Wiring a kill switch

[StewRat]

My car had a cut-off/kill switch installed when I got it - but none of the things it was originally connected to, so I'm trying to work out what goes where.

Doesn't feel like it should be that complicated, but I cannot find an online diagram that matches what I have - especially the interconnected terminals - and opinions seem to vary over how these should be wired.

So I thought I better get some advice here before going much further.

This is the back of the switch:



#1 wire ends in a large spade terminal and I reckon that should feed my fuse box/power distribution to the fuel pump, line loc etc.
#2 is the most obvious as it ends in a red battery terminal. Even I can work that one out.
#3 is only connected to #2. I *think* this has something to do with preventing the car running on after being "killed" but not sure how that works - presumably the clever stuff is happening inside the switch.
#4 goes into the engine bay and ends in a ring terminal. This is the one I know I am confused about as I reckon I've seen various killswitch diagrams, albeit not specific to this switch, with connections to starter or alternator

So my specific questions are :

a) am I close with the assignations I've worked out above?
b) where should #4 connect to?
c) does the presence of this switch influence how I wire up my starter/ignition? I was planning to use a starter button to trigger a relay to power the starter motor. Can I ignore it in other circuits and wire up as if it wasn't there?

Thanks in advance

Stewart

[Fiatdude]

OK -- I'm really confused with all the red wires -- a kill switch MUST be on the ground(black) side -- And basically you take a cable from the chassis and one from the engine combine them on one lug and then from the other side to the ground side of the battery.....

As far as what you have, you need to get a ohm meter and see which ones are closed when the switch is on and which ones are open when the switch is off...............

[modnrod]

From the other side of the world, so my eyesight might be a bit off, it's not technically a cut-off switch, it's a continuous-duty solenoid.
It's used as an interrupt for battery power, you can also use them in dual battery set-ups for caravans and campers/kombis.

https://www.google.com.au/search?q=continuous+duty+solenoid&client=safari&channel=mac_bm&biw=1268&bih=648&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjSxpnyvJzOAhXFG5QKHSN8DbwQsAQIKg

[StewRat]

Well if greater minds than mine are confused by this then I think I may just ignore it for phase 1.

Maybe my terminology is off - I can understand the principle of a "kill switch" cutting off the ground path, but I'm not sure that is at all what this is set up to do.

It has a 2-position lever switch on the outside, those continuous duty solenoids look similar from the back but don't seem to be externally switched.


Asking a slightly different question ... if the principle of external switched electrical shut off is a good idea, what is recommended? Simpler the better

Stewart

[BeetleBug]

OK -- I'm really confused with all the red wires -- a kill switch MUST be on the ground(black) side -- And basically you take a cable from the chassis and one from the engine combine them on one lug and then from the other side to the ground side of the battery.....

As far as what you have, you need to get a ohm meter and see which ones are closed when the switch is on and which ones are open when the switch is off...............

Are you sure? According to the rule book you can't break the ground but have to kill the positive side. The engine will keep on running if you just kill the ground. 

-BB-

[Erlend / bug66]

OK -- I'm really confused with all the red wires -- a kill switch MUST be on the ground(black) side -- And basically you take a cable from the chassis and one from the engine combine them on one lug and then from the other side to the ground side of the battery.....

As far as what you have, you need to get a ohm meter and see which ones are closed when the switch is on and which ones are open when the switch is off...............

Are you sure? According to the rule book you can't break the ground but have to kill the positive side. The engine will keep on running if you just kill the ground. 

-BB-

Will it? Why?

Thought you hade the switch on ground..

[Berger]

You have to cut the battery and charging system separately from the ignition.

Have a look at this (sorry, only Norwegian description)
http://kollevold.no/bilutstyr/elektrisk/hovedstr-msbryter/hovedstr-msbryter-6-polet-fia.html

[Berger]

My car had a cut-off/kill switch installed when I got it - but none of the things it was originally connected to, so I'm trying to work out what goes where.

Doesn't feel like it should be that complicated, but I cannot find an online diagram that matches what I have - especially the interconnected terminals - and opinions seem to vary over how these should be wired.

So I thought I better get some advice here before going much further.

This is the back of the switch:



#1 wire ends in a large spade terminal and I reckon that should feed my fuse box/power distribution to the fuel pump, line loc etc.
#2 is the most obvious as it ends in a red battery terminal. Even I can work that one out.
#3 is only connected to #2. I *think* this has something to do with preventing the car running on after being "killed" but not sure how that works - presumably the clever stuff is happening inside the switch.
#4 goes into the engine bay and ends in a ring terminal. This is the one I know I am confused about as I reckon I've seen various killswitch diagrams, albeit not specific to this switch, with connections to starter or alternator

So my specific questions are :

a) am I close with the assignations I've worked out above?
b) where should #4 connect to?
c) does the presence of this switch influence how I wire up my starter/ignition? I was planning to use a starter button to trigger a relay to power the starter motor. Can I ignore it in other circuits and wire up as if it wasn't there?

Thanks in advance

Stewart

I think you understood it right
#4 I guess goes to starter and dynamo/alternator.
But #3 should be connected to #4, not the positive side of battery in my view. Safest way is to have battery alone at #2
You can do anything to your starter/ignition system as long as you stay at the #1 side of switch
 

[StewRat]

Thanks for all the replies.

To get up and running I'm going to leave this setup out of the equation entirely.
Then I can either investigate it further or insert a new kit into my configuration.

I'm not confident enough in it and fear I might waste a lot of valuable time on it, or trying to establish if it is to blame for the whole car not working!

Stewart

[Fiatdude]

My car must be wired differently, when I hit my switch it dies,,,, fuel pump shuts off, everything is dead -- I guess it is dependent on if your alternator will continue to generate power or not

[BeetleBug]

OK -- I'm really confused with all the red wires -- a kill switch MUST be on the ground(black) side -- And basically you take a cable from the chassis and one from the engine combine them on one lug and then from the other side to the ground side of the battery.....

As far as what you have, you need to get a ohm meter and see which ones are closed when the switch is on and which ones are open when the switch is off...............

Are you sure? According to the rule book you can't break the ground but have to kill the positive side. The engine will keep on running if you just kill the ground. 

-BB-

Will it? Why?

Thought you hade the switch on ground..

Try it out yourself and find out or take my word for it. When I mounted my kill switch several years ago it was legal to only cut ground but that rule has later been changed. The product that Berger linked to is probably the easiest way to do this correctly.

-BB-