Battery kill switches

[SteveW]

Just looking for ideas as to where I can mount the battery kill switch on our car, anyone got any ideas?!!

Thanks
Steve

[benssp]

bottom of the right hand rear 1/4 panel, what do the regs state? does it have to be externally mounted?

[Jonny Grigg]

Steve,

you should check the drag racing year book. This is only mandatory if you relocate the battery. If installed it is stated to be "installed on the rear-most part of each vehicle and easily accessible from outside the car body". All a bit tricky on a rear engined VW, especially if you have a removable rear valance and/or rear wings. Also it is probably where the fire would be, if there is one..........

I would hope the scrutineers take a common sense apporach with this one. I have never had one on the car before, but have now engineered mine to be operable from a pull handle where the screen washer used to be. It is connected via a cable to the switch inside the car next to the seat- the idea being that I would kill the power- unless I couldn't for some reason, but I don't really want to go there.......

It would be interesting to get other people's views and experiences of the UK scrutineers' opinions in the recent past.

Jonny.

[SteveW]

Not externally mounted, no but the switch handle needs to be external. I had thought about mounting it in the 1/4 panel! Any other ideas?! Isn't Bernies mounted near his running board?

The battery will be in the stock location but to be honest it's another safety feature which is never a bad thing!!

[benssp]

yep, bernies is on the running board

[58vw]

most tracks if you are racin the car it needs to be at the rear of the car were it can be clearly seen and reached in the event of a mishap...mine is in the fender above the taillight

[Udo]

An external MUST be mounted at the rear . Internal i would mount on the dashboard or at the tunnel next to the parking break . But it must be a steel switch .

Udo

[58vw]

also when your done hooking it up make sure it works.....ive seen tech guys go up and hit the switch and it does not kill the car....then your left not racing.....

[Ohio Tom (DdK)]

I got mine mounted in the right rear 1/4 panel. Even NHRA tech gives it the "pass".
The only thing they gave me a "fix it" on was not having a sealed battery box. Even thou it's stock location, they still made me put it in a box.
Every track is differnt in how they interpret the rules.

[Jim Smith]

I have had a number of talks with Geoff and Mark {tech com} about this subject as in my opinion having the switch mounted at the rear most point on a rear engined vw is daft. I still have mine mounted in the centre of the skuttle panel, never have any probs with passing tech. Both Mark and Geoff agreed this was a much more sensible location for a vw, they did tell me that they would at some point be adding this into the year book, but  nothing in there yet.
   Best off giving Mark Norton a bell and see what he has to say.

Hope this is of some help?

Jim.

[SteveW]

In the states their rule book also states that it needs to be at the rear most part of the car but yeah it doesn't make sense in a rear engined car!! In circuit racing here the rules state that on all cars it needs to be on the scuttle panel like yours Jim.

The plan we have gone for is the bottom rear of the 1/4 panel next to where the battery will be fitted. We have a nice and small billet handle so it's not 'in your face' and we'll have 'off - on' sign written above it. Its being mounted on the passenger side as I'm fitting the battery there so all the weight is not on the drivers side.

[Neil Davies]

I fitted mine in the scuttle, right in front of the drivers seat. I could reach it to turn it off on my way out of the door. The Ghia had one mounted in the engine bay, with a cable coming through the vents.

[Bernard Newbury]

. It is connected via a cable to the switch inside the car next to the seat- the idea being that I would kill the power- unless I couldn't for some reason, but I don't really want to go there.......

It would be interesting to get other people's views and experiences of the UK scrutineers' opinions in the recent past.

Jonny.

Believe me Jonny the kill switch is the last thing you think about when making a hasty exit . Mine is mounted in the running board by the rear right 1/4  and the only comment I have had from the scrutrineer was the lack of the triangle label. I think the rule book is worded mainly for front engined cars with the switch being as far away from the engine as possible , so in theory ours should be at the front end of the car. Bernie

[dave.d]

i have mine in the same place as jim  always passed

[dth]

Mounted mine in the rear side window (lexan) ,saves drilling the body ,if you wanted to try sticking to the rules you could put it on the rear window ,never had any problems at scritineering