2nd Gen Non-Engine/Transmission $3.00 switch saved my Truck

[PatrickCampbell]

Towguy - Sorry to hear about your truck. I am leaving AZ in 26 days and paranoid that it will get stolen in that time. My 4x4 was stolen last year... on my first day of work, a week after I moved here (the first week it was locked behind a gate ina residential community). On my new truck, I have installed a physical fuel cut off, so hopefully ifit happens, some ******* will be all WOO YES I GOT IT, and then get about 300 feet down the parking lot and run out of fuel. I also use a club. I get made fun of but whatever. I intend on adding a switch to the neutral safety switch as well just haven't had time. When my truck got stolen they took a few thousand in mods (Edge EZ, MagHytec trans pan, full gauges, CB, stereo equipment, Timbrens, brake controller, stainless steel exhaust, 1 day old 2005 17" bushed alum wheels), PLUS a bed toolbox full of tools, prescription eyeglasses, digital camera, bunch of personal paperwork. Every once in a while I'll look fora tool and then remember OH, that one was in my truck. Had taken the truck 90K miles in 9 months and practically lived in it so it had some memories. I did one of the longest drives in Northern America, from Alaska to Florida (over 5000 miles 1 way!).



BillyGee - I agree, today that is illegal in I'm pretty sure every state of the union.



Overall, a truck is still a truck.



If I had the choice of having my girlfriend confront these kinds of people in person or chance my truck getting stolen again, let them take my truck.

 

[Joe G.]

I also use a club.

A club can be defeated in about 10 seconds.

 

[PatrickCampbell]

It can, but that's another 10 seconds that they have to spend... It's not 1 single thing that'll stop them...



Either way, nothing is going to stop them from towing my truck away.

 

[Joe G.]

True, they can tow your truck or load it on a flat bed. Most car thieves don't have those things. The basic idea is to have something that delays the thief long enough so that he will move on to easier fare or requires tools or parts he does not have to defeat. A San Diego cop told me about how to defeat a club. According to him the joy riding kids just laugh at them. I use two switches so, hopefully, figuring out how to get it started and keeping it running will be too much of a PITA for them. Removing relays sounds like a good approach for long term parking. I'm going to do that from now on.

 

[TimBrunett]

Towguy

Good luck with the hip. I had one replaced a year ago and I'm doing fine. Do your therapy in the months to come and you'll do fine too. My Dr. explained that Stainless and titanium do not feel pain so I went for it. Good decision.
I'd like to put those switches in my truck too How did you wire it?

Best wishes

Tim Brunett

 

[Joe G.]

I'd like to put those switches in my truck too How did you wire it?

It's pretty easy. Find a couple of things that have to happen for the truck to start and run. Like the starter and the fuel system. Rig a couple of switches to disable them. Hide the switches. It's best if you have the service manual so you can find the wires and select just what you want the switches to do. Remember to solder all connections. You don't want your theft delay stuff to make you walk.

 

[PatrickCampbell]

What is the way to defeat the club - cutting the wheel or picking the lock?



I also remove the fuel relay when necessary.



There is a company that makes a fuel relay that looks stock (even says Bosch on it) but needs a transmitter to be present (you put it on your keychain) to start. Costs $150 or so, so I'd rather just wire up a few $3 switches myself.



Where I am from (NJ), the thought of my vehicle being stolen never ever crossed my mind. Ah well.

 

[Joe G.]

Cut the wheel right next to the club. Then just yank it out. I had the stereo stolen out of a van in '89 when I was working a job in San Diego. The cop who responded said that he was surprised that the van wasn't stolen and abandoned in LA after hauling a bunch of illegals. Then he told me about the club being so easy to defeat. He said that most car thieves have a little tool kit with a hack saw, big screw driver, hammer, pliers to strip wires and some jumper wires. They can pop the ignition, remove the club, hot wire it, and be on their way in less than a minute. I rigged the van with a ignition killer switch as soon as I could after that. In that one I interrupted the ground wire to the ignition instead of the hot wire. Anyplace close to the Mexican border has a real problem with car and truck theft.

 

[JoeyJ]

my 2 cents worth... after having two trucks, two trailers and about 300k worth of custom motorcycles stolen in new orleans last year (WE recovered our own trucks/trailers no help from NOPD) i have been doing a lot of research.

CCW ? ok maybe but use snake shot first 2 or 3 rounds if that doesn't get your point across finish the job. this is also a safety feature should someone/child get their hands on your handgun.

