related issue comes up...some cars like BMW's,Audis and VW,Saab,and many others with "chipped" keys can cost up to 1000 bucks when a key needs replacing too--I have a friend who has 2 BMW's he got from auctions that wont start because of the keys being "bad"....and its "impossible" to by-pass the security system to see if they RUN and are worth putting any money into ,if he goes to a dealer with the money ,they refuse to make a replacement key until he has a title in his name!..sadly,many nice cars get scrapped due to that..I've seen more than one car with an aftermarket alarm get scrapped because no one could figure out how to disable it,or where the kill switches were hidden--or the remote dies and no replacement can be had!...........................................................................................................................................................................................................Most I ever had for kill switches was a hidden toggle in line with the coil power wire,or a push button for the solenoid hidden somewhere,so it cant crank with the key...when I lived in a bad part of town in an apartment,I often left my CB turned on in my K5 overnight,with the mike held "keyed up" with a rubber band around the button..I monitored whatever channel I used with a walkie-talkie in my room...one night I heard the door open,and voices whispering,and I looked out the window and saw several teens in and around my truck...I called the cops and ran outside with a bat,when the cops arrived..three were arrested for breaking & entering,and two trucks near mine were sitting on cinder blocks,their rims and tires GONE!...mine was probably next!..cops found the tires stacked behind the building....
 
I always like the high beam switch to activate the starter and my favorite is the dummy cig lighter has to be pressed to close the starter circuit.
 
These all light up off road lights, but 1 of these goes to my MSD box, it will turn over but just won't fire. Hidden but in plain site. If they really want it there gona get it so it's just a little extra to slow them down .

IMG_2424.JPG
 
4X4HIGH said:
A good thief will just hook up a tow truck and tow it away. The neighbors have no idea that it's being stolen, they probably think that you're having issues with the vehicle and are having it towed to a shop for repairs. I have a friend that this happened to years ago.
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This happened to my dad's client. My dad is a conservator for an old guys estate, and he had a 54 corvette in the garage that was parked after a fender bender in 1962. Thieves paid a flatbed driver to tow it out of the garage.

My dad got it back in the end, and after only a few days. No one knew it was gone for about a week. Now my dad is thinking about getting it appraised and buying it from the estate, and getting it restored to match HIS 54!
 
As I mentioned here before somewhere, the Highway Patrol has a switch under the floor mat close to where the dimmer switch is.
When they get in and turn on the key, they step on the switch and it sets a latching relay.
Unless you know about it, you would never even notice them doing it.

Of course, its a big secret, so don't tell anybody.......
 
Fordum said:
As I mentioned here before somewhere, the Highway Patrol has a switch under the floor mat close to where the dimmer switch is.
When they get in and turn on the key, they step on the switch and it sets a latching relay.
Unless you know about it, you would never even notice them doing it.

Of course, its a big secret, so don't tell anybody.......
Click to expand...

I am sure that every serious thief knows all the locations....I guess it's just the coconut heads that would be deterred...
 
82355 said:
How much of a target are K5's anyway???

Martin
Click to expand...

I don't know...but I don't want to find out....

I guess it goes with the territory of driving something unusual....sticks out like a sore thumb...
 
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