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Hidden Kill Switch for Anti-Theft - Need Ideas/Suggestions

PWagon

PWagon

1/2 ton status
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Dallas
I live in a high truck theft city, and I've just put too damn much work into my truck to not invest a couple hours installing a disabling/kill switch. I would like to have a secret/hidden switch to keep my K5 Blazer from starting even with the key in the ignition. I'm looking for ideas or suggestions from you guys. Maybe something close to the steering wheel or dash but not too difficult to use either. Ideas???:popcorn:
 
I put one up under the dash. Its a little toggle switch, and with it switched on, it will crank but it won't start. I figure its better having it crank and not start than having it get jacked. I have trouble finding it sometimes :doah:
 
Yes, something hidden would be preferred. I don't want some punch-bowl thief accidentially finding the switch, so something hidden would be better.
 
Do a search on here, lots of good ideas out there.

A good one is to use a switch that is already in the truck. For instance, wire it up to only start when the right blinker is on.

In addition, more than one switch is often the way to go. Some have used the old style dimmer switch, mounted to the floor, as another one. Cutting ign power, or cutting fuel pump power with these switches seems to be the way to go.

Another one i like a lot is some sort of magnet switch. Throw it behind the drop down ash try panel, and it will only start when your favorite fridge magnet or bottle opener is stuck to the front of the sheetmetal. Pull the magnet off, and it won't start. Super hidden, and pretty cool if you don't mind a sticker or cool magnet on your dash somewhere. I know there tends to be pizza place magnets stuck to my dash during the winter when i'm in snow ski mode in new areas :)
 
Maybe consider a GPS tracker to hide in it somewhere? :dunno:
 
Done a few of those over the years.
My Ford Torino had a Ford emblem in the center of the steering wheel that was separate from the rest of the wheel.
I took the horn bar off, modified it so that it was floating in the vinyl, and mounted a switch behind it.
When I got out, if I pressed the emblem with the ignition off, I had to press it again with the ignition on before it would start.
If I did not press it with when I got out, it was not armed.

The magnet idea works great, I have used it for other things. But, its best to just move the magnet to a different location when you get out than take it with you.
Too easy to lose.

The highway patrol cars down here have a hidden switch under the carpet up where the dimmer switch used to be.
You have to press it with the ignition on before you can start the car.

But that one is supposed to be a secret, so don't tell anybody..........
 
You mean I need to take the keys out? Heck they may be suck in it.
 
Magnet switch inside the steering column with a magnet on your keychain so you won't lose it.
 
Here are some commercial products that I have considered for my K5:

This is a GPS tracker that is affordable and gets good reviews. Get the USB power cable for it as well. It has "Geo-fencing" alerts, which means you can set it to email/text you if it leaves a certain area you have set as a "fence". That, of course, means if your truck is stolen you have real-time location updates and alerts.

http://www.amazon.com/Garmin-GTU-GP...UTF8&colid=V0R7NWP952Z5&coliid=I2HAYKZANQ11WL

Combine that with one of these devices.

This is a pulse timer. This could be used to cut power to your fuel pump say 15 seconds after the truck is started. You can wire it to get a signal from some other power source. Therefore, you could make this require you to start the truck and then hit the power unlock button to disable the timer. Or you could use a hidden switch.

http://www.amazon.com/Directed-Elec...=UTF8&colid=V0R7NWP952Z5&coliid=I2X0LPPOS2D8Z

This is a nifty device - it has a loop which goes around the steering wheel. Your keychain has a matching transponder. If the transponder is not detected, the system disables your starter, ignition, and fuel pump. The nice thing about this is if you wire it in carefully and properly, it will take a thief significantly longer to overcome than just a starter or fuel pump kill.

http://www.amazon.com/Megatronix-Gr...UTF8&colid=V0R7NWP952Z5&coliid=I3I97H2FMGY78A

I happen to have one of these locks around:

http://www.amazon.com/OnGuard-Bulld...033429&sr=8-11&keywords=bike+u+lock+and+cable

And I simply loop it through my steering wheel, around one spoke, and then back out (which means if you want to cut the steering wheel to defeat this, you have to cut it twice) and put the ends through the U-Lock, and put the U-lock around my seat leg and lock it up. I have a soft-top, so to me this is a deterrant to keep the average car thief at bay.
 
My favorite one I put in a guys hot rod, was a GM floor mounted high beam/low beam switch to look factory high beam. Had to be on high beam for the starter to turn.

Then mounted a small ignition only switch to look like the center consul lock. It was ignition lockout.
 
PWagon said:
I live in a high truck theft city, and I've just put too damn much work into my truck to not invest a couple hours installing a disabling/kill switch. I would like to have a secret/hidden switch to keep my K5 Blazer from starting even with the key in the ignition. I'm looking for ideas or suggestions from you guys. Maybe something close to the steering wheel or dash but not too difficult to use either. Ideas???:popcorn:
Click to expand...

I saw a touch sensitive pad under the carpet. The car wouldn't start if your feet were on the floor otherwise everything else was normal.
 
My K5 has a manual tailgate now but originally had a power one. I pulled the window switch out and replaced it with a dual tank switch from a pickup. One way is run the other is no run. Having used an old switch...the lettering was worn off so it looks factory and not out of place.
 
Replace the cig lighter with a push button type switch fabbed to the bottom of old cig well.

Then you act like you light a cig to enable the ignition, starter, whatever
 
toomany said:
My K5 has a manual tailgate now but originally had a power one. I pulled the window switch out and replaced it with a dual tank switch from a pickup. One way is run the other is no run. Having used an old switch...the lettering was worn off so it looks factory and not out of place.
Click to expand...

Nice and simple. :thumb:
 
I made my toggle-switch kill switch, super-hidden. :deal:

I removed the driver-side Defroster vent grate, and installed the switch inside the vent.
Just the toggle part, the body of the switch was outside the duct, firewall side.

I made the defroster vent grate into a trap door,on a hinge.
No one would ever check in the defroster vent. :deal:

It worked on more than one occasion...

- Or you could make your horn into the signal for a starter Relay.
Just make a horn switch cutoff.

No one would ever hold the horn down to start your sh*t, if they were stealing it.

- Or, move the starter/ign wire, to somewhere else.
They'd have a helluva time trying to Hotwire it, with no starter... :haha:
 
LVJimmy said:
I saw a touch sensitive pad under the carpet. The car wouldn't start if your feet were on the floor otherwise everything else was normal.
Click to expand...

There was a shop in town that cleaned cars up and did detailing work when I was in high school. The guy who owned it would let us hang out there at night and run off any cops trying to bother us for loitering or whatnot. In return, we would help detail cars there if we didn't have anything else to do.

One day I worked over a State Police Crown Vic. It was in the bay when I got there, so when I went to move it, I couldn't get it in gear. Turns out they seriesed another switch in with the brake pedal to take the latch off the shifter. There was a certain spot on the floor you had to press with your foot to operate the shifter.

If you have a later K5 with the column mounted dimmer, you could put the switch on one of the earlier floor mounted dimmer switches. Then no one would see you operate the switch and I doubt many would ever suspect the switch was anything but a dimmer.
 
LVJimmy said:
I saw a touch sensitive pad under the carpet. The car wouldn't start if your feet were on the floor otherwiseup everything else was normal.
Click to expand...
I was thinking of maybe a small steel wire .050 hidden low next to the center console that goes thru the floor board to a hidden switch . I also ordered a extra fuel pump connector pig tail from NAPA to help preserve the original harness as a connector saver and make the kill circuit. We will find out....
 
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