Fox T-Bird/Cougar Forums  

ignition re-wire...and maybe a cb radio

January 21, 2011, 07:23:47 PM

so, first off, my buddy had an 85 camaro iroc with a special ignition switch. turns out it was installed by the previous owner who didnt want his precious project stolen, and it worked to great success. Now, i dont understand much of this, but from what i guess is the actual ignition module in the steering column is like a 4 point switch. point 1 is the accessory, point 2 is the dead, point 3 is everything on, and point 4 is joined with a spring that only engages the starter while the circuit is closed.

after this long winded explanation, im wondering, could it be possible to identify the wire(s) leading off of that 4th point, and just re-route them to a dedicated switch in another location. kind of like my own home made security system, that way, you still need the key to start the car, but that final push on the ignition does nothing, you have to know where the real button is.
:burnout:

PT. 2 as almost a side note, i did some looking around on kijiji, and it turns out people around here are selling cb radios for like $50 a piece. I thought it would be cool to have in my sable...3 years ago...i figure it might be a little more era appropriate in the cougar, considering it is 10 years older than my ol' sable. let me know what you think/what you guys have maybe done/or if you think im a little cracked for falling back to such an old technology:mullet:. (also if i do install one, im getting one of the coil antenna's, i would hate to have to run a gargantuan whipple out of the middle of my trunk)

Thanks all!

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ignition re-wire...and maybe a cb radio

Reply #1 – January 21, 2011, 08:40:01 PM

I think an easier way would be to pull the fuel pump relay and put it in your pocket. Then put it back in when you go to start the car. I'd keep an extra some where in the car too. I don't think it's impossible to wire up a switch the way you described, but the fuel pump relay seems much easier than dealing with the ignition switch and a bit less conspicuous.

*edit* After a bit more searching, I guess that the fuel pump relay is in the trunk? I was under the impression it was under the seat. So uhhh, disregard this post I suppose...

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ignition re-wire...and maybe a cb radio

Reply #2 – January 21, 2011, 08:59:18 PM

I wired my push button starter up like that... kinda, I guess. The way it works is that you still have to use the key to put the ignition to RUN but to turn it and try to crank it does nothing. At the same time, if you push the starter button at any time it will turn the engine over, but will not actually start the car unless the key is in run position.

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ignition re-wire...and maybe a cb radio

Reply #3 – January 22, 2011, 01:16:57 AM

@sarjxxx Exactly! thats what Im looking for. mind sharing your secret? or is it as simple as re-routing those "crank position" wires to a different switch...

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ignition re-wire...and maybe a cb radio

Reply #4 – January 22, 2011, 01:24:22 AM

Well mine involves having the high torque PMGR starter too. You'll want to do that first, or it could become much more complicated. It would involve relays and rewiring and . But if you want to know I'll tell you how to do it with your stock starter. Actually, no now that I think about it, you could proably get away with not using a relay. It would actually be pretty simple. Just depends on whether or not you want to upgrade the starter. If you plan on that, you should do it first. Let me know which way you want to do it and I'll tell you.

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ignition re-wire...and maybe a cb radio

Reply #5 – January 22, 2011, 06:35:47 AM

i probably wont be upgrading the starter, the stock one is still going strong.
Thanks for helping me out with this dude, it saves me having to start hacking apart my car, trying different combinations, that i might not be able to get it back together again.

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ignition re-wire...and maybe a cb radio

Reply #6 – January 22, 2011, 01:01:28 PM

The wire you are looking for is R/LB one coming out of your ignition switch connector.

I'd guess you'd cut it near the connector, then splice a suitable wire to it and run it to one side of your new start button. Then take a tap from a yellow (always hot) 12v wire if you want to be able to crank with the key off, or better yet IMHO, use a R/LG or DG/Y wire (hot in run) through a 10-15 amp fuse to the other side of your button. That way you have to have the key on to crank.

Done.

You could cut the R/LB elsewhere, but you might bypass your starter lockout protection/ neutral safety switch if you do.

To go back, just splice the wire back together at the plug. Good luck, hope this helps!

All these wire colors are for 87 Tbird, but should be the same I'd think. Check with a test light or voltmeter, and preferably use an EVTM to determine an appropriate wire. The starter solenoid wire is originally fed from fuse 1, a 15amp job.

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ignition re-wire...and maybe a cb radio

Reply #7 – January 22, 2011, 04:39:30 PM

Yeah that's pretty much it.

Or you could take the wire that runs to your top peg on the solenoid and disable it by cutting it in half, and capping it off. Then run a hot wire to your new switch, then out the other end back to that top peg.

Which is pretty much what he said, just without taking your column and ignition switch apart. A bit more sloppy but easier.

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ignition re-wire...and maybe a cb radio

Reply #8 – January 26, 2011, 03:12:14 PM

Awesome thanks guys, this has been a massive help!

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ignition re-wire...and maybe a cb radio

Reply #9 – January 26, 2011, 04:52:13 PM

This thread reminds me of an elderly neighbor I had several years ago. He ask me to help him figure out why his Buick would not start. After about a hour of trying to figure out why he had no ignition, he remembered the toggle switch he had in the glove compartment to disable the ignition.

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ignition re-wire...and maybe a cb radio

Reply #10 – January 26, 2011, 05:29:29 PM

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