Miata Mailing List: December 1994, Message #218
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   From: hsue@iwrmv1.ih.att.com (sue)
Subject: Re: Killswitch
   Date: Thu, 8 Dec 1994 02:23:07 -0500

Michael Friedman wrote:
>I would imagine that by killing the fuel pump only, there was enough
>residual fuel pressure in the system to start the car and drive a block
>before it ran dry.  I know this would work with a carburated car...,
 
netaxs.com (Ken Warren) added:
>Umm, even at idle there's nowhere *near* that much fuel in the lines. When
>you change your fuel filter, you have to release the pressure in the system.
>You do that by starting the car and pulling the connector off a relay....

I had a fuel pump kill switch on a carburated car. With the fuel pump off,
there was enough fuel in the float bowl to drive a few blocks.

I do agree with Ken on an injected car. The pressure drops quickly when
the pump isn't running. Which is good, if you're using a kill switch on
the pump. 

A Corvette owner told me about an aftermarket smart switch inside his 
starter. To start the car, one toggles the key in a set pattern. 
The starter cannot be jumped, because it has no exposed connectors. The
tradeoff is that it prevents a fast start, if you're in a hurry. For that
reason, it's also installed on cars when the driver has a DUI record.
I doubt that would be effective. I read in the paper last month that some
bum with a court-mandated breath monitor wired into his starter simply 
had his kids blow into it. He drove his kids and car into a lake and
everyone drowned.  

So as not to close on low note, my college roommate used to pull the 
rotor out of his Mustang when he parked it, until he was pulled over one
night by a cop who thought he had hotwired the car.

Harry Sue