Members Ace Of Bass Posted November 3, 2006 Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 As I mentioned before, the ignition switch on my car seems to be completely broken. I've got a good electronics background, and figured it would be a pretty simple fix to just install two switches on the dash (on/off and momentary "start") rather than pay half what the car is worth to have it replaced. A quick online search and reading of Wikipedia's article on hotwiring confirms that it's probably a pretty simple modification to make. Ideally, I'd still like to have some kind of security feature on it, though. Any tips on where to get on/off switches that require a combination or something...even something with three dials like on a suitcase or something would be better than nothing. Anything else I should know before trying this? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members xOriginalNinjax Posted November 3, 2006 Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 Dude, just buy a switch with a cover over it, and drill a hole and padlock it. Get a decent sized switch and it'll work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bluescout Posted November 3, 2006 Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 Originally posted by Ace Of Bass Anything else I should know before trying this? Yes there is. Depending on make and model the steering probably locks by the key. Also there are far more circuits going through the ignition switch than just "Start" and "Run" There's 2 parts, the lock cylinder and the switch. If turning the key is the problem, it's probably the lock cylinder. If it's an electrical problem, you can replace the switch yourself. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members bassplayinguy Posted November 3, 2006 Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 what kind of car is it? the switches arent overly expensive, i thinnk they are around 50 bucks and require only pulling the plug out and plugging in intot he new one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Low Tone Posted November 3, 2006 Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 I need to hotwire a car too. Preferably a BMW, Mercedes, or Jaguar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ace Of Bass Posted November 3, 2006 Author Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 Okay, let me rephrase.I want to get my car home in a hurry tomorrow so I can work on it and install a new switch at home. I've left it 2 miles away right now, and I want it back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members misterhinkydink Posted November 3, 2006 Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 Originally posted by Ace Of Bass Okay, let me rephrase. I want to get my car home in a hurry tomorrow so I can work on it and install a new switch at home. I've left it 2 miles away right now, and I want it back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ace Of Bass Posted November 3, 2006 Author Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 Let me rephrase:I'm cheap and I want a working car! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members no-logic Posted November 3, 2006 Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 I think we're done here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ace Of Bass Posted November 3, 2006 Author Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 Originally posted by no-logic I think we're done here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Reverend179 Posted November 3, 2006 Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 Maybe you could...I dunno...light it on fire? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Bluescout Posted November 3, 2006 Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 he means don't butch up your car because you're cheap. It'll cost you more in the end. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Zeromus-X Posted November 3, 2006 Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 Getting it towed 2 miles shouldn't be expensive. If you've got AAA they'll probably cover the whole thing anyway. If you don't, maybe you should consider it. Otherwise, it's not too incredibly difficult to type in www.google.com to your favorite browser -- I'm sure you can find something there. I hear there's lots of things on the Internets nowadays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jonathan_matos5 Posted November 3, 2006 Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 me and my brother had to bush my brothers girlfriend"s 1970's chevy impala 2 miles to a gas station because she forgot to get gas. i think its time you man up and push it home or pay for a tow:thu: it looked like this only beat up and mistreated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ec437 Posted November 3, 2006 Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 Originally posted by Low Tone I need to hotwire a car too. Preferably a BMW, Mercedes, or Jaguar. Well with the BMW you may have some trouble as the battery is in the trunk and the terminals in the bay can be tricky to get to. Short of smashing a window you'll also have a hard time getting into the car. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Apendecto Posted November 3, 2006 Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 Originally posted by Zeromus-X Getting it towed 2 miles shouldn't be expensive. If you've got AAA they'll probably cover the whole thing anyway. If you don't, maybe you should consider it. Otherwise, it's not too incredibly difficult to type in www.google.com to your favorite browser -- I'm sure you can find something there. I hear there's lots of things on the Internets nowadays. [Homer] They have the internet on computers now a days? [/Homer] Yo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Billystrat Posted November 3, 2006 Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 Originally posted by jonathan_matos5 me and my brother had to bush my brothers girlfriend"s 1970's chevy impala 2 miles to a gas station because she forgot to get gas. i think its time you man up and push it home or pay for a tow:thu: it looked like this only beat up and mistreated There's no way the car you are trying to move weighs more than this 70s Impala!!!! Being a bored idiot in my 20s, it only takes about 4 guys to actually lift a small car off the ground. Can you get it in Neutral? Cuz then you could just have someone push it (either with another car or man power) preferably late at night when not many people are on the road. U-haul will rent a tow dolly. AAA is like $25 for basic membership they tow up to 7 miles for free. Seriously it's saved me a ton of money. I buy total junk cars. I know cheap ways of hauling cars!!! But really hot wiring isn't worth it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members georgestrings Posted November 3, 2006 Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 Well, one solution would be to punch in the ignition lock with a screwdriver, so that you can turn it as you normally would with the key in... An option to keep others from taking it while in this condition would be a battery cutoff switch - or, just buy and install another ignition lock... As for "hot-wiring", if you can find a schematic diagram for your car, you *should* be able to figure out which wires to cross, coming out of your sterring column... - georgestrings Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members no-logic Posted November 3, 2006 Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 Originally posted by Bluescout he means don't butch up your car because you're cheap. It'll cost you more in the end. Exactly! Sorry Ace. It just sounds like you're really in a pickle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Perfessor Posted November 3, 2006 Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 You'll end up with alot of expense. Take it from someone who tried. I found a bunch of circuits in my Mustang column. It took weeks for the dealer to get the parts. And then I found my keys!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members hawkhuff Posted November 3, 2006 Members Share Posted November 3, 2006 Originally posted by Ace Of Bass Okay, let me rephrase.I want to get my car home in a hurry tomorrow so I can work on it and install a new switch at home. I've left it 2 miles away right now, and I want it back. Just bridge the + wire with one of the others on the ignition switch. That will do it and it's realy easy to do. You can also bridge the two posts on your solenoid. I do this with my old John Deere lawn tractor. Works every time. Make sure the ignition switch is in the on position and pump the gas pedal once or twice to insure the carb or FI is ready. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Ace Of Bass Posted November 4, 2006 Author Members Share Posted November 4, 2006 UPDATEI drove it home today.After gaining access to the wires, I poked around a bit with a multimeter, shaved a bit of the insulation off two wires, connected them together with with a micro-alligator clip wire, and then breifly bridged that to another wire to turn the starter. Couldn't have been simpler. So, my car is once again fully functional--though rediculously easy to steal. I'll probably put in a new ignition switch soon, but in the mean time I'm just happy it all worked well so fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.