80 Series Kill Switch

[Dave2000]

Agree on the points regarding "professional" scumbags, but for the chancers and Twokkers, a fuel cut off is an easy solution (much like pulling the fuse, but a bit easier). There are lots of switches on an 80 dash, putting any extra spotlight or duplicate heated rear window switch "hides" it in plain sight.

But would you remember to disable it Steve?

Regards

Dave

 

[whereisgibson]

I'd think that parking in gear somewhat prevents a tow away if a manual trans, given the 4x4? The handbrake alone would lock just the rears and that's a cable snip from being defeated? So someone would need to drag the car / lift it away which as you suggest is the ultimate method but pretty cumbersome on a driveway.

 

[SteveJB]

Was looking for a new cable and mount for the Thomas Thomas electrical mapping device unit and came across this (no fluids involved)
Sino Track GPS tracker ST 907 mini GPS tracker with real time location engine cut out device for car bike and truck 25 quids plus free delivery
The thing looks like an automotive relay worth a look see for someone

 

[essexpete]

One of my customers had his LR 90 rolled of his driveway. Thieves got in very easily but a simple hidden switch to the fuel solenoid made them abandon their quest. Time may have allowed them to start it but they obviously thought better of hanging around.

 

[Mblinko]

If someone can 'do' your ignition with a slide hammer your car is gone. If they know what they are doing (and most do) they will come with a piece of wires with a large crocodile clip on one and and a small one on the other, large clip on the battery positive and the small clip on the diesel pump cut off, your car is gone!

Petrol cars are harder to steal unless the thief has plenty of time, ECU wiring, petrol pump wiring and so forth.

So here is the way to go assuming the thief does not have a breakdown truck with a pair of 'specs'!

I am assuming a level of competence with vehicle electrics, and the cost will be around perhaps £5.00?

Remove the middle row of seats.
Lift the carpet and access the fuel tank pickup and piping.
Insert into the supply line a 12v fuel cut off solenoid.
Spend time hiding the positive wire under carpets, under the centre console, wrapped with other wires, whatever makes it 'disappear' it has to reach somewhere in the drivers area.
Get a small relay (with EMF suppression diode or fit one) that can operate the fuel cut off solenoid and can carry the load.
Wire the relay so it becomes a 'latch'.
Now to activate the relay you want a small magnetic reed switch with NO contacts.
Glue the reed switch somewhere behind the dash, under the plastic of the centre console, behind the drivers door card....in other words anywhere it cannot be seen but will be activated by a magnet.
The feed for the 'latch' comes from the ignition.
Obviously fuse all positive leads.

Operation is as follows:

Switch on the ignition, run the magnet over the area where the reed switch is and the reed activates the relay, because the ignition is on the relay stays engaged and the fuel solenoid is open, start the car and drive off. The moment you switch off the ignition the relay opens and the fuel is shut off. Assuming you do not leave your engine running when you leave the car you CANNOT forget to activate the fuel cut off. You can leave the magnet in the ashtray, coin slot or any where you like, when the relay is at rest you can have the contacts of the relay flash an LED indicating it is not an OE alarm which most thieves know how to get around anyway.

Apart from hiding any form of cut off switch within the drivers area, the 'run your hand' around under the dashboard etc, petrol cars with the cut out tend to fire and run just a second or so before cutting out, diesels will run for as long as they can get some diesel normally around a minute or so. If you really want to piss the thief off put the relay on a timer, the car runs for 'X' time, that is he (or she) will drive the car for 'X' time and then it cuts out, the car will be abandoned somewhere inconvenient, they will not open the bonnet at the traffic lights and try to work out why the car they just stole has broken down. I used to make these up for my friends cars years ago, and additions are possible for example when the timer cuts out and the alarm goes off.

Just so you can get to the depth of my thinking, when I was around 13 which by then I had owned a number of cars and used to take my friends to school.....yeh East End boy, I converted an 8 track (remember them) to become an ignition cut out. There was a small metal panel in the dashboard with sixteen small red lights, with the ignition on you had to squeeze an area of the drivers sun visor where there was a pressure switch, this would force the 8 track relay go through the sequence and make the red lights change position, only when there were four in a line would the car start.

Was this sad? Of course it was looking at it nowadays but, I have never had a car stolen and I have had a few!

Regards

Dave

Dave, you should sell a kit along with these instructions, I'd buy one

 

[Declan]

I’d definitely buy one or more kits as well

 

[Grimbo]

^^^^^^^
Advice from both a professional vehicle thief (ex) and a Policeman who's job it is to prevent such crime..... both said the same thing " all you have to do is make your item more difficult to nick than the one down the road"
If you live in a town or city you stand some chance ...... . live like we do very rurally and the chances of them being disturbed or caught are vanishingly small with the nearest police often an hour away and 3 cars covering the whole of the county at night .....

