As a FOLLOW UP to my comment below, I spent a small fortune at two major local dealerships trying to solve a parasitic battery drain that would kill my otherwise decent 12 volt battery on my 2005 Dodge Caravan (that I am really fond of) to minimal effect. Yes, with a toggle switch installed in the Body Control Module on the line that supplied a small current power to that module, my overnight battery drain was slightly improved BUT if the vehicle wasn't driven for say a week then the result was still a drained battery. I even had a remote starter installed so that I could start the vehicle a couple of times each day to charge up the battery minimally. Same thing .. after a few days to a week and the otherwise good battery was flat. One dealer even installed a brand new heavy duty battery with the same exact effect. Flat after a week !!! After spending over $1500 at two different major dealerships, I still had a flat battery after a weak of non use. I decided, reluctantly, to tackle the issue myself. I installed an $8 Amazon battery disconnect switch rated for more than 200 amps ON THE NEGATIVE POST of the battery, directly on the battery terminal itself. It was the relatively flat kind of switch (for good hood clearance) with the green twist knob built in. VOILA. Now when I'm done with the vehicle, I just lift the hood and switch the disconnect off by hand (NO wrenches needed) and my trusty Van will start instantly even after several months of sitting. As a senior, I don't drive very much in the winter anymore, but it is most assuring that if I needed to use the vehicle it starts up like a brand new Van even though it is now 19 years old in 2024. In hindsight, investing only $8 on this solid built disconnect switch solved my intermittent use of this vehicle 100% as opposed to chasing after the parasitic drain and spending upwards of $1500 plus. THREE words of caution. #1 If you are going to attempt this, do so ONLY on the negative battery post, definitely NOT the positive post (for reasons explained in my subsequent post). #2 Wear proper safety glasses when performing this install. #3 Caution. This worked beautifully on my 05 Dodge Caravan with no apparent adverse effect, other than with a complete shutdown like this switch affords, you would have to reset the digital clock and the radio presets each time if that was important to you. Might this have an adverse effect on your newer vehicle with even more computerization than my older van when you completely isolate the battery from the computer ECU etc is up for discussion. You do so at your own risk, of course. This is my honest experience on a particular make and model year. Good luck. Mine works fantastic now for nearly 2 years so far ! Greetings from Ontario, Canada.
I love the not wasteing my time. Dude, every other video I watched was a minute and a half of garbage in the beginning. we all know why we are watching kill switch videos. get on with the shit already. THANK YOU for giving me the details! These dont need to be 15 minute long nonsense! you rock!
1, Before you start, discontent the NEGATIVE lead from the battery. 2, When you fit your kill switch, fit it to the NEGATIVE and never the positive lead. 3, Don't leave things like the kill switch he fitted unsupported. Always secure them!
I know this is a year old video, never hook a battery disconnect to the positive side of the battery. Thus is coming from a guy that is a master mechanic for over 35 years, worked on all different vehicles and never would put a battery disconnect on the positive side of the battery even if the customer demands it, I would tell him to take a walk. You can tape up the battery disconnect this guy used and all it takes is that switch to short out and the housing touches metal there goes your ECU, Body Module, other Modules, diodes in your alternator who knows what damage it will cause. Drag cars the rules for the tracks around here is the switch has to be on the negative side of the battery. Well it's your vehicle do what you want, when it shorts out everything bring your vehicle to me I always like making money working on vehicles
@@bksduskmirror1250 I'm not a master mechanic like the other guy, but I do know that ChrisFix has a video on installing a kill switch. He runs some 2 gauge cable all the way to a switch next to his steering wheel. He explains what he's doing VERY well. As for the 2 batteries, again not a mechanic, I assume it works in a very similar way as with one battery. But it could be slightly different depending on how yours is hooked up. I think that most batteries like this are hooked up in parallel. This means that the negative terminals should be connected together. You'd then be able to hook a disconnect switch to the cable going to the frame and that should stop the circuit. I'm unsure whether or not using the switch connected to ground would be okay for a kill switch (to be used when the car is still on). I've now seen 2 videos saying to connect it to the positive, but I've always heard to NEVER disconnect the positive first. It's just that when the engine is on, the alternator is creating current. If the engine has its power suddenly cut off, it will still turn over and cause the alternator to produce current. ChrisFix fixed this by using a resistor connected to ground to deal with the extra current instead of damaging the alternator or other parts. Hopefully, @DavidGuns can give us answers to what happens if the alternator is still trying to produce current, but the ground is cut off.
