Discrete ignition kill switch

Faceplant · 05-27-2008, 10:27 AM

Hello everyone. I am at my wits end(it shure did not take long to get there). The 15 year old (sophomoric) boy has 2 things:friends with their drivers licenses and a Jeep that runs, for the time being.

In order to keep myself and his mother out of court from the probable accident that will happen, from his stupidity. I need to put in some kind of kill switch to keep them from being able to start the jeep.

I know that it is very underhanded but I don't want to lose my housefrom his idiocy.

HackFabrication · 05-27-2008, 10:41 AM

Ever thought about hiding the ignition key? Much easier than wiring a switch into you CJ that your teenager and his buddies will eventually find.

Disclaimer: I raised two teenagers.

They are not know for their abilities to act rationally, when they only see things from one perspective. Usually some sort of instant gratification. Which doesn't include possible ramifications for their bad judgment.

Jdgeroy · 05-27-2008, 10:46 AM

If he is not very mechanically inclined, just pop the coil wire off on the distributor cap, dummy slide it back on (don't seat it). If he doesn't know mechanics, it will take some time for him to figure it out (used to do this to my friends as a joke).

**jeepwhore** · 05-27-2008, 11:48 AM

Wiring on an old jeep is sketchy at best depending on the number of previous owners. All you need, is 4 cinder blocks, a jack all and a tire iron. And as a safety, chain it to a large tree before taking the wheels off so that even if he manages to put new ones on, he'll have to pull the tree out of the ground to get anywhere. It worked great for one of my buddies dads when I was in high school!

Mesa4x4 · 05-27-2008, 11:50 AM

pull the rotor out of the distrubutor...

kink the fuel line...

you can easily disconnect the harness for the ignition modual too. it would still crank but never start...

you could put in a toggle switch under the battery box for the I wire going to the coil from the starter selonoid also...

Dubl0Vert · 05-27-2008, 12:05 PM

I picked up a harbor freight kill switch with a key that I am mounting in the back of my glove box, for a little theft protection.......cj ignitons arent' the most secure thing I've ever had!

**JeepHammer** · 05-27-2008, 01:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Faceplant

Hello everyone. I am at my wits end(it shure did not take long to get there). The 15 year old (sophomoric) boy has 2 things:friends with their drivers licenses and a Jeep that runs, for the time being.

In order to keep myself and his mother out of court from the probable accident that will happen, from his stupidity. I need to put in some kind of kill switch to keep them from being able to start the jeep.

I know that it is very underhanded but I don't want to lose my housefrom his idiocy.

First, I wouldn't have a teenager driving with out at LEAST a million in liability insurance on top of the regular auto insurance I already had...

Second, if the jeep is 'Stolen' As in you did NOT give permission to take said jeep, then you will need that Million for the lawyers since 'NO' and 'Stolen' doesn't mean 'NO' to kids anymore...

Three, Make it VERY CLEAR to 'Junior' that if ANY vehicle of yours gets 'Stolen' you WILL put his little butt in jail without blinking an eye... Mostly to save the house for the rest of the family...
Make sure he understands that him doing time *Might* keep the wolves off the front porch, so it's a case of him or the family...
-------------------------

Personally, I'd stress the sleeping with men in prison angle.
That usually gets the largest reaction.
Also stress 'Sacrifice'.
You WILL Sacrifice a cancerous organ to save your life,
You WILL Sacrifice your life to save your family,
You WILL Sacrifice one child to save the rest of the family...

If that doesn't work, send him off to military school.
Nothing like a military school to teach kids a sense of right and wrong, and teach them there are ramifications to EVERY action!
And, you many have to sacrifice a little to send him to military school, but that is a 'Known' cost, not like loosing your home and everything else you have or ever will have...
-----------------------------------

Depends on what you call 'Discreet'...
You can install a key lock switch on the dash (the kind used to turn alarm systems on/off with),
You can install a touch pad on the dash so a code has to be entered,
You can install a simple pushbutton that is discreetly hidden, but 'Family' usually ALWAYS knows where that kind of a switch is...

You can remove the coil wire and replace with a piece of vacuum line with a couple of plug wire boots so the thing just won't start,
Hood lock and a fake coil wire work great together.

You can pop off the coil connector, or unplug the distributor connector pretty easily...

If you had an MSD module, all you need to do is ground the 'White Wire' and the module won't function.
Makes a great anti-thieft device.

