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Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:44 pm

I have been looking into ways on how to make my baja a little less stealable. I figure since i am at a stage where i can do it now i might as well. I want to make it so i have to put the key in and a switch has to be in the on position for the car to start. If the switch is in the on position then turning the key normally will start the car, if the switch is off nothing will happen. Anyone know how i ca wire this up. I was hoping to put the switch under the drivers seat mounts that my dad and i made. Anyhelp would be great, like wire gauge, other options, fuses, type of switch to be used etc, thanks.

Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:53 pm

The key puts 12v on the coil . If you put a switch in the middle of that wire(keep in mind it will be hot, it something could bump it under the seat) it would not start, but would turn over. I don't remember off the top of my head, but I know it isn't a big gauge wire.

Wed Mar 12, 2008 12:54 pm

That would work, and is really easy to do. I have used 14 gauge wire and have ran the hot wire to the ignition through the switch. If you have an electric fuel pump you could put a kill switch on that as well, you can use one of those battery kill key things-alot of options. An alarm system also so when you hear it go off you can go get the shotgun

Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:07 pm

http://www.amazon.com/Motorcycle-Disc-Brake-Lock-Pouch/dp/B000IDY2AS

Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:20 pm

Not really worth the time. 2 wires under the back seat and presto it will start. steering lock is the best. Line lock for brake is easy to bypass. cut brake line and ust e brake to stop. takes 10 seconds to bypass. Locking the steering to the side , but it can be bypassed too just takes longer. Best thing is a pager alarm. if it goes off it pages you. Back that up with lo jack.

Wed Mar 12, 2008 1:45 pm

Ive seen the battery switch thing with a key but i don't really want anyone to know that this thing is in my car, i would be walking around with that huge red key for the battery switch that was mentioned. What size switch do i need. I found the ignition wire this morning as it goes into the fuse box, at least i am pretty sure it was the wire because i pulled the wire off and the car wouldn't start put it back on and the car started.
So i would route the wire i found to a switch, then coming off the other pole on the switch i would take the wire back to the fuse box. is this correct? i hope i explained it well enough, i want to keep it as simple as possible.

cr250250r - if i put the switch under the seat and something hit it would the engine cut out and stop. Also when you say the engine would turn over but not start your just saying it would sound the engine wants to start but won't. is that right?

thanks everybody

Wed Mar 12, 2008 2:40 pm

i would put a button start on it so the key would have to be on but to start it you would have to push a button if you have carpet you could put it under it where you could step on it to start the car but not see the button thats probly what im going to do

Wed Mar 12, 2008 2:50 pm

I would get one of the high amperage "Battery Disconnect" switches and put in location where it is not obvious (they make ones that do not require a key) .... You could get a splined steering wheel release, but then you have to carry wheel around.... How about a large chain through steering wheel to a eye bolt through floor and a padlock... IF the can't steer it , its going to be tough to take....

Dale

Wed Mar 12, 2008 3:34 pm

I park my Cherokee behind it, in the driveway. If they want the easy baja....going to have to figure out how to steal a Cherokee as well!

:lol:

Wed Mar 12, 2008 4:44 pm

Thanks for all the ideas, i really like the push button that will still require the key. can anyone explain to me how to wire the in so that you still need the key to start the car. I don't want to be able to start the car with just pushing the button, that would be the opposite of what i am trying to do, thanks for the help. also, do i need a certian switch to handle the power going through the switch?

Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:25 pm

there are 2 ways you can do it one so that you have to turn the key on then push to button to start it and one where you turn the key on all the way like your going to start it then while holding it on push the button

to wire it where you just turn the key on then push find the wire going to the starter silinoid (theres two wires on the starter its the small one ) trace it to the inside of the car cut it hook it to one end of the push button the take another wire connect one end to the switch and one straight to the battery it does not need a fuse it never had one to begin with wiring it like this will let you turn the engine over forever but it will never start with out the key on

the other way to wire it so that you have to hold the key in the start position and push the button.
you find the wire inside the car cut it put the switch in between the cut wire and hook one to one side and the other to the other

you might have to switch the sides of the wires on the switch because one way will be on until you push the button and one will be off till you push the button

Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:37 pm

I use a quick disconnect steering wheel mount. Just take the wheel with you when you leave the car in public. 8)

Wed Mar 12, 2008 5:40 pm

Skidmark wrote: I use a quick disconnect steering wheel mount. Just take the wheel with you when you leave the car in public. 8)

X2. tough to steel when you can't steer. Just another thought, and I know that this is after the fact but whatever you decide to do for switch wiring and whatnot, i'd keep that stuff to yourself and not make it public to the world. :D

Wed Mar 12, 2008 6:10 pm

Hi all,
Back in my younger days I used to repo cars. Most of the time we had numbers to make keys, but sometimes you had to get ghetto, and steal them.This is how I did it.

