Heya!


I installed a kill switch on my 88 Toyota Pickup 22RE today, very easily and extremely cheap! I thought I would share with you all how I did it, if you would like to do so yourself. This can be done on almost all vehicles.

What you will need:

1. Pick up a toggle switch from your local parts store, I got mine for about $10 at Autozone. I went with a 25amp switch. You can probably use a smaller switch, but I went with the biggest one Autozone had at the time just to be safe.

2. Some extra wire, to run from the engine threw the firewall and somewhere into your cab.

3. Wire cutters

4. Wire connectors

Where to start:

I know a lot of people have posted about splicing into your ignition wire, and pulling apart a bunch of stuff to get to it, but I wanted to go with something more simple and easier to do.


Take some extra wire, you should cut enough in length to run from the motor, threw the firewall into the cab, and all the way back. Once you have the wire cut, you will want to fold it in half. Take the end that is folded, not the end with the two cut ends, and run it threw your firewall and into the position where you would like to position your switch.

Once you have the extra wire in position, cut the folded end of the wire(which should be inside the cab where you are putting your switch). The switch you have should have a place to connect each wire. Connect the ends of the wire to each side of the switch. ----[switch]----

If you have done this correctly, you should now have a wire running from each end of the switch going threw the firewall, and into your engine area.

Now go back around and look under the hood. You will now need to find the positive wire that runs from your ignition coil to the distributor cap. Cut this wire, and connect your switch wires to each end of this positive wire. (check attached pictures, it is very easy to find)

If you have done this correctly, the positive wire running from the ignition coil should run to your switch in the cab, and back to the other end of the ignition coil wire. I have attached some pictures that should help.

Be sure to zip tie, and use some electrical tape, to secure the wiring and cover any exposed wire. If you have done everything correctly, the engine will not start with the switch turned to the "off" position. It will crank over and over, but will never fire. If you switch it to the "on" position, it should crank over and start!

The reason I like this method is because you will hear if someone is trying to steal your rig. With the switch turned to the "off" position, the engine will crank and crank and crank, but will never fire.

I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any questions, this was kind of hard to explain haha!

Thanks for reading!

Meabjckaz

 

so where did ya put the switch (kidding)

thanks for sharing , I have something similar in my trekker .. hopefully someone will use this , I hate hearing stories of how trucks get stolen



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What guage wire did you use and where did you splice into the wire at? If you don't mind.

Good write up.

 

Great write up! Everyone should take advantage of this! I defiantly like having one in my runner.

 

Ive installed a switch (not inside the cab) on the wire that tells the computer that the engine is rotating and to turn on the fuel injectors. This sounds like it may be the same wire?? What else would the distributors wires be used for?

 

Hmmm.... adding this to the "to-do" list on my truck. I've put way too much time and effort just to have some punk steal it.

I think that putting it in your cab makes more sense, otherwise someone could see reach under the hood or wheel well and figure it out. Can't see what you doing in the cab from the outside.

 

If your truck is a stick shift you could just remove the switch that won't let the truck start unless the clutch is in, splice some longer wires to the existing wires, and connect them to a hidden switch. I might do this once it warms up enough that I'm willing to work on my truck. I've had the clutch switch taped down ever since the pedal bracket cracked, so I might as well do something with the switch.

 

Now you just made it easy for crooks to find & bypass it

 

Looks like a pretty simple setup.
You can also interrupt the power wire to the fuel pump; it's already in the cab.
Same result: They crank away, but it never starts.

 

Real thieves just show up with a tow truck. At which point it doesn't even matter if you have a "Denver boot", your stuffs gone and they look legit doing it. Just sayin', if the wrong guy shows up and wants your stuff there isn't much you're going to do about it. I've seen cars stolen with a guard dog in them.

Cutting the fuel is a good idea, saves your cat' from damage, but not every one has EFI and an electrical pump. Those you need a cut off valve todo and it's bad form to route fuel lines thru the cab.

Interrupting the cam sensor signal to the ECM is also a viable option, you'll need to put the switch in a shielded box, this way they think they're going somewhere untill they let off the starter and the ignition cuts back off. At which point they smack there head on the dash trying to get it started again and you get some DNA.

Also, you can save some cash on wire and put that same cut off switch and wiring entierly within the cab since the power to the coil is supplied thru the ignition switch. Then what you saved on the wire you can buy a second switch and stick it inside the engine compartment, and it looks like you're diligently checking your oil

The old school option we used to put on hotrods is a remote starter button and fuel cut off in the trunk or under the hood. Another popular option is a second push button inline with the ignition starter signal, where you have to be holding the key and button, these are popular under the seat or in place of the floor mounted high beam switches.

I didn't notice the pictures the first time I read this. That is the cam(NE) sensor. If you disconnect it coming out of the distributor you shouldn't get injector pulses or ignition triggering. Good choice since it works on both 4cyl and 6cyl, but you'll want that done with shielded wire and switch or you may find you'll have ignition mis-trigger issues due to radio or other interference.

Good thread

 

LOL!

Agree.

Another idea... A simple circuit:

• Enabled by a switch somewhere out of driver's reach (need to stop to look for it-LOL)
• When enabled and ignition comes on, timer starts. After a few minutes, timer will activate relay. Relay is simple but can be hooked up to:
• High beam switching relay (which I already have), to flash low & High
• stock horn - to stay on
• hazard lights
• additional horn inside cabin out of driver's reach
• additional blower fan resistor encapsulated in candlewax to produce smoke - LOL!

 

One other place you can put the kill switch is going to the COR. Then there is no need for shielded wires. I personally do not like connecting anywhere near the ignition switch, since that is the first place they are going to look. It at least buys some time for a second rate thief.

I also like to either get the wires under the factory wire loom and make it look factory, or if the wire runs where there are no wires, I run all the wires for any of my accessories in a not so nice mess. I like nice and neat wiring, but it makes it harder for someone to figure out what goes where.

Of course like CO said, if they want it that bad they show up with a tow truck and just take it.

 

Agree. Would take some acrobatics to dig down there but that just makes it a harder thing for thieves to figure out.

 

I have 2 separate kill switches on my Runner. One interior and this one were talking about on the exterior.
The exterior one is easily thrown without getting much attention. Simply fake like I'm checking out one of my tires.

In my ol CUCV I had a panel that had many different switches. 3 out of the 10 or so needed to be in the correct order or the starter wouldn't fire or the Injection Pump.
Can't remember what they were labeled but think they were air compressor clutch, hazzards and cargo light.

 

The best $300 anti-theft system is ...

a $300 car.

(Who's going to get a tow truck to steal a 25-yr old pickup truck?)

 

LOL! But quite surprising how some classic Yota's still get stolen, like one member's a few months in So Cal.

 

Mine was stolen a year ago or so here in San Diego.
Perp didn't take much of anything but simply didn't want to walk to where he was going the PD said.
At the time it had new BFG AT's, new rims and a new motor, all less than a 1,000 miles on them. He did take my 10 year old door speakers though.

 

Around Stockton where my family lives (and I visit often) theives aren't smart. They steal whatever they can get their hands on. They stole my brother's 96 Ford Probe just for the stereo, the car's worth like 2k tops. That was in a neighborhood full of new cars.

 

I have always installed 2 kill switches in all my Toyota's. 1 to the fuel pump, the other to the ignition. Even if BOTH switches where found, they would have to try and figure out in which direction they both need to be thrown to start. And with the few other switches I have installed, a would be thief would be stumped....lol.

 

For a few years I used a dummy coil wire - I cut the end and put the boot back on - when I had no locks on my old truck. Only took a few seconds to pop the hood, switch the wire.