Anyone Install A Manual Kill Switch??
 

I know it's kind of an old school theft deterrent, but has anyone installed a manual kill switch in this car yet? I've done it in my previous cars and never had any issues. But this will be my first car with the newer "smart key" and push button start, so I'm not sure if there are any issues I need to be worried about. Or, with the whole smart key thing, maybe a manual kill switch is overkill? I really have no idea here, so I'm just throwing out this thread for anyone who does know. If anyone has installed one, can you provide any input as to how you did it?

Thanks --- Bonzo

If you mean a kill switch on the battery voltage to the car, it's probably not a good idea as a general theft deterrent. The smart key will still work when you turn the kill switch back on, but everything else gets reset. You lose: radio settings, sometimes info display settings (F vs C temps, service mileage counters, etc). Also the windows will need resetting (they won't close completely until you do the cycle of full down and holding full up a few seconds to re-learn the top position). The ECU will also lose its fuel trims and have to re-adapt as you drive for a while. Not sure what else I might be forgetting.

You might be able to do something smarter, like switch off the hot wire to the starter motor separately to prevent engine start. But then again the theft system built into the Z is pretty decent.

There's another sense of "kill switch" for race car safety, but that's something else entirely and a bit more complicated.

This is sort of what I meant. In my other cars I've actually tapped into wires leading to the ignition, so the car not only doesn't start, it doesn't run at all. I've just gotten a toggle switch and ran the ignition wire through it. I've located the switch in a convenient but unseen place, and it's worked great. I've never had any problems.

I'm just trying to figure out if it's really worth it on this car, and if there are any problems associated with it with this new smart key stuff. I figured someone here might have done it, or would at least know the pitfalls. From the lack of comments, I'd say no one is doing it, although it has just been a couple days.

Where I live, car theft is not a common thing. Now if I lived in Memphis, where car theft is rampant (or at least it used to be), it would be another story.

Thanks for your input ---- Bonzo

Another option is to use UpRev's ECU flash on your car. It's generally geared towards improving performance, but it has a map-switching feature with independent rev and speed limits. I use my 5th map for "security mode", which limits the car to rolling at 5mph. Even if they steal it in the dead of night with nobody around, the thief will get pretty tired of his 5mph getaway pretty quickly I imagine and ditch the car on the side of the road.

You won't need a kill switch... Theft of a 370z is extremely low!!! *knock on wood*

Semtex had the same uprev thing except his would only rev 500rpm above idol lol try driving a manual with that rpm range hahahaha

:bowrofl::roflpuke2:

You're confusing it with valet mode?

Uprev has an anti-theft mode in which the car won't start.

But like Mike stated it's a low risk.

Make sure you valuables are covered in a rare event though.

put a hidden switch on the fuel pump

I've done it! it works...

if they steal anything it won't be the car!

also a very old trick!

Technically they're not really named modes. It's just a set of engine parameters you can tune, and if you don't need 5 different sets for driving, you can customize some of them for security/valet-type purposes. I'm not sure what UpRev uses for a no-start setting, perhaps they turn off fueling and spark completely via the maps.

I do a valet map that allows 4K rpm and 35 MPH, and then a security mode that allows 3K RPM and 5 MPH, but the car is still on it's normal engine parameters otherwise. This makes it easy to leave the car running while I make a quick run into a store or whatever (or while it idles in my driveway warming up for the morning, and I'm inside having coffee), and not have to worry that some jackass will break open the door/window and be able to drive it off. If he tries, I can just walk behind him until he gets bored and decides to get out of the car :P