AdmiralYoda

I plan on installing a kill switch on the EFI Relay on my 87 Runnah. I could use some ideas on a good location.

Anyone ever use the ash tray at the back of the center console? Seems obscure enough?

If I'm going to be away for long I would just unplug the VAFM "just a little bit" so that it looks plugged in but its not. But it would be nice to have a toggle switch somewhere that is not a pain in the butt to switch but hidden enough to keep the thieves away....

Any good ideas?

scuba

In my opinion, the best kill switches are the ones where they're in plain view. What I mean is: something where you have to press existing stock switches in a certain order to deactivate the kill switch. Ever seen Border Wars on NatGeo? They've shown hidden cubbies that drug smugglers use where you'd have to hold down the window switch, flash the brights, and turn the wiper stalk all the way down for the hidden cubby to open. Those are the ones that I am a fan of. Given enough time a vehicle thief will find your "hidden" switch. I also wouldn't rely on partly unplugging the vamf or anything else under the hood for that matter.

I think 12voltguy is still offering up free info and wiring diagrams for kill switches of you email him.

Good luck.

AdmiralYoda

Agreed! What I'd love to have is a hidden kill switch AND a plain site switch. Something like you have to hold the high beams on in order to start the car.

scope103

Disabling the EFI relay allows the engine to crank, but it will never fire. So it's not obvious that a kill switch is involved -- which is good.

Consider putting a timer in the EFI (or just fuel) circuit. Ms. BadGuy hops in, carefully assures she can start the truck, and drives off. 30 seconds later the truck stops running in the middle of the road. Is she going to stand there until she can figure out that there's a switch somewhere? Probably not.

Then your truck gets towed and you get a phone call. Of course, you have to pay for the tow.

thefishguy77

iTrader: (1)

You can also wire a kill switch to something a thief would never use like a horn or a separate air horn switch. What their is going to hit the horn to start the truck. Also maybe a fuel pump toggle switch under the carpet that you had to step on to engage or disengage. Just ideas. Also I you ebrake works leave the transfer case in neutral or 4 low. Might be a surprise for a suspected thief. But remember if they want it that bad they are going to take it.

AdmiralYoda

Yup. These things are just to prevent petty thief. A real pro will just back up with a flatbed and tow it away.

I've done plenty of googling and seen plenty of good suggestions like above. Has anyone come across some good wiring diagrams to actually make this work?

Scirocco16v

scope103

A real pro isn't going to waste time on a ... 27-year-old truck.

One of my partners was once quoted as saying "the best $300 anti-theft system ... is a $300 car."

HighLux

Then why does someone post a stolen truck once a week on this site?

Dont tell someone where your kill switch is. If I was a skeet yota stealing tweaker......Id surf a site like this and use it to select my victims. OH.....so and so leaves his truck outside....oh he lives here...oh he is going out odtown according to this post.

A decent running yota truck....would net someone a couple grand or better in a matter of days in parts. And to be honest...its retarded easy to swap a vin and just have a new truck with a title and plates.

Hide yo kids hide yo wife....and lock your Toyota down.

I could steal my 87 so fast it wouldn't even be funny. I could start half of them with a jank Toyota key anyways.

I block mine in in the driveway.

wyoming9

iTrader: (1)

If you need a schematic to wire it up just look because you should all ready have it..

Best one is the one in South East Asia war games take and weld a eye for a pad lock on the clutch pedal then loop a chain around the steering wheel.

RAD4Runner

+1
Or just turn on the stock horn, PLUS added-on horns buried deep inside the body panels, facing inside the vehicle, and flash all lights.

Yep, in border cities, like San Diego, half hour drive and your truck's gone, and perps can just keep on driving it back there, regardless of VIN's / registration, etc.

O.P., one rule, Don't publish what you end up with installing.

Rowdydudeman

I pitty the fool who trys to steal my yota...

AdmiralYoda

Well....I WONT be using the ash tray behind the center console. I have things apart for some painting and there isn't enough room to get your fingers in. I'll figure something else out.

To whoever said a thief wouldn't be interested in a 27 year old truck....In many places these trucks still live and are a dime a dozen. You can still buy one for dirt cheap and its easier than stealing.

