ELECTRONIC KILL SWITCH

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Kim, I have a kill switch that's the simple under-dash switch you originally requested.

It's stone simple to wire on these cars (it just cuts power to the coil) and there's nothing to drain the battery. I don't use it too often, but occasionally use it to crank the engine for a few seconds (without the engine firing) if the car's been sitting a long time and I want to get some oil circulating before the start.

I notice that you're in Sacramento. The best air-cooled VW mechanic around here is @Anthony (he's on this forum) at Anthony's Classic Autowerks, in Auburn. Suggest you contact him for wiring issues or any other help you might need.

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THAT RIGHT THERE^^^^^^ Thanks for being you, Mitch.

Sacto: a kill switch that does not kill everything is not really a kill switch.  It must be the same as if the battery were removed from the car.  I have such a switch.  It has to be able to handle large current, and has a nice red 1/4 turn handle and sits right on the tunnel by the shifter. when turned to the kill position, the handle comes out, you can take it with you.   Theoretically, it needs to turn off all electricity everywhere in an emergency.  Like when you crash.  I had one put in because it also can work as an anti theft device -- you can take it with you.  The car then would be very hard to start . . .

It depends on what you want to accomplish. I've got a circuit breaker in the battery box that will remove power to the whole car, but you have to raise the hood to open or close the breaker. This is very useful for when I'm working on the car.

I've got a hidden toggle switch that just disables the ECU power. It's intended to slow down any purloiner with poor impulse control and a short attention span. It won't stop a flat bed truck. @Sacto Mitch's coil switch serves the same purpose.

It strikes me that you (or the guy who installed your remote switch) need to track down exactly what's draining the battery. Removing fuses or relays one at a time can help track down the offending circuit.

Also, never discount the possibility of a failing battery or a bad battery connection. Good luck!

My JPS came with a fuel cut off valve under the passenger seat.  I can reach over and twist it  

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You are correct, Mr. Frazoo.

What I have is not a kill switch in the race car sense. It's a sorta anti-theft device (although most of our cars are probably easier to hot-wire than anything else on the planet).

My principal anti-theft device is the clutch pedal.

@Sacto Mitch posted:

.My principal anti-theft device is the clutch pedal.

Oh, please stop, my sides are splitting 😄

A Kill Switch "with a solenoid and receiver" has to be powered on all the time in order for the receiver to work with your key fob.  It's not much of a drain, but over a few weeks it'll certainly drain your battery, whether you have it actuated or not, as you've found out.

While I have every reason to believe that your switch installer had good intentions in giving you more than you asked for (and more to charge you for), in the end he gave you a battery killer instead.

Your best bet would be to find Anthoney and ask him to just put a simple switch in line with the ignition wire and be done with it.  That way, you'll not have a parasitic battery drain going on when you least want it.

@El Frazoo posted:

Sacto: a kill switch that does not kill everything is not really a kill switch.  It must be the same as if the battery were removed from the car.  I have such a switch.  It has to be able to handle large current, and has a nice red 1/4 turn handle and sits right on the tunnel by the shifter. when turned to the kill position, the handle comes out, you can take it with you.   Theoretically, it needs to turn off all electricity everywhere in an emergency.  Like when you crash.  I had one put in because it also can work as an anti theft device -- you can take it with you.  The car then would be very hard to start . . .

You're kidding, right? A guy with a single 1/2" by 9/16" box wrench could beat that easily. You find the terminals, unbolt and put both cables on one terminal. Or a creative guy with a pair of vice grips could short across the terminals. Defeated.

Anybody stealing a car will have tools. And the smarts to think on the fly. If they want it, they'll flatbed it, and it's gone.

Kill switches are required for race cars. They are convenient to disconnect power while working on the car. My Spyder has a knob on the negative terminal. Remove knob, disconnect terminal, no tools required.

I like the switch idea for the coil power, allowing oil pressure and fuel pressure buildup before lighting the flame.

A simple switch is all you need.

None of this will prevent ballsy asshats from sitting in your car like they own it.

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I've always found it funny that our cars even require a key to start.

Six inches from the front of the switch are the bare terminals on the back.

Here's the sophisticated equipment you'd need to drive off if you forgot your key:

Heck, Jim Rockford could do it without even looking, but he could make his tires squeal on gravel, so he was a better man than I ever could be.

@Stan Galat posted:

Heck, Jim Rockford could do it without even looking, but he could make his tires squeal on gravel, so he was a better man than I ever could be.

Thread Drift -
Also, besides his cool car, how did he have electricity and water in his trailer even though it was in that parking lot not hooked up to anything?

He hot-wired the grid.

@americanworkmule posted:

Thread Drift -
Also, besides his cool car, how did he have electricity and water in his trailer even though it was in that parking lot not hooked up to anything?

Umm, maybe the same way Riggs did in the "Lethal Weapon" series?

Movie magic!

he had solar and rainwater....a CA beach with no one there:} the county mounties would have his a-- outta there in a day..

My anti theft system was a button on the dash that says "Start" but is actually the horn.

^^  I really like that  ^^

Fuel cutoff with removable key.

Mine: