Put it here:
Stephen - mind posting what you guys did on the RX-8s? Thought that was excellent!!
Dave Gran
Real Roads, Real Car Guys – Real World Road Tests
Go Ahead - Take the Wheel's Free Guide to Racing
Don't they use a solenoid-actuated kill switch? I think those are latching solenoids with a shunt-to-ground so you can mount multiple drop switches for them.
Yes, that is what we used... Multiple switches, one inside the car for the driver and one outside for corner workers/crew. Not necessarily loved by workers because it is not "commonly" recognized (or traditional) but it is clearly marked with the traditional "off" sticker.
Strphen can you post pics/product info?
RST Performance Racing
www.rstperformance.com
Only problem I have with those is that, technically, they may not be compliant to the GCR, which states "shall cut all electrical circuits but not an on-board fire system" (my emphasis). As I understand it, the latching circuit on those is always hot. Thus, you must ensure the latching-relay circuit is properly fused at the battery. Without that, in a crash if one of those wires is grounded it could cause sparks/fire and potentially not drop the master circuit. Can you post a circuit diagram of it?
Regardless, they're good systems if installed correctly, and I don't think anyone will give you any grief over it at all.
I have 2, and did so for 2 reasons:
1 - my preferred mounting in the car wound up being roughly in the middle of the cockpit on the petty bar (diagonal from the main hoop to passenger floor downbar of front hoop) as I couldn't reach the area to the left of the wheel due to seating position. the wheel is extened a good amount and I lowered the column as far as I could. I'm really far back and down in the car.
2 - by the left rear main hoop support in the trim panel beside the engine lid. it's an MR2 and the battery is right there, so this gave me an ooportunity to have an external switch accessible by safety workers and a convenient place to attach the wire harness without modifing it substantially from stock where it tied to the + post of the battery.
the interior switch also interupts ignition, while the exterior swictch interupts injector power. no alternator lines, shunts to ground, etc... either aswitch kills the engine and all electricals with it. main run of cable is batt + -> interior switch -> exterior switch -> starter and power distribution
I installed a latching main cut off switch with multiple on/off buttons in my recently completed & log booked STL Civic. One on/off button for the driver and one on each side of the car for corner workers. It is wired very similar to a standard cut off switch with regard to what happens if one end of it shorts out in a crash. A further advantage to these is that they can be mounted right next to the battery so the wire from the battery to the switch is very short which minimizes the chance that the cable will get cut & short out in a crash. I wasn't sure if this would l pass tech. I had the tech guy with the toughest reputation here in SEDiv issue the log book and he commented that he really liked this setup.
Edit: I think I know what you mean about the hot wire of the button circuit shorting out. I suppose it could happen.
Edited Edit: I want the driver AND the corner workers to have access to a master kill switch.
Last edited by autoxmike; 12-17-2014 at 09:00 PM.
_____________________
Mike Taylor
1995 MX-3 LeChump/ITX
This is a good discussion. It addresses several good issues. One of the small concerns I've had with the switch on the driver's side is that, on my car, the battery is on the PAX firewall. This means a 4-5 foot run of large wire that goes all the way across the car and is not isolated by the master switch. That is a potentially large area for a short in the event of an accident. I can convince myself it is the lesser of the available evils since I can have almost the entire length of the cable run under the dash, attached to the dash bar, and inside the confines of the cage and therefore, hopefully outside of the "crush zone".
I had contemplated the idea of using a relay and switch or switches but wasn't sure if it would pass tech. As stated earlier, the switches would be low voltage/amperage and could be fused next to the battery although they would never technically be isolated.
Ultimately, it's all a collection of compromises.
I will get a picture and post up a link to the solenoid if I get home before dark tonight. I like it because it uses a very low amp momentary switch that can be remotely located in series, so you can have as many as you want without huge wires running all over the place. The actual solenoid goes near battery. The traditional switches have always worried me because the bigger the wire the hotter it is when it grounds out... if it does.
I mounted momentary switch on the outside on drivers side since corner workers usually go to assist driver first thing and most likely will be in the drivers side if the car if they can be. The one in the inside of the car is on the center dash reachable by drive out corner worker that may reach in from passenger side in the event I am unconscious and the drivers side of the car is not reachable.
Stephen
Bookmarks