Your best bet is to weld a chain to the floor, and wrap it around the steering wheel and use a big honking padlock.
Kids don't know that a hack saw and 10 seconds will get you through the steering wheel...

Military Hummers use a steel cable that retracts into the dash to lock down the steering wheel...
-----------------------

Hiding the kill switch used to be a fine art!
If the guys know you have one, then they WILL look for it.

I had a camaro that guys tried to steal 3 times and never got away with...
The kill switch was hidden under a console bolt, you simply used the key to 'Click' the switch when you wanted to start it up.

Another time I put the switch in the back of the cigarette lighter socket and put the lighter (shorter one than my vehicle was supposed to use) on top of it.
Another guy I know used the 'Trip Reset' knob to switch his ignition/fuel pump kill circuit.

Get creative...
A small switch mounted under the wiper motor cover wouldn't be very noticeable...

Jeepers always have a bunch of switches on the dash, or mounted just below the dash...
A series of switches that have to be in a specific order will normally outsmart the average car thief...
Hidden in plain sight!

4d9r · 05-27-2008, 01:27 PM

If you can't trust him to not drive it when you tell him not to...maybe he shouldn't have a vehicle. A switch isn't going to stop him for long, one of his friends, if not your son, will figure it out.

**JeepHammer** · 05-27-2008, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 4d9r

If you can't trust him to not drive it when you tell him not to...maybe he shouldn't have a vehicle. A switch isn't going to stop him for long, one of his friends, if not your son, will figure it out.

I'm not so sure about that...
Criminally inclined kids are not too bright.
Clearly, there has already been 'Issues' or this guy wouldn't be thinking along these lines...

*IF* There HAS been 'Issues' in the past,
I say, sell the jeep and any other toys, use the money constructively,
And stick the kid's butt in military school!
Get him lined out now before you get to visit him in prison!

If this actually is 'Looking Forward',
Then use physical barriers, chain down the steering wheel or something else drastic.... AND visual!
These little game playing snots today don't get anything but brute force, so show strength right away, and never, EVER back down!

bigjoe · 05-27-2008, 03:58 PM

Dig a shallow hole in the yard and leave the shovel next to it. Then tell him and his friends it's a "grave" for when they screw up.
Honestly, like Jeephammer said he needs to understand his actions have ramifications. If his friends give him crap then as my father would say, "their just a couple of dickh###s." Get yourself a knoxbox or a good key safe and put all the keys in it. DO NOT GIVE CODE OR KEY TO ANYONE! Start there and see what happens. If he can't fly straight time for some hard love.

**jatepper** · 05-27-2008, 04:20 PM

My CJ has an ash tray just above the fuel and temp gauges and my ignition kills switch is under the pull out part of the ash tray. Got the Jeep this way.

Just one quick note, if you do install a switch, make sure you do not kill the switch before you get to your destination because you are afraid of people watching you flip the switch when you park. If you ever stall, it my be very bad news if you cannot quickly start the Jeep.

DizzyCJ · 05-27-2008, 07:30 PM

I've got a kill switch wired up on my CJ5. It's a simple toggle switch that breaks the ignition wire. The switch is actually under the seat, kind of up inside of it a bit.

Fatman · 05-27-2008, 09:10 PM

I have a switch for ignition shut off
switch for fuel pump shut off
and a battery shut off switch as well as a removable steering wheel

Jeep's not going anywhere without a tow truck

DizzyCJ · 05-27-2008, 09:45 PM

Before I actually bought my Jeep I was poking around and ran across a page with a bunch of Jeep mods. One was for putting LED lights into the back of a CJ into the fiberglass body. I want to dig that one up again as I want to do that to mine.

Another one I found interesting involved building a kill switch, but instead of using a toggle switch, it's a magnetic switch with a keyfob.

JeepnBlake · 05-27-2008, 10:20 PM

being a teenage i can personally tell you hiding a switch wont work... Jeeps are too easy to hot wire the way it is (ask me about it i've done it more than once when i lost my keys!!) the best way to go is chain it to itself

i.e. run a chain from 1 wheel through another and lock it up, and if that doesn't work get a removable steering wheel.

My dad locked my motorcycle wheels together, and said if i cut the lock he would sell it. i got the message at that point

hell even a steering wheel lock would work great that's even easier than a lock and chain.