Wrong ,i disagree with it being installed on the positive terminal , if the connection ever jostles loose, because of road, bumps going over tracks over the years, you could end up with an engine fire.play it safe ,attach the kill switch to the negative battery post/terminal. Connect it to the negative of your battery ,run the wire from that connection along the engine bay through the Gromit in the firewall to a on/off toggle switch that you install underneath your seat or dashboard ,this way you don’t have to open the hood every time to turn the battery power off The only downside to this negative battery terminal killswitch is that you will lose all your radio station presets and the power to your clock each time you shut the power off to your battery but your car will still be in your driveway in the morning
@@abeneufeld9690 This is what I thought, but for some reason people online like to say to use the positive wire. I’m pretty sure it’s the same principle as when you unplug your battery manually, always unplug the ground first. I think it does suck running a cable that far in order to have it inside the cab, but I can’t really think of a better way.
To be up front here, there are two things that I find very troublesome about your video. First of all, I am a retired Electronics Technician with more than 5 decades of experience working with electronics and electrical circuits of all kinds. First, you were working on a LIVE system when you cut into the positive cable. If your razor cutter, which is metallic, happened to touch anything metal while you were performing that very dangerous task, you would have then directly connected the positive to the ground side causing a MASSIVE short circuit, huge amperage drain resulting more than likely an explosion of the battery, spewing sulfuric acid and sparks everywhere, including on your skin and eyes. The first order of business would have been to remove the negative connector from the battery. If your wrench happened to touch any incidental metal object in the vicinity, nothing would happen, since the negative of the battery and the chassis are at the same potential. With the Negative terminal removed, then the proper approach would be to mount your switch wherever it would be accessible, then connecting the leads from that switch so that it becomes in series between the negative battery post and the negative terminal that was connected to the battery originally. That way, if there is ever an accident, or if any metal object were to come into contact with the switch terminals after it was installed, no harm would come of it. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT DISTINCTION. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER connect a disconnect switch to the Positive post of a car battery. The one rare exception would be, if the vehicle was an older or possibly a foreign vehicle that has a Positive grounded chassis. A very rare case indeed. Otherwise, NEGATIVE side for disconnects ONLY. This understanding could save someone's LIFE.
Thanks for your input, how many amps would that switch need to be rated for? Also I would like to install the switch inside the cab for convenience. Can I just simply use the same gauge wire and extend it into the switch under the dash or panel?
I honestly wouldn't be watching this video if I didn't find a stolen Honda Accord at my work place And I drive a Honda Accord This video has been very helpful thank you for being straight to the point in this video
I'm not trying to argue about the logic of electricity, but you should probably put the disconnect on the negative. Both ways work but if you were to crash and the positive terminal touches bare metal, the kill switch would do nothing because of the way the vehicle is grounded. I also checked the Hot Rod association article and it says pretty much the same. But to be fair, safety second.
I'm pretty sure the switch goes on the negative side bro. You can blow your computer out if you tuck anything mettle with that. I hope it works out for you in the long run. Thank you very much for the video. God bless.
This is some hillbilly ass rigging if ive ever seen it. For the sake of people watching and taking notes, if you dont want to cause electrical issues or fires do it right.... Don't cut your main cable in half, make clean cuts, use heat shrink, twist the wires to compact them dont smash them with pliers, dont use fucking bolt cutters to crimp the lugs. Never use electrical tape on bare wiring, especially your damn battery cable, it might cover the wires but it does not make it water tight which will corrode over time. This guy has the general idea down, but his process of doing them will be dangerous over time or outright fail. Remove the lug from the battery, put that end on the switch then either make or buy a new cable to connect from the battery to the switch. If you make your own, use a razor carefully don't gouge into it like he did slicing it sideways, that just results in breaking wire strands. Slide a piece of heat shrink large enough over the cable and leave it out of the way for a moment, twist the bare wires with your fingers, and slide the lug over the end. Use an actual lug crimper, you can get some small portable ones for a few bucks that you hit with a hammer to crimp, they work great. Once it's crimped, slide the heat shrink back up covering the backside of the lug and cable then heat it up sealing the connection. Doing it this way will allow you to remove the switch if you ever need to without any extra work or issues. If you do it the way he did it and the switch dies or you want to remove it you're screwed and won't be able to put the cable back together without more rigging.