 

[Dave2000]

I thank you guys for your sentiments but Spain is not a country of hobbyists. That is the mechanics (not me) would call out a plumber to fix a ball valve on their toilet! So hobbyists shops here are as rare as hens teeth! Our nearest equivalent to B & Q (Leroy Merlin) is over an hours drive away. And stuff like relays and fuel cut offs are really expensive here, by the time I have posted it to the UK it would make the kit expensive, I would be happy do it for the distraction rather than make a buck or two! So instead I will make up a wiring diagram with a parts list for people to make up their own one. The simple wiring diagram I reckon I can cope with given a few days or so, I am presently on strict rest at my carer's apartment (her idea), she is my ex girlfriend (no.... strict rest honestly) for a few days because boredom was taking hold, I could not sit still and started doing stuff on the 80, I had been getting more headaches again and I reckon the neighbours have grassed me up when they saw the front wing off of the 80 looking too repair the ariel, so I was doing to much.......ah bless.

So when I get back home next week I will sort something if people are interested.

PM me for the diagram and parts list.

Regards

Dave

 

[frank rabbets]

I spliced my starter main supply cable and put a keyed security switch there. If I park it overnight away from home I just remove the key from inside the car.

 

[Dave2000]

The problem with that Frank is it is possible to forget it, using the latch system means unless you leave your engine running then no one is going to take your car, most people at least turn their engine off when exiting the car, and even if the owner switches off the engine and leaves the key in the ignition after jumping out of the car for example, to grab a bag of donuts (not that I would do that......no not me) the fact that the latch disengages means the car is immobilised.

Has anyone ever left their keys in the ignition at a petrol station? Has anyone closed the front doors after leaving their house without the keys and locked themselves out?

It is called 'the moment of inattention'.

Regards

Dave

 

[Dave2000]

Hi all, well it seems my custom immobiliser is getting some interest with some PM's as well for parts lists and diagrams, I will get on it in the next week or so and will send it to those who pm me.


Regards

Dave

 

[frank rabbets]

I never forget to lock my car Dave and if it's left overnight I take the master key out then lock it.

 

[Dave2000]

Good to hear that Frank.

Regards

Dave

 

[Steveindar]

Where's the PM button?

 

[whereisgibson]

It is called 'the moment of inattention'.

Indeed! Much like the time I threw my only pair of car keys into the council recycling on Sunday Christmas Eve. I vagely recall the 1997 Amazon 80 being particularly resilient to immobilisation defeat over earlier models, using a heavily armoured component... I created a thread seeking help to work around it at the time, and the mods quite wisely removed once I was sorted. Be interested to have that validated by other 97 owners.

 

[Tractionman]

Steve, when logged in, look in the top r/h corner of the page, by your name.
The envelope symbol is for messages/PM's

 

[Dave2000]

Quick update on the immobiliser.

I have done the diagram for the basic version, although my shaking hand has not helped my labeling. I will now do a couple of more to allow people who have asked for the diagram to look at a couple of options, this way they can make a decision on which one to fit.

I should have them done by perhaps Monday evening? Clinic and hospital visits are a neccessary thing and I have at least another three to go through this coming week.

Bear with me, but remember if you want a copy then feel free to PM me.

Regards

Dave

 

[Dave2000]

OK an update, the parts diagram has been finished but I simply could not get it to go on to a PM, so I have taken @Mblinko 's offer of sending it to him by email, my primary hand is a little shaky so was just making sure it was actually legible to a 'normal' person.....well Mark anyway.

Well that has been done, next is the parts list and links to places where you can get them, this list is not where you should buy them. it is just to give you an idea on what the parts look like and of course by shopping around you can reduce the cost but given their importance do not sacrifice quality to save a pound. I cannot remember if I have sent that list to Mark yet, so will need to check emails, yeh I know, a thirty second job for most, but it took me three months to remember my computer passwords (all three of them), so I was given an old computer by my neighbour which got me out of trouble. Mark will also do some conversion work on the documents to make them easier to get hold off and become compatible with something he mentioned, again my years of being an IT lecturer memories have gone out the window, so again thanks Mark.

Next is the method of installation, again I am being taken away to do a little job house sitting, it is the same people as a few weeks ago, get up feed yourself, feed the dogs, watch TV, feed yourself, feed the dogs, go to bed....repeat, one well known neighbour half a mile up the road if I need anything and nothing else for around another ten miles, super quiet! I will do the install write up next week, I promise.

EDIT: Please, those that have shown an interest in keeping their 80 via pm's please send me your emails, and of course others that may join the list, apart from a few component costs and a couple of hours of your time, this is a great way to hang on to your 80, with parts getting pricey and scarce the 80 is becoming a target so at least think about it.

Regards

Dave

 

[Dave2000]

All done!

Everything has been passed over to Mark @Mblinko and he has confirmed he will check over my speeling and grama...init, and will get all ready for viewing sometime hopefully soon, possibly later next week....no pressure Mark.

Regards

Dave

 

[Shayne]

Because i'm messing with my transfer stick now i wonder if you could add an electric lock so it can't be moved out of neutral .