Best method for kill switch on a 200 series TLC? (1 Viewer)

[unclemat]

I am thinking about a circuit that would stay closed once the engine is running. I think it would require a relay that would close the brake pedal circuit once the engine is running. This would let shifting in/out of park freely, without touching the momentary kill switch until the engine is shut off.

Additional timed relay could be used to avoid holding the kill switch while starting. Not really needed if the kill switch would be located such that it could be operated by the left hand.

Any ideas where one would find "engine is running" signal? EDIT: maybe oil pressure sender wire?

 

[grinchy]

so it’s a latching switch that maintains connection in the circuit as long as the car is ‘on’ and resets to open at power off?

Press to latch at start, and it remains latched until ‘off’? That avoids the brake hassle, requires knowledge of the ‘secret’ button to start.

 

[gasman4u]

View attachment 3830839
Actually this one looks like it might be a physical toggle. Three-position but that's ok. Anybody know if it is?

Maybe I should go sniff around the Pick n Pull...

It's a physical 3 position "toggle switch"

Top - mirrors stay out
Middle - mirrors auto fold (with lock/unlock)
Bottom - mirrors fold

Yes, it stays wherever you select.

 

[bloc]

That would be perfect but unfortunately, at least in my car, the dash switches are all momentary (and toggling happens in software or firmware or whatever). The one exception is the button that retracts the mirrors, but that's a non-standard shape and won't fit in the blanks. Maybe such a thing exists and I didn't buy that option.

I know they aren’t genuine Toyota quality but there are definitely aftermarket switches that look identical to factory Toyota.. other than the logo. And some of those probably are very close. I have one for my light bar and other than the slightly cartoonish print on it the thing would easily pass for original equipment.

 

[unclemat]

so it’s a latching switch that maintains connection in the circuit as long as the car is ‘on’ and resets to open at power off?

Press to latch at start, and it remains latched until ‘off’? That avoids the brake hassle, requires knowledge of the ‘secret’ button to start.

Yeah, that would be simplest actually. Requires latching relay, easily available.

EDIT: wait, not that simple. Two relays, one latching, one regular. Latching relay would be activated by the momentary switch. Then it would trigger a regular relay closing the brake pedal circuit. I guess still easy enough.

 

[AcmeSys]

That would be perfect but unfortunately, at least in my car, the dash switches are all momentary (and toggling happens in software or firmware or whatever). The one exception is the button that retracts the mirrors, but that's a non-standard shape and won't fit in the blanks. Maybe such a thing exists and I didn't buy that option.

If there were such a button it would be better hidden in plain sight than a custom-looking toggle somewhere less convenient. Once I got rolling I could turn it off anytime along my route or after I get wherever I'm going, so I would probably get the muscle memory to use it every time. And all with simple, passive electronics and nothing through the firewall.

Second best seems like the delay-on-release relay but I'll need to figure out somewhere to get power in the cockpit. Maybe tap off an unused fuse but there's no extra room under the cover. If anyone has a better idea for sourcing power I'd be glad to hear it.

late 2000s tacomas use the same switch bodies and it is a pretty standard toyota size. aftermarket there are also options (CH4X4 Industries - https://ch4x4.com/ etc.). i recall the 2009 TRD tacoma fog light switch being on/off camming action.

security mods are a tradeoff of perceived threat vs. daily ass pain vs. the reality that you are lowering reliability by modifying an OEM harness and adding usually cheap parts combined with "meh" grade splice jobs (knowingly or unknowingly).

fast, cheap, or reliable -- pick two

 

[efred]

I've got (for now) a toggle switch mounted down under the dash, while I wait for the OEM dashboard button to arrive. All seems to work as expected.

Even though this was obvious from the plan, it didn't occur to me that I'll need to push the button to shift from park as well as when I hit start. The position of the button will allow me to press it and the start button one-handed so that's all good, but pressing it while I shift from park will be kind of inconvenient and I'd like to make it not to hard for friends and family to drive my car. So I'm thinking of just keeping a toggle switch instead. Or maybe move the splice to a wire that doesn't disable the shifter.

The toggle switch is in a mildly obvious place - it's just where you'd put a killswitch, and you might see it if you're down hunting for the ODB socket trying to steal my car. So I might move it if I can find a better spot.

If I keep the toggle switch, I'll probably just kill it at night, the last time I use my car. I probably will not always remember to do that.

The timed relay would work nicely too. That would make the wiring more complex though (I'll have to find power somewhere).

Ok, I've got the final (?) version of my killswitch installed.

