Battery Isolators

[redrover]

Greetings all,

I'm looking to fit a battery isolator switch to my car for fire/theft/battery-drain prevention purposes!
My car's a S2 so the battery is in the boot. Does anybody know if the beefy positive cable which runs between the battery and engine bay (in an undisclosed location in case any potential crims are reading!) is a solid wire or part of the loom (ie, multiple separate wires). If it's a solid wire, I'll be splicing an isolator switch into it, and that way I can hide it in one of the P6's umpteen cracks and crevices away from potential menaces (not that they'd know what a choke knob is, so it wouldn't bloody start anyway!)

Cheers,
Michael

 

[quattro]

Yes, it's a solid wire which runs along the side of the O/S sill under the seat.

(not that they'd know what a choke knob is, so it wouldn't bloody start anyway!)

When our builders tried to move Sparky, my wife gave them the keys and they spent 20 mins trying to get it going (in silence) then pushed it out of the garage complaining to my wife that it had two igntion keys :shock: I later found out that they were trying to start it with the drivers side glove box key.

Richard

 

[dmcsweeney]

Greetings all,

I'll be splicing an isolator switch into it, and that way I can hide it in one of the P6's umpteen cracks and crevices away from potential menaces (not that they'd know what a choke knob is, so it wouldn't bloody start anyway!)

Cheers,
Michael

For safety reasons battery isolators are pretty much always fitted to the main earth lead from the battery to body, rather than the positive. The reason being that Isolators typically have large uninsulated terminals which can be shorted out quite easily with disasterous results!! We have a policy of not keeping anything in the workshop without an isolator fitted (both tractors have them fitted as well as my P6s. In fact it is the first thing I do every time I buy a new P6. What I usually so is to bolt a piece of flat iron (2-3" long, inch wide and 2-3mm thickness) to the existing body earth point near the battery, bolt one side of the isolator to the other end, and attach the existing earth lug on the battery negative to the other side of the isolator. On the tractors, and one of the cars I used 50mmsq flexible single cable (I'm an electrical engineer by trade so I get it off my panel manufacturers) with 2 50mmsq lugs with 12mm holes. A special crimpers is required for these though (we have a hand pumped hydraulic one) so it's easier just to use a piece of metal. It then means that any potential thief has to break into the boot as well. I can post a picture of the setup when I'm back home saturday if you want.
Regards,
Dave

 

[Demetris]

I later found out that they were trying to start it with the drivers side glove box key.

Richard

I guess that if you manage to fit a good plug concealing the real ignition switch in a P6, you will have the ultimate safety device. :wink:

(At least for people that ignore P6 basics). :roll:

 

[dmcsweeney]

My other half and I were checking out of a hotel one morning a few years back and the door man approached me and asked me for my keys to bring the car around. I produced a bunch of keys and the conversation went roughly as follows;
This small key unlocks the boot, on the right hand side you'll see a large red switch, turn it on. This key unlocks the doors, this one is for the ignition, it's to the left of the steering wheel. Open the glove box first and you'll find a switch at the upper edge, turn it on. Pull the choke out fully, it's on the right under the radio, then it should hopefully start.

Doorman: Mr McSweeney, would you mind getting it yourself??

Regards,
Dave