Thanks for the good clear installation instructions what do you think negative side or positive side.? What is the directions say on these kill switches question mark I haven't read up but my friend had one put in her car
I hope this fixes my battery issue I'm having. I have emergency lights in my vehicle that I believe is drawing power from my battery but after watching this, I hope it does fix it cause my battery likes to mostly die overnight and had to get a solar panel to keep it charged until I get a switch
You mention this works on any truck or car. For a diesel, with 2 batteries, which battery should i be working with? As for size of switch, mine says up to 48 volt. Battery Doctor brand
I was going to ask the same question, but i see you didn’t get an answer yet. I would also like to put the kill switch inside the cab. Anyway i will wait for an answer
The idea is good but the practice is bad ... because you need to weld them first and use shrink tube to electrical tape and disconnect your negative when you do that !
Can you please share the link of an updated switch you recommend The one you have in the description is no longer available, I'm looking to Install a battery cut off switch to prevent my battery from dying from a unknown parasitic draw that i cannot locate. After a few days of storage/not starting truck the battery dies and its brand new. I have an 07 H2 Hummer.
To be safe I'd probably get a 400 continuous with 2000 cranking and max surge. Might be a little overkill but I'd go with something heavy duty like that.
Just take the wire from your ignition, chris fix did a good Video for the inside where he put a switch in the leatherbag next to your shifter. If you drive an automatic just place it under your seat or somewhere where nobody could find it. Hide the cables and you have a nice kill switch that is a bit more accessible
I Take It That This Is Just For Vehicles Without R.C.L.....Otherwise Best Use Remotely Operated Kill Switch Or You Will Not Be Able To Remotely Lock Your Vehicle...Manual Switch In A Reachable Hidden Place Under The Car If Not.. Maybe.
A word to the wise for the reader: don’t do anything this amateur hack just did in this video. If hooking up to the positive terminal wasn’t enough of a give-away that you are watching idiocy, then crimping with bolt cutters and leaving the switch to dangle freely with all those bare connections able to touch anything that comes with the movement of a vehicle and vibration of an engine should have been your other clues. Thanks to this video countless people have incorrectly hooked up their disconnect switches, and the world has become increasingly more stupid. May god have mercy on your soul.
![[TH] 2024 PMGC League | Survival Stage วันที่ 1 | PUBG MOBILE Global Championship](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/FVFT-PFwU80/mqdefault.jpg)
As a FOLLOW UP to my comment below, I spent a small fortune at two major local dealerships trying to solve a parasitic battery drain that would kill my otherwise decent 12 volt battery on my 2005 Dodge Caravan (that I am really fond of) to minimal effect. Yes, with a toggle switch installed in the Body Control Module on the line that supplied a small current power to that module, my overnight battery drain was slightly improved BUT if the vehicle wasn't driven for say a week then the result was still a drained battery. I even had a remote starter installed so that I could start the vehicle a couple of times each day to charge up the battery minimally. Same thing .. after a few days to a week and the otherwise good battery was flat. One dealer even installed a brand new heavy duty battery with the same exact effect. Flat after a week !!! After spending over $1500 at two different major dealerships, I still had a flat battery after a weak of non use. I decided, reluctantly, to tackle the issue myself. I installed an $8 Amazon battery disconnect switch rated for more than 200 amps ON THE NEGATIVE POST of the battery, directly on the battery terminal itself. It was the relatively flat kind of switch (for good hood clearance) with the green twist knob built in. VOILA. Now when I'm done with the vehicle, I just lift the hood and switch the disconnect off by hand (NO wrenches needed) and my trusty Van will start instantly even after several months of sitting. As a senior, I don't drive very much in the winter anymore, but it is most assuring that if I needed to use the vehicle it starts up like a brand new Van even though it is now 19 years old in 2024. In hindsight, investing only $8 on this solid built disconnect switch solved my intermittent use of this vehicle 100% as opposed to chasing after the parasitic drain and spending upwards of $1500 plus. THREE words of caution. #1 If you are going to attempt this, do so ONLY on the negative battery post, definitely NOT the positive post (for reasons explained in my subsequent post). #2 Wear proper safety glasses when performing this install. #3 Caution. This worked beautifully on my 05 Dodge Caravan with no apparent adverse effect, other than with a complete shutdown like this switch affords, you would have to reset the digital clock and the radio presets each time if that was important to you. Might this have an adverse effect on your newer vehicle with even more computerization than my older van when you completely isolate the battery from the computer ECU etc is up for discussion. You do so at your own risk, of course. This is my honest experience on a particular make and model year. Good luck. Mine works fantastic now for nearly 2 years so far ! Greetings from Ontario, Canada.
