“Plug and play” anti-theft kill switch

OnTheReel

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Just another way to get the job done. I’ve seen people do kill switches on the fuel pump, e-brake, etc. This one I cooked up uses an off the shelf harness to interrupt power to the starter button. This allows retention of the remote start, and no wires to cut. Just about everything can be defeated but I figured this would at least add another layer of “f you” to the key-cloners. And 100% reversible to stock with no footprint at all.

Cheaper options...make your own with these connectors and pins:

https://www.te.com/usa-en/product-776204-2.html

https://www.te.com/usa-en/product-345178-2.html

https://www.te.com/usa-en/product-175180-2.html

https://www.te.com/usa-en/product-173682-1.html

A forum member also offers these assembled at a good price:

https://www.ram-trx.com/threads/start-button-kill-switch-harness.14418/

Otherwise this is the remote start harness I used. Good option if connectors are unavailable, you're in a hurry, and/ or can't make your own from scratch:



5CD47861-3C93-4E76-9473-EF7FDF6A1A48.jpeg

Peeling back the onion, these 6 pin connectors are what we’re after:
F6837F16-DB15-4445-8B86-14155281A9D6.jpeg

Note that only 4 pins are populated in the truck’s harness, so I de-pinned the blue and orange wires. Dunno what they do, but they ain’t there in the TRX. In this aftermarket harness, there are also long wires teed into the blue, white with green stripe, and black wires. I got rid of the tees and soldered just the two ends back to each other as shown. Note that the one wire has a green stripe on the male plug and red stripe on the female, but they do go together and are in the same pin position.
3E708B3E-F122-4C2F-8028-9907919DABA5.jpeg

I then extended the red wire leads to go out to a kill switch using the excess wire from this kit.
9501F131-C8C4-44BE-90A8-AF709290C178.jpeg

EDIT: If you don’t wish to disconnect the battery, the kill switch harness should be plugged into the factory ignition wiring LAST. Otherwise these kill switch wires will be hot and may short to ground while routing and installing the switch. Blowing fuse F24.

Next up is the truck-side of the work. I disconnected the battery and pulled the knee buster down, and reached up to push the starter switch out of its hole.
893A621C-A362-4CDA-B433-4A28615E4A50.jpeg

There are two tabs on top and one on the bottom.
180E36F2-0CE8-4466-939B-3408C1FEDDB1.jpeg
7212BBB4-2B81-4BB2-9555-21ADC9962CB6.jpeg

From there it was a matter of installing my tee harness:
3445F820-CB03-4BC3-98E3-9BB76F4C548A.jpeg

I taped over the connector to make it a little less apparent and harder to disassemble. Anyone who’s dealt with Tesa tape knows it’s a bitch to unpeel. Obviously the way to defeat it is to unplug the tee harness and plug the factory harness directly back into the switch. To avoid that possibility, you can hardwire without the tee harness. That would be more secure, but I just didn’t want cut wires. I never ever do, and won’t start now. You do what you want.
E4227C7D-C353-4AD3-98AD-AD0A9C8F1AC5.jpeg

Last step is the kill switch. Any simple SPST on/off switch works. I used a high quality Carling marine switch because I just didn’t want problems. I soldered my wires right to switch and heat shrunk and taped over them.

You can put the switch anywhere you want. I found a pretty neat location. Very difficult to find while being comically easy to reach. The steering column has a leather thing around it and a hole where the tilt adjuster lever passes through. I pulled the headlight switch (just pull!), and mounted the kill switch to a brace that is facing the adjuster lever. I have the switch positioned so I can reach in the hole in the leather and flip it. The switch does not restrict the adjustment lever movement and is totally invisible. Switch is on the metal bracket with the slot running down it.
05A5ABB3-AE86-4397-B330-DF60FCC1242B.jpeg

This is the view from below. Yes, you can kinda see it, but it’s way up there and not obvious. You wouldn’t be likely to find it in a rush, and you wouldn’t be able to feel it or reach it from below. Good enough for me.
88989482-ED41-49EB-BF68-1E08DF9B877B.jpeg

Now, I did highlight its weaknesses, this is not the perfect solution. I am aware. I just figure for $70 this is way better than nothing. It is easy to install with no factory wires to cut and could supplement other security measures.
 
Last edited:
Exactly what I was looking to do on mine. Just paranoid with this think getting stolen and don’t want all kinds of wires cut up or tapped into. Thanks for the great write up.
 
Great write-up! Can you possibly link the switch you used?


