Battery Drain Elimination + Security Feature

[JayEstes 172]

Guys-

Has anyone out there used on of these devices? https://hotronicsproducts.com/battery-disconnect/

This is a device that hooks between the positive battery terminal and the solenoid.  It's high amp capable and has a remote switch you can throw (install in a secret but handy place near the driver somewhere) to cut power to Solenoid.

I really like the idea of having the "zero battery drain" potential (even this that is not a problem in my car at the current time), but also, it gives you a secret place to throw a switch to enable starting.  Maybe a little bit of security in that.

Curious what you guys think, cause I really like this concept, and I am considering getting myself one.

[gordonr 4]

I see devices as these as a future problem to deal with. I'd pass on it.

[danno 128]

Anyone who knows enough about these cars to steal them would probably be able to figure this out.  It is better than nothing, and will certainly slow them down .   You think about it, and I could hotwire any 69 Ford and drive it away in 30 seconds.   How did they ever get by with that back then?   There are other ways to do it, with the ignition coil.   Put the same switch on the wire to the distributor.  Have it ground all the time the switch is on, and the car will not start. It requires one extra wire from the coil to under the dash to the hidden switch.  Very simple and very effective. 

 

[Mach1 Driver 528]

I agree with danno. It is just a big contactor- essentially another starter solenoid in front of your old starter solenoid. Whenever you want power to the car you have to power-up this contactor. So lets say you want to sit and listen to the radio- this thing will be on also, helping to drag the battery down. Any idea what the coil amps are?

Use a switch to connect the line from the distributor to the coil to chassis. For the car to run this line must have pulsing DC (the points opening and closing) but if your switch connects it directly to chassis it can't pulse and the coil won't build up a magnetic field and fire.

[mwye0627 44]

I installed one of these a couple of years ago on a friends '32 Ford Roadster...    It is quite a bit different than a regular contactor in that it is a Latching Contactor. You use a momentary switch to activate it. The large contacts come together and a mechanical latch holds them together and the current drops off when the momentary switch is released. When the momentary switch is activated again, the latch releases the contacts.   The biggest problem that I found was it would do no good as an anti-theft device if the driver forgot to turn it off. I put a small LED in the dash that would illuminate when the device is ON, that way he would be reminded to turn it off...

Here is a partial description and instructions from the manufacturer....

Installing the Hotronics MBD-150, Quik Flip Master Battery Disconnect. The Hotronics MBD-150 is a latching type relay solenoid and only requires current to turn ON or OFF. Once the battery disconnects, latch is moved one way or the other, the MBD-150 needs NO power to keep the latch in place, once latched, it never draws power, even engaged. (It can never run the battery down.) The MBD-150 is rated at over 100 continuous amps and easily handles a 600- amp surge for 30 seconds during cranking modes. A bad starter won’t turn over at about 400 amps or so. Making the MBD-150 well suited for the high in-rush current demands of high torque starters and high compression engines. With lot’s of margin to spare! MBD-150 does NOT make bad starters better! Just is built tougher than needed. The MBD-150 does not replace the starter solenoid or do the starting. So if you have a Ford or use a Ford type solenoid for starting now, save it, you’ll still need it to do the starting. The MBD-150 would install between it and the battery for that application.

[barnett468 418]

On 8/18/2018 at 8:41 AM, JayEstes said:

I really like the idea of having the "zero battery drain" potential (even this that is not a problem in my car at the current time), but also, it gives you a secret place to throw a switch to enable starting.  Maybe a little bit of security in that.

 

A simple theft guard is to run a wire from the negative side of the coil to a hidden switch that grounds the wire when the switch is thrown. Someone can try to hot wire it from now until eternity and it will never start unless they remove this wire from the coil.

 

[larryc94 38]

In 30 seconds a wheel lift tow truck and it's gone.  I have watch them and they don't even get out of the truck