Switches are a great option, so is a paging alarm, they don't know that you know and you can choose weather or not to confront.

There's also an interesting device in the motorcycle world... a sensor mounted in the seat that reads a card in your wallet. . no card... no crank. . this could be mounted anywhere, just place the card near the receiver and crank away.

And if thats not enough there's some finger print systems in the works, as well. These are better suited for one operator vehicles, like custom bikes than a multi driver vehicle.

Personally I like the switches/pager alarm as I would have loved to "interrupt" our thieves.

Maybe a switch wired into the clutch sensor?

 

[scotmartin]

We used to have an Olds with a neat little alarm. It was a little kit that came from JCWhithney serveral years ago. It had an LED and a couple of relays. It was installed so that you had to push in the cigarette lighter to get the car to crank, if you forgot, the horn would energize as you tried to crank and the starter was dead.



Scot

 

[rbattelle]

I use the relay pulling technique, but never considered pulling a few of them at a time. Great suggestion... thanks guys!



-Ryan

 

[rono]

Being an Auto, there is a plug down on the side of the trans. on the drivers side, east to get to, that provides a ground to the starter IF the shift lever is in 'park' or 'neutral'. Interrupt this wire with a hidden switch and 'no start'.

Ron

 

[JCastilleja]

Glad to hear everything worked out! One more reason to encourage CCW also...





-Will

Guys, I think you are advocating CCW for the wrong reasons. The puprose of carrying a weapon is to preserve life, your own or others. Not protect property, that's replaceable. Better to be a good witness than to point a gun at someone and not be mentally prepared to kill. That will end up hurting you and possibly others. I don't mean to flame, appologies if taken that way. Please carry responsibly or not at all.

 

[justinp20012500]

In the 1994-2002 that little hole they made will get them in your truck faster then you can put a key in and open it.



I had the same hole in mine about 3 months ago. Nothing was gone out of it, but its still a hole that had to be fixed $400 dollars later!!!





Justin

 

[Will24]

No offense taken, I was mentioning it more for his wife's safety than for the truck, suppose the criminal pointed a gun at her instead of ignoring her?



-Will

 

[Casey Ray]

Check out this --->Mobil Immobilizer<--- as a type of vehical theft prevention. I know a guy who has been using one for sometime now.



"Joe" said it was an easy install. Says it works really well.



Take care,



Casey

 

[Scot]

I like the idea of a multi position rotory switch as opposed to the toggle switch. That gives them an additional combo to find after they find the switch or switches.

 

[Canadian Cummins]

Being an Auto, there is a plug down on the side of the trans. on the drivers side, east to get to, that provides a ground to the starter IF the shift lever is in 'park' or 'neutral'. Interrupt this wire with a hidden switch and 'no start'.

Ron

I have the dodge manual and the wiring diagram show the same location at where the clutch pedal switch is, on the auto there is a jumper in this connector, for both manual & auto's just splice in your switch to this circuit.

CC

 

[Moose]

One of my friends has a very... . interesting... theft deterent system on his 94 suburban... . He wired a switch. . relay. . and a few other components into the ignition coil circuit then ran a "hot" wire into the cab and up through the bottom of the seat... Not sure exactly how he has it run because he moved shortly after telling me about it... . Anyway... If someone tries to start his suburban without flipping the very hard to find switch. . all the voltage that the ignition coil puts out goes through the hot wire and into the bottom of the seat... . Nothing like 60,000 volts to the crotch to make someone reconsider what they r trying to do... . I found out the hard way when he asked me to start it one day while we were trying to find an oil leak... ... . As far as theft deterent on my truck... I have a magnetic switch that is hooked into the power wire to the ignition switch and hidden behind one of the interior panels... A magnet must be placed in exactly the right spot for the switch to close and allow u to start the truck... Also have a switch on the clutch pedal switch...



Moose

 

[TDoumit]

this may intrest some.

many of us with fuel injected jeeps have been doing this:

http://home.att.net/~email.id/ADESystem.doc as a theft deterrant. it is inexpensive and simple to do. i think it would be easily adapted to almost any rig and it is difficult to detect. once installed there really nothing to see that would say "theft deterrant" on or under the dash. i hope some will try this as we are very happy with our installs.



being extremely new to CTD's, i really dont know how to or where to cut into the harness. perhaps you guys can figure it out and use it to protect your rigs.



EDIT: i guess i should have read the whole thread through. what i suggested is similar to what moose did. but, take a look anyways. its worth a read.