I love the not wasteing my time. Dude, every other video I watched was a minute and a half of garbage in the beginning. we all know why we are watching kill switch videos. get on with the shit already. THANK YOU for giving me the details! These dont need to be 15 minute long nonsense! you rock!
1, Before you start, discontent the NEGATIVE lead from the battery.
2, When you fit your kill switch, fit it to the NEGATIVE and never the positive lead.
3, Don't leave things like the kill switch he fitted unsupported. Always secure them!
I know this is a year old video, never hook a battery disconnect to the positive side of the battery. Thus is coming from a guy that is a master mechanic for over 35 years, worked on all different vehicles and never would put a battery disconnect on the positive side of the battery even if the customer demands it, I would tell him to take a walk. You can tape up the battery disconnect this guy used and all it takes is that switch to short out and the housing touches metal there goes your ECU, Body Module, other Modules, diodes in your alternator who knows what damage it will cause. Drag cars the rules for the tracks around here is the switch has to be on the negative side of the battery. Well it's your vehicle do what you want, when it shorts out everything bring your vehicle to me I always like making money working on vehicles
Can the switch be installed inside the cab? And what about a truck with two batteries, how would that work?
@@bksduskmirror1250 I'm not a master mechanic like the other guy, but I do know that ChrisFix has a video on installing a kill switch. He runs some 2 gauge cable all the way to a switch next to his steering wheel. He explains what he's doing VERY well.
As for the 2 batteries, again not a mechanic, I assume it works in a very similar way as with one battery. But it could be slightly different depending on how yours is hooked up.
I think that most batteries like this are hooked up in parallel. This means that the negative terminals should be connected together. You'd then be able to hook a disconnect switch to the cable going to the frame and that should stop the circuit.
I'm unsure whether or not using the switch connected to ground would be okay for a kill switch (to be used when the car is still on). I've now seen 2 videos saying to connect it to the positive, but I've always heard to NEVER disconnect the positive first.
It's just that when the engine is on, the alternator is creating current. If the engine has its power suddenly cut off, it will still turn over and cause the alternator to produce current. ChrisFix fixed this by using a resistor connected to ground to deal with the extra current instead of damaging the alternator or other parts.
Hopefully, @DavidGuns can give us answers to what happens if the alternator is still trying to produce current, but the ground is cut off.
Wrong ,i disagree with it being installed on the positive terminal , if the connection ever jostles loose, because of road, bumps going over tracks over the years, you could end up with an engine fire.play it safe ,attach the kill switch to the negative battery post/terminal.
Connect it to the negative of your battery ,run the wire from that connection along the engine bay through the Gromit in the firewall to a on/off toggle switch that you install underneath your seat or dashboard ,this way you don’t have to open the hood every time to turn the battery power off
The only downside to this negative battery terminal killswitch is that you will lose all your radio station presets and the power to your clock each time you shut the power off to your battery but your car will still be in your driveway in the morning
@@abeneufeld9690 This is what I thought, but for some reason people online like to say to use the positive wire. I’m pretty sure it’s the same principle as when you unplug your battery manually, always unplug the ground first.
I think it does suck running a cable that far in order to have it inside the cab, but I can’t really think of a better way.
@@abeneufeld9690 and able to start if you have a chronic battery drainage issue like on a new crosscheck
To be up front here, there are two things that I find very troublesome about your video.