I'd ordered a "spray water on headlights" button before it occurred to me that the one my car already has could be used since my car does not have headlight cleaners... So I just wired the existing button (left of the steering wheel) and installed the new one to the right of the steering wheel, and either one of them will enable starting the truck or to shift out of park. Turns out the one on the right probably won't get used much even though I can push that and the start button simultaneously with one hand. Still need two hands to shift out of park.

I also moved the toggle switch that gets around it all deeper up under the dashboard, where you can't see it but I can barely reach it, so that will (and has already) been useful when I take it somewhere for service.

The empty slot I put the new button in had a slight difference that meant I had to trim a little plastic off of the left side of the switch to get it into that slot, but that wasn't hard once I figured that out.

I'm still building the muscle memory but I expect I'm going to find the extra button push not inconvenient, so I'm happy with this solution. The only thing I don't like which didn't occur to me is that the buttons don't light up at night. I think muscle memory will sort that out though.

 

[ekolpack]

Ok, I've got the final (?) version of my killswitch installed.

I'd ordered a "spray water on headlights" button before it occurred to me that the one my car already has could be used since my car does not have headlight cleaners... So I just wired the existing button (left of the steering wheel) and installed the new one to the right of the steering wheel, and either one of them will enable starting the truck or to shift out of park. Turns out the one on the right probably won't get used much even though I can push that and the start button simultaneously with one hand. Still need two hands to shift out of park.

I also moved the toggle switch that gets around it all deeper up under the dashboard, where you can't see it but I can barely reach it, so that will (and has already) been useful when I take it somewhere for service.

The empty slot I put the new button in had a slight difference that meant I had to trim a little plastic off of the left side of the switch to get it into that slot, but that wasn't hard once I figured that out.

I'm still building the muscle memory but I expect I'm going to find the extra button push not inconvenient, so I'm happy with this solution. The only thing I don't like which didn't occur to me is that the buttons don't light up at night. I think muscle memory will sort that out though.

Awesome! That's pretty clever. I think if a crook can figure that out, they deserve the damn truck! lol

 

[efred]

Awesome! That's pretty clever. I think if a crook can figure that out, they deserve the damn truck! lol

Yeah let em have it... unless they read this forum...

If they do though, I got one of those 10-year battery packs for the AirTag I have in there (got a low battery alert but luckily I was able to find where I'd put it) and disabled the speaker in it (so I won't be able to find it next time)

 

[ekolpack]

Yeah let em have it... unless they read this forum...

If they do though, I got one of those 10-year battery packs for the AirTag I have in there (got a low battery alert but luckily I was able to find where I'd put it) and disabled the speaker in it (so I won't be able to find it next time)

Haha, there ya go! How do you disable the speaker? Is it a setting? Or physical disconnect?

 

[efred]

Haha, there ya go! How do you disable the speaker? Is it a setting? Or physical disconnect?

Physical. I followed this plan:

Basically, pry open the airtag and remove the small disc-shaped part of the speaker then snap it back together.

 

[bloc]

I used the same video, it’s great.

Gotta say though, for me a having to hit a button to get out of park gives me real pause. Yes the bypass could be used when I do my trail runs in Colorado, but even outside of that I’m pretty sure I’d get annoyed by it quick.

But that’s just me. This option does seem to have a lot of pluses, between minimal disruption of factory systems and just an elegant solution in general.

For now I’ll be working on the VIN tag block to prevent keys being generated outside the vehicle at least, plus tracking via AirTag.

 

[prharper]

Hello guy I’ve been thinking of installing this unit on my lc since I don’t have to splice any factory wires. I’m just concerned about using non oem relay. Any thoughts would be appreciated.

Drop-In Kill Switch (Anti-Theft) - 41.22 Inc. - https://41twentytwo.com/product/vehicle-kill-switch/?srsltid=AfmBOopo6RNY0spVzgS2yWSHIZDmuOiRhIbnGl-KfkaXhGTwrb24MLS2

I tested this out. It worked however, their relay causes the starter to work hard and longer to fire up the engine. I swapped back, don't need any starter issues or premature starter failure.

Had some back and forth with the vendor. Our OEM relay is 80a. The supplied relay is 40a. I obtained another Toyota OEM relay and they offered to modify it. They came back and said they are obtaining some 80a relays for our trucks and will send me one of those. I'll keep the OEM spares as backup. Will report later. BTW - I was unable to find a new OEM Denso replacement relay online.
Starter Relay
90987-02016

Maybe it's been deprecated in favor of a new part #. I did locate one from a donor.

 

[OregonLC]

Seems like you could do the same thing with a $20 switch on the ignition fuse?