Date:         Sat, 26 Jun 2004 08:46:00 -0700
Reply-To:     Paul Guzyk <paullist@GUZYK.COM>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Paul Guzyk <paullist@GUZYK.COM>
Subject:      (and other nuggets...)  kill switch $1.49 theft prevention
In-Reply-To:  <001601c45b82$4a8d0b10$6401a8c0@DaDell>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1"

I accidentally discovered a simple way to wire up a kill switch while
installing an aftermarket tach in my '72 bus.  I assume this will work on
Vanagons too.

Add a wire to the negative, low voltage side of the coil.  Connect it to a
simple switch.  Connect the other end of the switch to ground.

When the switch is open, everything is normal.  When the switch is closed,
the engine will start or not run.

I ran a single wire from the negative coil to a secret spot under my rear
seat, installed the switch in that location and connected to ground. I use
my switch mainly as a vehicle disabler since I don't have an alarm.  I also
use the switch to prevent the engine from firing as I crank the engine after
oil changes.

This approach requires no relays, no messing with "hot" voltage, no
disrupting the current wiring harness, no chances of making a short circuit
and blowing fuses etc.






-----Original Message-----
From: Vanagon Mailing List [mailto:vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com]On Behalf
Of Mike Collum
Sent: Saturday, June 26, 2004 6:34 AM
To: vanagon@GERRY.VANAGON.COM
Subject: Re: Oil Filter Worries (and other nuggets...)


If you have a failure of the electrical part of the ignition switch .... it
can be such that the engine will crank but receive no spark.  It would seem
easy to just put a switch in the appropriate wire exiting the ignition
switch.

Mike


> You would have a much easier time of "shutting off" the coil if you placed
your permanent kill switch in the 12V lead that supplies power to the coil,
rather than the high voltage lead to the distributor. Most of the reason
that the high-tension lead to the distributor is the one that usually gets
pulled is that it is easy to do, for a temporary fix. If you want to go
permanent, stay away from the high-tension lead! The problems with switching
off the coil may be more trouble than they are worth, though, because of
some of the other devices that receive their power from the coil. Look at
the bundle of wires attached to the "+" side of your coil sometime! It can
still work, if you put the group connection away from the coil, and run a
single lead to the switch, then to the coil.  Slightly more complicated, but
easily doable. Again, it comes down to how much trouble you want to go to.
>
>
>
> Evan Mac Donald
>
> 1984 Wolfburg
> 1985 GL 7 Pass.
> 1991 Carat Weekender