Looking for ideas / products as an anti theft / kill switch

[rweis]

I have her the way I want her and don't want some SOB to decide it's "theirs".



Looking for ideas / products that would defeat theft by all but puting her on a flatbed tow truck.



Kill starter, kill VP if they jump the starter, kill the ECM, kill the PCM, kill the databus?, garble the databus?, set every code in the book?, kill power to every relay in the junction box?, kill ground to every relay in the junction box? ????????????????????????



We work hard to beat the onboard computers, maybe something like dis-ableing them. Ungrounding them?



Anything commercial to do this?



What do y'all use?



Bob Weis

 

[Sticks]

Solenoid on a fuel valve wired to a mystery switch...



Mystery switch & relay to the starter...



Mystery switch & relay to the fuel pump (LP or VP44)...



Mystery switch & relay to the main fuse in the PDC



Key switch to any of the above...



A sign or a plaque mounted to the center of the steering wheel that reads;

If you value your life as much as I value this truck... DON"T F@%K WITH IT

 

[Loren]

Bob,



My idea isn't fancy nor sophisticated, but it will probably work. I hope I never have to learn for sure.



When I installed my booster fuel pump in the fuel line near the tank I installed a ball valve. I drilled a hole in the lever for the valve and attached a push-pull cable from a lawn mower shop. The cable is a like one used for throttle control on a mower.



The knob for the cable is mounted to the forward nerf bar mount, just under the cab. It's not visible to any casual observer.



Pulling the knob out closes the fuel valve and disables the truck. It won't even get out of a parking lot with the residual fuel. Starting the truck after trying to run with the valve closed is just like starting it after a fuel filter change. (Don't ask how I know. )



It's not a perfect solution, but it will probably get the job done. A thief will not want to sit and try to find the problem and start the truck while stuck in the middle of a parking lot or street.



Loren

 

[rfcom]

Pass tag system

I installed a pass-tag system from Pacific Insight . Basically, you need to wave a small tag in front of a sensor which controls a relay module wired into the ignition circuit. Both the module and sensor are behind the dash. Without the tag, the truck won't start, even if you have the key. It's self-arming and can be disabled for valet mode.



Jim

 

[merryman]

I wanted something I did not have to remember to do, so I went with the hidden switch in the starter relay wire. I use a push button mounted on the left hand skirt of the drivers seat---looks like part of the power seat controls. If you don't hold that button down, it won't crank.

Sure a determined, and mechanically minded thief would sort it out, but I think that they will just go on to an easier truck. I wired in another togle switch (hidden under the hood) so that if I need to leave the truck for service, I can by pass the kill switch.



Vaughn

 

[CRSmith]

When I lived in NJ I used to pull out the fuel pump relay in the power center on the driver side under the hood between the battery and the firewall.

 

[WadePatton]

Mystery clutch switch might be what I try. And make it a momentary "on" switch so that I don't leave it "on". A real crook might figger it out, but not many.



There are remnants of some security device left from the original owner in the truck, but it's too simple to rig your own stuff. Besides, who even looks over their shoulder when "car alarm" sounds?

 

[jponder]

My emerg brake releas broke yesterday and I thought I ought to put a spring on it where it feels like its working and that would slow them down a little



Cant get the brake off! Mean while that lod cummins is purring, maybe that would get spooked

 

[wsmalley]

Speaking of car alarms, an idea someone had done to their car that I found appealing was to ADD an alarm siren INSIDE the cab. Think about it, would you want to sit in a cab with 120db screaming 3 feet from your ears??



Will

 

[jponder]

Originally posted by wsmalley

Speaking of car alarms, an idea someone had done to their car that I found appealing was to ADD an alarm siren INSIDE the cab. Think about it, would you want to sit in a cab with 120db screaming 3 feet from your ears??



Will

Yes, if you just had one speaker it would do more good inside the car than outside

 

[rweis]

Well, so far I'm thinking of a magnetic reed switch to close a power latching relay under the hood for something REALLY important like the VP electronic module.



Magnetic switch because it can be put behind the knee panel or somewhere in dash panel invisibly, has extremely large cycle before failure life, most people don't carry a magnet around, and you would have to know where to put it for it to work anyway. You could put it in place for service department work and they would not have a clue.



Thanks for all the input,



Bob Weis

 

[Withers]

If you plan on a alarm read this post first, I ran into this problem last year after five years problem free www.dodgeram.org/tech/repair/elect/alarm_trbl.html . My truck was in the transmission shop 2 or 3 times trying to trace the problem, then to the dealer, and had them stumped for a day as well as Dodge engineers, then the mechanic pulled the plug on the alarm and I had o/d again. Went from the dealer to the stereo shop and had that alarm removed and a different brand installed and no problems yet, ended up costing about $500. 00 to unplug the alarm, two days later I came across that web site.

 

[rweis]

That's good to know!



Bob Weis

 

[Withers]

If your installer knows what he's doing, you can get him to put some kind of relay in, so that you have to turn your head lights on twice and push your lighter on as a example, or maybe your dome light has to be on to start the truck. I have a buddy that's a installer and he has a early ford, pre powerstroke year around a 1990?, even if you have the key and the alarm is not on, it won't start unless you go through some kind of procedure with lights or wipers , I'm not sure what his procedure is but it works.