1) Those "Club" devices, and the like, or chaining the steering wheel ( like was suggested). I used a can of refrigerant like Freon (is that how you spell it?), and then hit the thing with a BFH, and it would shatter. If I was in a bad area, or needed to make a quick get away then I would just Hack saw through the steering wheel and tear the device (or chain) out then be on my way.

2) Alarms, or Lo Jack tracking devices. A cattle prod to the frame shorts them out. Its delicate to do, but always worked. Even Repoing a car Lo Jack gets tracked. You have paperwork if you get pulled over, but I Never Got pulled over with a Lo Jack, and I always asked the Cop if I did get pulled over if he tracked me with a LoJack That was never the case. We knew if they had them from the dealer, and the Cops always tried to get a fix even if we were pulled over to try to get a signal in my experiance they Never did.

3) Pulling the Dist wire. I used to keep a couple of wires from Ford, Chevy, VW, Porche, Mercedes etc. You could always get one to work. As for the kill switches they were always within the drivers reach so a jump wire, and you were off. They had those electric keys that were under the dash for a while, but you would just cut them out, and jump the circuit then be gone.

4) Steering wheels that come off. Two words. . ."VICE GRIPS". . .Just clamp to the exposed end of the column, and drive off. They used to make a pop off wheel that had a locking cover, but Freon, and the BFH did the trick on those too.

To be honest there is no real way to stop your car, truck, motorcycle, boat, or even airplane from getting stolen. They do Have GPS tracking chips now that run on thier own lithium batery, and Lo Jack is doing this now too, but those are serious coin with no guarentees yet. I heard that there are GPS scramblers for the ON STAR systems now that help thiefs get away with the Chevy/Cadillac cars trucks.
The best way to protect yourself or your car is to make sure that you save all your reciepts, and take pictures of all the items in your car. Take them to your insurance co, and have them go over the items take thier own pictures, and make a file for you. If your Insurance Co does not do it. Find another one. Then always have your deductable sitting in an account not touched. I had a Full sized Fully Pre Ran F-150 stolen out of my Driveway. They stole all the electronics, guages, speakers, I-pod Dock, CD player, and shuttle, Shocks, tires, rims, and then the fiberglass. Theay also blessed the Truck by spraying WD-40 in the interior, and all over the outside to disolve fingerprints. My insurance Co paid for everything less my Deductable, and depreciation of the items stolen. $450.00 out of pocket for well over $3500.00 of items stolen. Best of luck what ever you decide.

Wed Mar 12, 2008 6:14 pm

that's all good info, but I can barely steer my car with the wheel on, much less with a pair of Vice grips :lol: :shock:

Wed Mar 12, 2008 6:31 pm

Dont forget about the pickup truck with the tow hook device in the bed. They just back up, lift the car and drive off and they will strap the wheels down in a safer location away from anyone that can be threat. One of the guys my dad works with had a porsche and he did the pickup truck blocking it in the drive way trick. Well the thiefs still stole the rims and seats all without setting the alarm off. And after the insurence paid to fix the car they then used a tow truck to move the truck blocking the porsche and still stole the dam car and took no more than tweenty seconds from the time the truck got pulled out of the driveway to the time the car was driving away.

Wed Mar 12, 2008 6:31 pm

I know a big freaking solid bar of steel that mounts near the pedals and then goes up to the head rest and locks into the roll bar. The bar is locked in place with a hardened lock used at storage places. the other end hooks behind the pedals to keep them from going forward. another bar hits the steering wheel from under , like a hook. That will work great. insurance is just better. Get a policy that covers replacement value.

Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:30 pm

I know that i cant make my car completely steal proof but i would like to make it a little harder to steal

I think i am going to go with the push button, i want to go with the first method where the key has to be on and then you push the button. However i don't understand it completely. I understand finding the small wire coming off the starter cutting it and putting the switch there, but where does the other side of the wire go that was cut. Do i just hook a wire straight from the switch back to the positive side on the battery? why would i still need the key and not just have to push the button to start the engine? thanks everybody

Wed Mar 12, 2008 7:35 pm

Ever thought about a reverse locking shifter box? I saw one here in florida for sale, you put the shifter in reverse and lock it so it cant move..

Wed Mar 12, 2008 8:46 pm

i would recommend you do it the second way the key has to be on then to but you turn the key all the way like when your starting it and push the button at the same time i recommend doing it that way because the other way you can have the key of push the button and the engine will still turn over but not start this way the key has to be on and pushed like starting a car normally
the reason you have to have the key on is to send power to the coil so the engine will fire
in the wiring of the first one the second wire goes to the battery in the wiring of the second the button will be in line with the orignal wire like a in line fuse i would go with the second one its better and a better theft deterant