First of all, I am a retired Electronics Technician with more than 5 decades of experience working with electronics and electrical circuits of all kinds. First, you were working on a LIVE system when you cut into the positive cable. If your razor cutter, which is metallic, happened to touch anything metal while you were performing that very dangerous task, you would have then directly connected the positive to the ground side causing a MASSIVE short circuit, huge amperage drain resulting more than likely an explosion of the battery, spewing sulfuric acid and sparks everywhere, including on your skin and eyes. The first order of business would have been to remove the negative connector from the battery. If your wrench happened to touch any incidental metal object in the vicinity, nothing would happen, since the negative of the battery and the chassis are at the same potential. With the Negative terminal removed, then the proper approach would be to mount your switch wherever it would be accessible, then connecting the leads from that switch so that it becomes in series between the negative battery post and the negative terminal that was connected to the battery originally. That way, if there is ever an accident, or if any metal object were to come into contact with the switch terminals after it was installed, no harm would come of it. THIS IS A VERY IMPORTANT DISTINCTION. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER connect a disconnect switch to the Positive post of a car battery. The one rare exception would be, if the vehicle was an older or possibly a foreign vehicle that has a Positive grounded chassis. A very rare case indeed. Otherwise, NEGATIVE side for disconnects ONLY. This understanding could save someone's LIFE.
How would you connect this on a truck with two batteries? Can the switch be installed inside the cab?
Thanks for your input, how many amps would that switch need to be rated for? Also I would like to install the switch inside the cab for convenience. Can I just simply use the same gauge wire and extend it into the switch under the dash or panel?
Thank you
Don't think it was a live system. Look at 0:27, looks like the negative is disconnected.
I honestly wouldn't be watching this video if I didn't find a stolen Honda Accord at my work place
And I drive a Honda Accord
This video has been very helpful thank you for being straight to the point in this video
I'm not trying to argue about the logic of electricity, but you should probably put the disconnect on the negative. Both ways work but if you were to crash and the positive terminal touches bare metal, the kill switch would do nothing because of the way the vehicle is grounded. I also checked the Hot Rod association article and it says pretty much the same. But to be fair, safety second.
You got me when you said slide it on.......with THESE NUTZZ 🤣🤣🤣💯
Lolololol little hidden gem
Thank you very much, gonna try this on my skid loader.. getting tired of unhooking the battery or forgetting to and then having to jump it lol
I'm pretty sure the switch goes on the negative side bro. You can blow your computer out if you tuck anything mettle with that. I hope it works out for you in the long run. Thank you very much for the video. God bless.
Praise the Lord Jesus is King of Kings Hallelujah will you be my friend. My name is Bill good to meet you thank you for mentioning God.
This is some hillbilly ass rigging if ive ever seen it. For the sake of people watching and taking notes, if you dont want to cause electrical issues or fires do it right.... Don't cut your main cable in half, make clean cuts, use heat shrink, twist the wires to compact them dont smash them with pliers, dont use fucking bolt cutters to crimp the lugs. Never use electrical tape on bare wiring, especially your damn battery cable, it might cover the wires but it does not make it water tight which will corrode over time. This guy has the general idea down, but his process of doing them will be dangerous over time or outright fail.
Remove the lug from the battery, put that end on the switch then either make or buy a new cable to connect from the battery to the switch. If you make your own, use a razor carefully don't gouge into it like he did slicing it sideways, that just results in breaking wire strands. Slide a piece of heat shrink large enough over the cable and leave it out of the way for a moment, twist the bare wires with your fingers, and slide the lug over the end. Use an actual lug crimper, you can get some small portable ones for a few bucks that you hit with a hammer to crimp, they work great. Once it's crimped, slide the heat shrink back up covering the backside of the lug and cable then heat it up sealing the connection. Doing it this way will allow you to remove the switch if you ever need to without any extra work or issues. If you do it the way he did it and the switch dies or you want to remove it you're screwed and won't be able to put the cable back together without more rigging.
Thanks for the good clear installation instructions what do you think negative side or positive side.? What is the directions say on these kill switches question mark I haven't read up but my friend had one put in her car
Really would appreciate your opinion thanks you're definitely a pro
“HAA” got’em lol‼️🤣
if that exposed positive connectors ever touched any metal part or will sure fry your ECU
I hope this fixes my battery issue I'm having. I have emergency lights in my vehicle that I believe is drawing power from my battery but after watching this, I hope it does fix it cause my battery likes to mostly die overnight and had to get a solar panel to keep it charged until I get a switch
Did this fix your issue? I know it's over a year since your comment but I'm having the same issue
What a great video bro love the no bs approach
Question will this protect your car from EMP?????
