Hi everyone, I have a 1999 Impreza and I would like to fit a secret ignition switch. (a little momentary button that you must have pressed in order to start the car.)

 

Does anyone know of any guides specific to Subaru Imprezas for this?

 

 

 

Also, could you please share you opinions on what you think the best low budget security system might consist of / be?

To be honest, I feel like a bit of a vegetable right now and I'll probably be feeling that way for the next week or so, but I need to fix my car with some security for when I go travelling.

 

Obviously I don't want people breaking into my car just to steal things (meaning that an alarm would be useful to alert me when I'm nearby)

but I also don't fancy coming back from work one day to see that my car is completely gone, so I was thinking that maybe a secret switch could help ward off potential thievery.

 

Any ideas?

 

Also, considering that the mere sight of the wires underneath the steering wheel was enough to frighten me a little bit (and the vegetable thing)

Do you think it would be a good idea to get someone to install an alarm for me?

I'm sure that you will get many ideas for this. How about simply removing the fuel pump fuse from the fuse box and connecting a hidden switch (with the fuse also). I doubt a typical thief would be smart enough or quick enough to figure that out. All you really need to do is discourage them and they will usually move on. What ever you do I suggest keeping it simple and removeable.

 

In my opinion anyone that really wants your car will just take it with a tow truck in about 30 seconds

Edited May 3, 201510 yr by Crazyeights

Thanks for the suggestion, that sounds like a good idea. Or maybe it doesn't.. Isn't it bad to turn the engine when there is no fuel being pumped in? Ill have to check up on that.

 

If they really want my car they'll tow it? =o Good thing it's a plain Subbie ! or is it? actually, I'd prefer a fancy one with a turbo =P

Edited May 3, 201510 yr by Detronix

my 80's bmw has some simple security system that is controlled by the on board computer. i had disabled it but it worked by disabling the spark. if i entered a code into the computer the alarm would activate and if someone tried to steal it the car would still crank but the 3rd time the horn would beep. im sure it wouldn't be to hard to hook up some kind of spark kill switch.

My car has a secret-switch that does 2 things:

- A small red LED-lamp on the console lights up. Mine is a 'solid' light, but a 'flashing' light might be better.

- The switch is wired in series with the clutch-pedal-switch (this is a manual transmission), so that depressing the clutch-pedal does not allow the starter to work (as it normally would).

 

I've had something similar in all of my many cars. In the old-days, pre-electronic ignition, the secret-switch was wired in parallel with the ignition contact-points, thus making the distributor not work.

 

I once saw a news item about car thefts. A 'reformed' car thief explained how easy it was to steal cars. The news camera followed the thief as he went from car to car. When he looked into a car and saw a flashing light, he said "I don't know what that light means, and I haven't the time to find out; I'm moving on to the next car".