Kill switch
From the Resto-Mod department
Not only James Bond can have one
in his Aston Martin DB5. But Victoria's kill switch
might be somewhat less spectacular.
It was decided to pull extra-long battery cables all the way up to the passenger seat. They end on a big rotating switch that allows to cut the whole wiring loom circuit, by isolating the negative earth from the car.
By doing so, in case of a shortcut, at the turn of a key, you open the circuit and kill any attempt to set a bone fire.
It can also be used to prevent anyone from starting the car without having the specific key.
Finally, it allows to work on the electrical system safely, without having to unbolt the battery points, a painful exercise compared to a turn of a key.
Unfortunately, any addition to any existing system has a downside: it is a new potential failure in itself ! And it was indeed the case. The switch itself had an internal problem and shut down the electrical system unexpectedly.
It was decided to pull extra-long battery cables all the way up to the passenger seat. They end on a big rotating switch that allows to cut the whole wiring loom circuit, by isolating the negative earth from the car.
By doing so, in case of a shortcut, at the turn of a key, you open the circuit and kill any attempt to set a bone fire.
It can also be used to prevent anyone from starting the car without having the specific key.
Finally, it allows to work on the electrical system safely, without having to unbolt the battery points, a painful exercise compared to a turn of a key.
Unfortunately, any addition to any existing system has a downside: it is a new potential failure in itself ! And it was indeed the case. The switch itself had an internal problem and shut down the electrical system unexpectedly.
More pictures below.
