Battery cutoff switch as theft deterant?

[Doug Crooms]

I have two battery cutoff switches with big red removable handles from a track car 914 I recently bought. Is there any use for one of these on an everyday driver. What are the pro's/con's? I was thinking of using it as a "kill switch" where I'd shut it off when parked at the mall (or whatever) and take the handle with me (they have little rubber caps attached). One has a place for a missing relay the other doesn't. I will be putting my battery in the front trunk, does any one have a PIC of one of these installed in that location? Any way to mount it to the front dash? Got a better idea? TIA.

Doug C

[Scooter311]

I have one of those 9 dollar battery-post specials (green knob). Whenever I park somewhere "questionable" I pop the engine cover, whirl off the knob, slam the cover shut, and swagger away.
No power would be pretty tough, as nefarious types would have to know where the engine-cover release was, where the battery was, and HOW it was disconnected in the first place. I suppose if someone really wanted it they could pick it up or roll it away, but at least I feel a little better about leaving mah baby somewhere alone.

Oh yeah, it also helps when I'm working on the car, I can disconnect power quickly.

[iiibdsiil]

You will loose all your radio station presets too. I have seen one mounted on a 928 on the drivers side, on the left side of the seat. Maybe an idea.

[Scooter311]

"You will loose all your radio station presets too" - iiibdsiil

Yeah, what he said!
I need to run a wire to the battery, but I'm too lazy to pull apart the tunnel to do it right. So I just keep whacking buttons - bah.

[Doug Crooms]

So, you're saying that a wire with an inline fuse, could be run directly between the radio and battery (skip the cutoff switch) to avoid the presettings problem?

Doug C

[Scooter311]

Correctomundo - if you attatch it to the pos teminal, before your cutoff ass'y. Also, the current draw is very little.
If your switch is in the pass compartment, then your lead will be shorter and easier to attatch.

Let me know if you find an easier way to run the wire though - because I don't wanna pull my interior apart, I'd rather DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE!

[iiibdsiil]

Yes, with the inline fuse. I believe on the radios yellow is constant, and red is switched power. Most multimeters won't even pick up the resistence from the radio to the battery. Most radios are also fused on the back of the radio with a 10 amp fuse.

But, yeah, you should fuse it anyways, just in case.

[Dave at Pelican Parts]

Hmm, you could so something that only takes the fat cable to the starter out of the loop. That would keep power to everything else (including the ignition, so someone could push-start the car) but make it impossible to start.

--DD

[Doug Crooms]

Dave, that's exactly what I was thinking - I'm suprised nobody's done this and has a pic of the install. It would kind of be a "pre-ignition" switch/"ignition kill switch"..

Doug C