Secret Switch?

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Don'tcha wish you could have a foolproof 480 volt system connected to the steering wheel? Arrests ain't good enough for me - I want burns and scorched hair.

I get scared when someone says something is foolproof, because in some cases, I can out-goof almost anything. There is always the tried and true shotgun in the steering column, but I'd hate to be alpha/beta testing that out.

Way back in the past when I had a car that was on the top for thefts, there were four things I did that caused it to stay put. Yes, it did get broken into and the steering column smashed a number of times, but the vehicle stayed put.

1: I forgot how I did it, but I wired up a DPDT kill switch that would allow the car to start, but as soon as the key was released, the engine would die.

2: I used a "plain old" Club steering wheel lock. The first models were so easily pickable that it was almost faster to do that than use the key. So, I never bothered locking it, but just sticking it on. To a thief, yes, it was bypass-able, but it meant they actually had a fight on their hands before driving off with their prize.

3: I added a battery shutoff switch with a removable knob which I pulled off. Yes, this could be bypassed, but it meant popping the hood, etc. This, I wouldn't do on newer cars. Newer BMWs, if they lose battery voltage will have to be hauled into the dealer to be reprogrammed so they would start again.

4: Absolutely nothing. Thieves forgot how to start cars with carbs. Without pumping the gas, waiting, pumping again, waiting, then starting... the vehicle wouldn't start, period. Too much pumping, and one has a flooded engine. These days, you just turn the key, and vehicle turns the crank the needed amount for you.