Simple Electrical Question

Hi Doc,

Easy one mate, go and get your blinking LED from Radioshack a inline fuse holder and also a Bosch relay with 87a and 87 pins and connect it as follows.

Bosch Relay
Pin 85 > You ignition source 12V+
Pin 86 > Ground for you ignition Source
Pin 30 > Fused 12V+ source to supply the LED
Pin 87a > 12V+ source to your LED
Pin 87 > NOT USED

Hope this helps
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What he said!

I did exactly the same on a Honda I had a few years ago, and it worked great. No alarm hassles, and I never had the car tampered with or broken into. Took all of 20 minutes to wire up cleanly. The blinking LED came from Radio Shack (includes a small black sleeve) and I had to source the relay from a better stocked electronics shop. (I asked for a "normally on" relay, that when energized, cuts power to the device, which is the opposite of what most applications do) I then tapped a wire off the ignition switch that was hot when the ignition is on. I drilled a hole in a spare blank plate in the dash, that was used for a fog light switch (which my car did not have) and slipped the light and sleeve through from the front.

I never bothered in my 308 or 328, since I believe most thieves would assume a Ferrari has an alarm, whether they see the blinky light or not.

The trick on a 308/328 is where to mount the light(s?). Near the door lock pulls? That would be ideal...but who wants to drill that? Somewhere on the console? Same deal, what to drill?

 

More expensive but much easier. Buy a Hill Engineering shift gate lock for $100. The car is going now where fast with that installed.

 

Doesn't deter a brick through the window from those intent on stealing less than the whole car. The LED does seem to.

 

If that is the goal, neither will the light. An alarm won't deter a snatch and grab. Not like there is much of a place to lock anything up in these cars anyway.

 

Even easier to wire up would be to just have a switch to turn it on or off.

LEDs don't draw a huge amount of power, but there might be times (say, over winter) where you don't want it drawing from the battery.
You don't need it in your own garage, for example.

Of course, a hand grenade hanging from the mirror can also be a deterrent.

A funny thing about alarms: Every time I drive the 328 through the underground parking garage, the exhaust note sets off one or two car alarms. And almost always on cars that I can't imagine anyone wanting to steal.
What's weird is that the EVO sometimes sets off an alarm -- and the exhaust isn't any louder than the stereo.

 

You're right about the room for anything.
I guess the other depends on how fleet of foot our potential thief is. In an increasingly over-weight world I'd rate deterring a fat slob of a vandal as a useful result anyway.

 

LOL! OK, got me on that one. But the grenade is a good one as is the mounting of the 30 Cal. from another thread! (Helps with old slow drivers down here in the Land of the Dead.)

 

PAP!! How come you didn't tell us before that you are also an Electrical Genius??!!!

 

locks are for honest people. the bigger the lock, the more people you keep honest.

 

Hi Doc,

A thought for your consideration. Along with your blinking light, why not install a kill switch to either the fuel pump [if it is electric], or some other electrical ignition component that would render the car undrivable when the switch is engaged?

Ciao,
George

 

In my '81 308 the red blinking light was mounted between the OIL Temp gauge and the Clock. Convienient and vizable.

AND if you ever want to remove it in the future, just recover with new leather the little tin surrround in the center counsole that the gauges are mounted in and no one will ever know you drilled it.

 

How did it go Doc? did you end up doing it?

 

+1. I don't even roll the windows up. I just won't park it anywhere for too long or where I can't see it. If I go into a store, I put a gate lock on the shifter and a steering lock on the wheel, and leave both windows rolled down.

I don't leave anything in the car that anyone would want to steal. Anything they would steal inside the car would be preferable to having to source window glass!

Birdman

 

Easy install......http://www.amazon.com/Moroso-74103-Battery-Terminal-Disconnect/dp/B000COO1P4/ref=pd_sbs_auto_1/186-6059670-6052568


I prefer this type of switch for its convenience + great for when car is parked for a period of time to prevent battery drain (which we all know Ferraris have). It should be connected to the ground cable side of battery & can be mounted in an inconspicuous location.....
http://www.amazon.com/Cal-Term-41860-Switch-Battery/dp/B0007MCTQ4/ref=pd_sbs_auto_5/186-6059670-6052568

 

Wouldn't just pulling the left side battery quick disconnect do the same thing?

 

Yes it would, & in the privacy of your garage, that's fine. A keyed switch discreetly hidden & conveniently available in the cabin avoids the in & out of the battery area every time you park the car (not to mention the 'advertising' by fooling w/battery in public).