You mention this works on any truck or car. For a diesel, with 2 batteries, which battery should i be working with? As for size of switch, mine says up to 48 volt. Battery Doctor brand
I was going to ask the same question, but i see you didn’t get an answer yet. I would also like to put the kill switch inside the cab. Anyway i will wait for an answer
MAKE SURE TO DISCONNECT YOUR BATTER BEFORE DOING THIS
Yes agreed
Does it matter what cable goes to which lug on switch or will it work both ways?
What about on a semi truck with 8 batteries? How would that work? I'm guessing I would have to cut the positive wire going to the starter right?
Yes sirr! You'll need a super heavy duty switch!!
I have a 2009 Hyundai Santa Fe and it's draining every new battery and I pray this would work
Everything done here is incorrect. Please do not follow these instructions. TH-cam, please remove this before someone gets hurt.
thanks
It's a miracle you didn't shock the shit out of yourself while this cable was connected the whole time you worked.
It was flat dead. It had a major parasitic drain. Like full charge to flat dead after 12 hours
The idea is good but the practice is bad ... because you need to weld them first and use shrink tube to electrical tape and disconnect your negative when you do that !
Can you please share the link of an updated switch you recommend The one you have in the description is no longer available, I'm looking to Install a battery cut off switch to prevent my battery from dying from a unknown parasitic draw that i cannot locate. After a few days of storage/not starting truck the battery dies and its brand new. I have an 07 H2 Hummer.
All you have to do is get a battery top post or side post disconnect. You don't have to splice your wires to achieve it
Good 👍
what amp rating does the switch need?
Does this really work because im having that same problem
Yes it will. Disconnecting the power supply to the battery will stop the car/truck from pulling juice
How much amps does my switch need to handle I have a 500 cc Diesel engine with a 12 v 45 ah battery
To be safe I'd probably get a 400 continuous with 2000 cranking and max surge. Might be a little overkill but I'd go with something heavy duty like that.
Hey man I’m wanting to do that on my 79 K10 but I want to put it in the inside of the truck on the dash! What side wire should I use?
Just take the wire from your ignition, chris fix did a good Video for the inside where he put a switch in the leatherbag next to your shifter. If you drive an automatic just place it under your seat or somewhere where nobody could find it. Hide the cables and you have a nice kill switch that is a bit more accessible
@@PLAYCOREE won’t that still allow the battery to be on? I’m looking for a battery kill switch for security and my radio that drains battery
I Take It That This Is Just For Vehicles Without R.C.L.....Otherwise Best Use Remotely Operated Kill Switch Or You Will Not Be Able To Remotely Lock Your Vehicle...Manual Switch In A Reachable Hidden Place Under The Car If Not.. Maybe.
Most cars have a key blade. Even my 2013 BMW has a blade that pops out of the fob
Good job Man. I like it a lot!
loved it!
Thanks!:)
4:42 😂😂😂
Haha
Dude , you're scary with that razor.
Not applicable to new cars. Circuits need to be always powered.
If you're too broke to get your parasitic draw fixed, then you're too broke to own a newer car 🤣
👍🏻
Bolt cutter crimpers? I been doing it all wrong. This car burn up yet?
A crimper is a crimper
❤👍🏻
They say go on negative cause on positive it can arc out
A word to the wise for the reader: don’t do anything this amateur hack just did in this video. If hooking up to the positive terminal wasn’t enough of a give-away that you are watching idiocy, then crimping with bolt cutters and leaving the switch to dangle freely with all those bare connections able to touch anything that comes with the movement of a vehicle and vibration of an engine should have been your other clues.
Thanks to this video countless people have incorrectly hooked up their disconnect switches, and the world has become increasingly more stupid. May god have mercy on your soul.
I mean that’s one way to do it lol
Hahah when it doubt. Just throw a a kill switch on it
This is lame
Never buying another fkn dodge!!!!!😡
🤣
You're doing anything AT ALL before disconnecting the battery? You fail, sorry. Ended the video at 1:16.