The location I used may or may not be right for you depending upon the size of your hands and fingers. If you do plan to put it where I put mine, you’ll need to make a small plate with a 1/2” hole in it. The plate sandwiches the switch between the mount and holds it in tightly. I used a small chunk of ABS I had lying around.

After mounting I put some more Tesa tape on it for camouflage since the switch is shiny chrome. They also sell rubber switch boots that would be good if they make a black one.
B43F6844-3ACD-415A-8540-FB297F882C43.jpeg
 
Yep. Yet another layer to frustrate the "script kiddie" type of thief who only knows how to use a laptop. For me, I'd splice the kill switch wiring away from the actual start button, right at the BCM connector, just to prevent a slightly more competent thief from prying out the start button and finding the tee connector.

But for those not comfortable cutting into their factory wiring, and getting up under the dash and dealing with a myriad of high-density connectors and lots of colored wires, this is a great simple way to add another layer of kill switch.

I especially like the idea of the mounting location... very easy to reach, and COMPLETELY out of view.
 
Just another way to get the job done. I’ve seen people do kill switches on the fuel pump, e-brake, etc. This one I cooked up uses an off the shelf harness to interrupt power to the starter button. This allows retention of the remote start, and no wires to cut. Just about everything can be defeated but I figured this would at least add another layer of “fuck you” to the key-cloners. And 100% reversible to stock with no footprint at all. Primarily intend to use it at hotels and when I’m on the water with my boat. I’d be really pissed to come back to no truck and no trailer.

Anyway, this is the harness:


Guessing it’s for some kind of remote start system but I cut 90% of it off anyway.

View attachment 42117
Peeling back the onion, these 6 pin connectors are what we’re after:
View attachment 42118
Note that only 4 pins are populated in the truck’s harness, so I de-pinned the blue and orange wires. Dunno what they do, but they ain’t there in the TRX. In this aftermarket harness, there are also long wires teed into the blue, white with green stripe, and black wires. I got rid of the tees and soldered just the two ends back to each other as shown. Note that the one wire has a green stripe on the male plug and red stripe on the female, but they do go together and are in the same pin position.
View attachment 42119
I then extended the red wire leads to go out to a kill switch using the excess wire from this kit.View attachment 42123
Next up is the truck-side of the work. I pulled the knee buster down, and reached up to push the starter switch out of it’s hole.View attachment 42124
There are two tabs on top and one on the bottom.
View attachment 42125View attachment 42126
From there it was a matter of installing my tee harness:
View attachment 42135
I taped over the connector to make it a little less apparent and harder to disassemble. Anyone who’s dealt with Tesa tape knows it’s a bitch to unpeel. Obviously the way to defeat it is to unplug the tee harness and plug the factory harness directly back into the switch. To avoid that possibility, you can hardwire without the tee harness. That would be more secure, but I just didn’t want cut wires. I never ever do, and won’t start now. You do what you want.
View attachment 42136
Last step is the kill switch. Any simple SPST on/off switch works. I used a high quality Carling marine switch because I just didn’t want problems. I soldered my wires right to switch and heat shrunk and taped over them.

You can put the switch anywhere you want. I found a pretty neat location. Very difficult to find while being comically easy to reach. The steering column has a leather thing around it and a hole where the tilt adjuster lever passes through. I pulled the headlight switch (just pull!), and mounted the kill switch to a brace that is facing the adjuster lever. I have the switch positioned so I can reach in the hole in the leather and flip it. The switch does not restrict the adjustment lever movement and is totally invisible. Switch is on the metal bracket with the slot running down it.
View attachment 42139
This is the view from below. Yes, you can kinda see it, but it’s way up there and not obvious. You wouldn’t be likely to find it in a rush, and you wouldn’t be able to feel it or reach it from below. Good enough for me.View attachment 42140
Now, I did highlight it’s weaknesses, this is not the perfect solution. I am aware. I just figure for $70 this is way better than nothing. It is easy to install with no factory wires to cut and could supplement other security measures such as my S&W 500 mag. Or maybe a dummy OBD2 port, wheel club, etc. I’m not super paranoid, just wanted to do a little something.
Nice work
 
Harness ordered and doing the install ASAP !!!!
Thank you!
 
Harness ordered and doing the install ASAP !!!!
Thank you!
Awesome! Everything has been working perfect for me. Didn’t initially plan to, but I deploy the kill switch almost every night. No reason not to.
 
So, I absolutely love this idea- but has anybody thought about just splicing into the same ignition wires and taking it to one of your aux switches? 🤔 you can set the switches to be latching, so it should remember its last state of operation and should do the same thing as this aftermarket switch. Or you could do a combo of aux switches for even more complexity for a thief...
 
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