1996 80 Kill Switch Question - How do I wire this baby up? (1 Viewer)

[PNWFJ80]

Howdy, I’m trying to wire up a kill switch, and wiring’s not my forte. I’ve searched the threads and haven’t found a good picture of what I’m after. I have a window switch that I want to hold down for my 80 to start(not the 80’s window switch, a junkyard one I picked up). So, if you’re not pressing the switch, and you turn the key, nothing. Hidden in plain sight. So, my question is, what wire do I slice & dice?

 

[samiam09]

I normal y kill the fuel pump , and that keeps them from hot wiring and getting it to start.

 

[nukegoat]

Cut the small one

 

[PNWFJ80]

I normal y kill the fuel pump , and that keeps them from hot wiring and getting it to start.

I decided not to go that route, that would be a toggle or on/off switch, I’m looking to hold a window type switch down in order for it to crank/start.

 

[PNWFJ80]

Cut the small one

Keep your day job, I don’t see a bright future for you in the bomb defusal biz

 

[nemoblackdog]

I'd really reconsider the advantages of going with the option to just cut power to the fuel pump. With a switch that makes "nothing" happen, it's immediately apparent that something has been done to disable things. OTOH, cutting power to the fuel pump often lets the car start and run for a one or two seconds, then dies. To the person attempting to start the truck, it seems like the vehicle has suffered a failure. A toggle switch can be hidden in a multitude of places and I'd argue be harder to find than a non-stock switch "hidden in plain sight". If you want to get a bit fancy, you could wire in two toggle switches into two different spots.

But, if you want to stick to your idea, the connection you want to splice into comes out of the ignition key switch and ultimately terminates at the smaller gauge wire going to the starter. I guess you could splice in your switch at either end.

 

[PNWFJ80]

I'd really reconsider the advantages of going with the option...

I’m pretty deadset in my idea, more so because it’s always disabled and I don’t have to remember to do it when I lock it up. And damnit, I just put the panels back together under the steering column, I thought all those ignition wires routed back to the kick panel?

 

[nukegoat]

I’m pretty deadset in my idea, more so because it’s always disabled and I don’t have to remember to do it when I lock it up. And damnit, I just put the panels back together under the steering column, I thought all those ignition wires routed back to the kick panel?

Here's an idea... If you're hell bent on some weirdo mod to your rig, why not read the EWD and some basic books on electrical circuits? You know, rather than just showing up with a rats nest of wires and asking for someone to spoon feed you the solution.

Just a thought

 

[PNWFJ80]

Here's an idea... If you're hell bent on some weirdo mod to your rig, why not read the EWD and some basic books on electrical circuits? You know, rather than just showing up with a rats nest of wires and asking for someone to spoon feed you the solution.

Just a thought

A kill switch isn’t that weird. Sorry to rub you the wrong way man, this is a place to ask questions about 80’s, and I’m asking a question that somebody on here has likely already done to their rig, just fishing for that offshoot chance someone someone can save me hours of reading through the manuals, and again, wiring isn’t my strength.

 

[Wyatt Pine]

There's gonna be a wire going from your ignition to your starter that runs the starter relay. this is the wire you want to break with your switch. When you hold down the switch and make contact it will allow you to start the truck.

 

[PNWFJ80]

There's gonna be a wire going from your ignition to your starter that runs the starter relay. this is the wire you want to break with your switch. When you hold down the switch and make contact it will allow you to start the truck.

Appreciate it! Nemoblackdog mentioned I’m looking in the wrong bundle of wires too, a few of the other kill switch threads I read had accessed the kick panel wires. Starter relay wire, think I can track that down, thanks again!

 

[Romer]

Here's an idea... If you're hell bent on some weirdo mod to your rig, why not read the EWD and some basic books on electrical circuits? You know, rather than just showing up with a rats nest of wires and asking for someone to spoon feed you the solution.

Just a thought

@nukegoat This type of post is completely inappropriate in this forum. This is what the forum is for

Please refrain in the future from posting comments like this. You don't set the tone here, we do

80 Series Moderator

 

[nukegoat]

@nukegoat This type of post is completely inappropriate in this forum. This is what the forum is for

Please refrain in the future from posting comments like this. You don't set the tone here, we do

80 Series Moderator

Ok

 

[cnorm5623]

Do you have the EWD? If not the different manuals I have are here in my Google Drive Cruiser EWD They are for the '96 I believe but should help get you in the right direction. Page 54 of the EWD shows the ignition key SW to the Park Neutral SW then to Starter.

