Miata Mailing List: December 1994, Message #119
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   From: "Ken Walker" 
Subject: Ignition Kill and free stuff
   Date: Mon, 5 Dec 1994 12:19:01 -0500

     To contribute to the ignition kill debate:

     I had a fuel pump kill switch installed on my Mustang 5.0L three years
     ago.  The people who installed it charged me 20 bucks + the charge of
     the switch (3.50).  I probably could have done it myself, but they had
     the tools, etc.. to do it in less than an hour.

     Anyway, they suggested several places to hide the switch including
     behind my cruise control, in the blinker, etc... but I reasoned that
     if ANYONE knew the location, it was possible for MORE people to know
     the location (money talks).  I asked him to leave a simple toggle
     switch dangling from under the dash with several feet of slack wire,
     and I would install it myself.

     Two weeks later, I woke up to find my car missing.  It was one block
     away in the middle of the street, doors open, dome light on, cops on
     scene, etc... No damage except for the punched out door lock on the
     driver's side, and some steering column dis-array.

     I repeated the entire kill switch procedure on my Miata.  I hid the
     switch myself, and had a humorous run-in with my dealer recently.  I
     brought the car in for its free oil change and regular check up.  I
     asked the service manager to use the kill switch, and I showed him
     where it was.  Apparently he didn't tell anyone else, and he left
     early for the day.  The folks that were left couldn't get my car
     started to take it into the shop.  I was unavailable, and since they
     knew it was only in for a service checkup and oil job, they took it
     upon themselves to "fix" the "ignition problem" since it must have
     been "their fault."  When I showed up to pick up the car, a very
     apologetic asst. service manager reluctanly told me that they had
     installed a new fuel pump, fuel filter, starter, battery, and ignition
     block, but were unable to get my car to start.  He gave me the new key
     (that came with the new block) and I walked over, sat down, and
     started the car.  I wish I had a camera to shoot the look on his face.
     I asked him to either install new trunk/door locks, or replace the
     ignition block so I wouldn't have to have two keys...

     Bottom line for me is, if the dealer can spend a whole day under the
     hood and not figure out what the "new blue wire" is for... TIC-TAC is
     probably safe from 90% of the intruders with intent to steal...

     kjw & TIC-TAC