East of the Mississippi river, especially in the Northern states these trucks didn't survive the years of rust. Those that are in good or perfect shape are worth their weight in gold. A low mile 1st gen 4Runner that is in great shape is worth many thousands of dollars. $10k+ is not unheard of. Rust buckets are getting rare.....perfect condition 4Runners are the great white buffalo's.

So in many towns and cities that may have groups of people that are Toyota or Honda oriented and tend toward general thugginess.....they drool over trucks like these. And they are not afraid to steal stuff.

Hence the need for as much protection as possible.

dropzone

iTrader: (6)

so why did they recently try to steal my 33 year old truck?

Old toyotas disappear all the time. People steal them to get a transmission, fenders and whatever. Doesn't have to be a pro thief, anything you can do to slow them down is a good thing.

Rowdydudeman

.308 holes make lonely souls, you just have to compensate for windage.

Duffdog

Best "kill switch" I have seen is to take the ECU out completely. Or, just take out the ECU fuse so that the truck can only drive about 30ft during each start cycle.

LITLRED

I wired a relay as a kill switch when i installed my alarm. So activating the alarm disables the starter circuit.

AdmiralYoda

Probably the easiest kill switch to bypass. Pop the hood and use a jumper wire from the battery to the starter relay or the wire going to the starter solenoid.

Every thief knows how to bypass this in 10 seconds. Heck, every mechanic that is working on a car with a faulty alarm system that won't disarm will bypass it.

The best kill switch is something that they won't be able to figure out easily. EFI circuit is a good one. Your ECU is essentially off.

If you are a smarty pants you could use a DPDT relay to interrupt the starter circuit AND the EFI circuit.

Or be really cool and make is so you have to flash your high beams while you turn the key in order to make it run.

AdmiralYoda

Okay Fine. You made me do it. Here are some diagrams to help make the thieves work a little harder. Please note that this works for 87-88 4Runner as thats the only FSM I have. More than likely it works for any 4Runner/Truck of this vintage.

The relay used is an automotive SPDT relay sourced from digikey. $6.88ea but you could probably find one anywhere.
http://www.digikey.com/product-detai...2725-ND/646953

Starter Interrupt. Need to Flash Headlights While Turning Key:
Simple. If you just turn the key.....nothing happens. You need to hold the headlight flash back WHILE you turn the key.

1. Cut the starter wire coming from the ignition switch (ST1). Connect one end to the Common terminal of the relay.
2. Jump that wire to the positive relay coil terminal. It is +12V when activated.
3. Connect the other end of the cut starter wire to the Normally Open terminal of the relay.
4. Tap into the headlight switch, specifically the "Headlight Flash" wire and connect that to the negative relay coil terminal.

Starter Interrupt. Need to Flash Headlights While Turning Key PLUS.....The Horn Blows if you Don't Use the Headlight Flash Feature!!!:
A little more complicated and requires two SPDT relays. But if a thief tries to start your car even after they put in a key that works OR they smash the ignition switch......the horn will blow if they don't know about the headlight flash feature! Once you pull the headlight flash the relay bypasses the horn so it won't blow when you start your car using the headlight flash.

1. Do the same wiring as above but connect the Normally Closed terminal on the original relay to the Positive relay coil terminal on the 2nd relay.
2. Connect the negative relay coil terminal on the 2nd relay to a chassis ground.
3. Also connect the common relay terminal on the 2nd relay to chassis ground.
4. Tap into the horn harness, specifically the GRN/RED wire and connect that to the normally open terminal of the 2nd relay.

There you go. Turn the key.......HONK!!!!!!! Flash the headlights and turn the key......VROOOOOOM!!!


Should at least make enough of a racket to scare away the petty thief. The best way is still to make a kill switch for the EFI power line after the relay.

jes3se

Consider interrupting the fuel pump. Will crank, might start, as the engine runs for 30 seconds. I was able to tap the circuit opening relay in my '95 runner and run the switch under the shift boot. Hard to find but reachable without leaning away from driver seat. It will still start within an hour or so of hitting it, but it starts to struggle within a moment.