Just make sure your window switch can take the current required or the switch may leave you stranded if you burn up the contacts in some remote place.

Might think about a larger relay that breaks the starter circuit and the window switch closes the relay.

 

[PNWFJ80]

Do you have the EWD? If not the different manuals I have are here in my...

Hmm, little more complicated than I was thinking, but I saw the starter relay mentioned elsewhere too, this project is similar to installing a push button start from what I've gathered. And thank you for the link, I have the FSM and it has wiring diagrams, I'm just not (yet)competent in making sense of them.

New idea, in your opinion, would going after the nuetral safety switch wire accomplish the same thing? I'm guessing it's a lower power draw for my switch?

 

[Rifleman]

PNWFJ80,You can connect your kill switch to the starter motor circuit, you can easily access that main wiring harness in the engine compartment where it comes out of the passengers side firewall.

If you go this route, you'll only need to cut one wire in the factory wiring harness, add one 30 amp relay, one on/off switch to be used as your hidden kill switch, and a few feet of wire.

Doing a kill switch this way is about the simplest way you'll find to install a kill switch.

Is the starter motor kill switch your best option, no, but it's still way better then nothing.

There is still one more easy kill switch option that nobody has said a word about yet.

You can just pull the fuel injection relay out of the fuse box under the hood each time you park, without that relay your truck isn't going anywhere. Plus the likelihood of a thief having one of those relays in his pocket is slim to none!

 

[jonheld]

There's gonna be a wire going from your ignition to your starter that runs the starter relay. this is the wire you want to break with your switch. When you hold down the switch and make contact it will allow you to start the truck.

US spec 80s do not have a starter relay.
However, breaking the starter logic circuit is the correct idea, but using a window switch alone is not. What you want to add to the mix is what's known as a "one shot" circuit.
A OS can be triggered by any existing circuit (like a window switch for example). This arms the OS and allows the starter logic to hit the starter. Once power is cut, the OS resets (opens).
This was common practice when doing LoJack installations back in the "before time".

Keep in mind that you're adding potential points of failure to a relatively simple system.

 

[jaymar]

PNWFJ80,You can connect your kill switch to the starter motor circuit, you can easily access that main wiring harness in the engine compartment where it comes out of the passengers side firewall.

If you go this route, you'll only need to cut one wire in the factory wiring harness, add one 30 amp relay, one on/off switch to be used as your hidden kill switch, and a few feet of wire.

Doing a kill switch this way is about the simplest way you'll find to install a kill switch.

Is the starter motor kill switch your best option, no, but it's still way better then nothing.

There is still one more easy kill switch option that nobody has said a word about yet.

You can just pull the fuel injection relay out of the fuse box under the hood each time you park, without that relay your truck isn't going anywhere. Plus the likelihood of a thief having one of those relays in his pocket is slim to none!

I could be wrong about this, but I seem to recall someone somewhere saying not to interrupt the EFI circuit, because It has a constant low draw and if it stops then the computer will have to find its ass again, causing various inefficiencies for some time. Which will just go on forever if you do this every time you leave the vehicle. ???

 

[jaymar]

Howdy, I’m trying to wire up a kill switch, and wiring’s not my forte. I’ve searched the threads and haven’t found a good picture of what I’m after. I have a window switch that I want to hold down for my 80 to start(not the 80’s window switch, a junkyard one I picked up). So, if you’re not pressing the switch, and you turn the key, nothing. Hidden in plain sight. So, my question is, what wire do I slice & dice?

View attachment 2130084

Ravelco a bulletproof solution. It will baffle amateurs, and pros will see it and walk away. (They may come back with a slidebed, but that’s another matter, and unlikely if you’re just a passing target of opprtunity.)

 

[ppc]

I could be wrong about this, but I seem to recall someone somewhere saying not to interrupt the EFI circuit, because It has a constant low draw and if it stops then the computer will have to find its ass again, causing various inefficiencies for some time. Which will just go on forever if you do this every time you leave the vehicle. ???

A kill switch is not going to "interrupt the EFI circuit". It would be inserted in the path of the starter circuit and would function the same as any alarm/security system with a starter interrupt. In essence a poor man's security system. That said it's something that only deters the amateur car thief.