Anti-Theft?

[PCGUY112887]

What would be the best way to wire up a momentary switch (hidden ) that would disable something so it had to be held while turning the key to start?

Just an idea for anti-theft, I know it's been done but there are so many things that you could wire into, some harder than others.

[sharkey]

wire up a button to the starter wire under the dash so you need to hold the button down while the key is in the crank position. you may need a relay depending on the button.

the best variation ive seen of this was on a chevy pickup. the guy somehow wired the horn up to be the button, however while the key was in the crank position the horn wouldnt honk and it would activate the starter. as soon as you released the key, the horn would function as normal.

[PCGUY112887]

Hah that's a great idea for a starter, press the horn while turning!

Anyways do you mean that purple wire that comes from the starter? Is it purple goin through the firewall as well?

[3100 MPFI]

I know my 1989 Cutlass Supreme had a kill switch on it so that you had to press in the clutch then hold in the CRUISE CONTROL SET button to start the car. If the Cruise Control was set to OFF, then it would not work (even if you held in the SET button).

[PCGUY112887]

Sweet, I love holding weird buttons/horns/etc to start the car.

But really it does sound like a good idea. Anyone know how to easily wire something like this? It's one thing if someone breaks in, smashes glass, takes the radio or whatever.... but it's a whole different story if they take the WHOLE CAR.

[IsaacHayes]

I wouldn't use the horn as that might honk as you are letting off the key after starting the car. Would get annoying to time it right. A button under the dash or something would work. A momentary push button is all you need. I think under the dash is more secure than inside the console were if they were looting they'd see it.

[PCGUY112887]

Then that goes back to the purple wire thing... is the little wire that goes on the starter indeed what we are looking at? If so, does it just go back through the firewall staying purple or what?

It's super hard to trace wires when everything goes into a main harness which is in black tube and is all wrapped up...

[Fiero Brick]

Just don't try to secure a vehicle from professional car thieves with any sort of push button system. Joyriders might be frustrated by it, but a pro won't be fazed.

[PCGUY112887]

Joyriders is what I am trying to protect against. Over the past few months, I know of quite a few of cases where cars (owned by either people I know, or know of) were stolen in parking lots, only to be found a few days later, trashed... one of which was "bent in half" from jumping the car and landing in the middle of a hill where the chassis hit the ground way before the wheels.

Oddly enough, every single one of the cars were Pontiac's with loud exhausts. Many of them were Grand Prix's as well.

[3100 MPFI]

I don't believe in easy to get around things myself. If I did have the pushbutton hidden somewhere, then I would have something to go with it.

In my 1988 Cutlass Supreme, I am going to do the pushbutton, BUT in the ALDL connector, I am going to put in 2 readers from a 1994-1996 Grand Prix ignition switch. I am going to wire in the passkey 2 crap, then make it so you have to stick a blank key with the proper chip in the ALDL connector then press the button to start the car.

That way, if I remove the key from the ALDL connector, the car will not start.

The only way I will deviate from this is if I decide to go ahead and use a 1994 Cutlass Supreme steering column and dash pieces. If I do that, then I will just do the normal passkey 2 ignition switch and key all in one thingie with the pushbutton.

I was also thinking about trying to hack the passkey 2 box and change the resistor variable so that it would not be so easy to bypass. That is one of my back burner ideas at this time.

[geldartb]

my Z26 has a kill switch. found this out back when i replced the 4x6 kick panel speakers. went to start the car the next day , spent 2 hours trying to jump it then i found the switch slightly pissed that day.

[IsaacHayes]

Where was the switch put in at? by the kickpanels?

[geldartb]

it was on the bottom of the dash like a couple inches in from the door jamb.

it was in the spot where when you pull the kick panel out your gonna hit the switch.

it had some alarm or something in it cause when i picked it up from the place i bought it from, when i hooked to battery up it went off.

[IanSzgatti]

Hah that's a great idea for a starter, press the horn while turning!

Anyways do you mean that purple wire that comes from the starter? Is it purple goin through the firewall as well?

looks like the purple wire goes to the theft deterent relay, but also one is used off the park/nuetral switch to a 5A fuse... your probably best off to open up the column... look at the ignition switch for a yellow wire... I think that might be one for you to splice into... that way, when you turn the key, you'll then have to complete the circuit by pressing whatever thing you put in there... damn i can think of all kinds of really stupid switches you could make up....

[IsaacHayes]

You could even do something where you put a reed switch so you had to have something magnetic somewhere for it to start... Or even a 3 way thing. Key, hidden switch, and have to have say headlights turned on.... They key is to have your wires and defeats well hidden so it's not obvious if they tear the column/dash off what you did and how to bypass it.