Re: Battery master switch?

[jtrealty@xxxx]

If you are worried about a car fire there are many things that you can 
do in addition to a battery master switch. Make absolutly sure there 
are NO fuel leaks or odors anywhere in the car. Inspect and clean all 
fuses, connectors, and relays. Install a Fanzilla or equivelent 
because the fan fail relay or the fan bypass is dangerous. Check the 
routing of all wiring so that is securely fastened and is not near 
anything hot or moving. Keep a fire extinguisher in the car (not in 
the trunk but where you can reach it quickly). If you have the Ducy 
alternater upgrade to something better. Finally install a battery 
master switch. The one I installed is on a bracket that slides under 
the battery. It was picked up at a car show for about $14. It has a 
removeble key. I can also use it as a security device and when I go to 
car shows and leave the doors open the battery doesn't go dead. I only 
had to make up a short cable to connect it to the battery. I also ran 
a wire from the radio fuse to the battery directly so I keep my 
presets even with the battery off (keeps the time going too). In case 
of a fire especially, while you are driving, I doubt the value of a 
battery master switch. I would trust in a fire extinguisher first! On 
most modern cars, at least the ones with fuel injection, in the 
majority of cases fires start out as fuel leaks. When you have a leak 
on a car with fuel injection a tiny leak isn't always visible as the 
fuel atomizes as it escapes. If it ignites now you have a tiny 
blowtorch melting anything nearby and eventually setting the entire 
car on fire. This is one of the reasons you are cautioned not to 
reuse the little copper gaskets that are used throughout the fuel 
system. On the Delorean, even though it is fuel injected, many of the 
fires appear to be electrical in origion. I have personally seen a fan 
fail bypass jumper melt in a member's car and if we didn't catch it, 
it wouldn't be a stretch to imagine the car burning! A master switch 
can't prevent this from happening and shuting off the battery isn't 
going to save the car once it starts burning. Preventive maintainence 
is the only sure way to prevent car fires.
David Teitelbaum
vin 10757


--- In dmcnews@xxxx, graves_14@xxxx wrote:
> Hi All, 
> 
> Hope everyone is enjoying the final weeks of good weather driving! 
> After reading that poor fellow who lost his car due to a meltdown, I 
> started thinking about a battery master switch again. Does anyone 
> have any suggestions for a cut-off unit with a remote switch of some 
> sort? I do not care if I lose my radio station programming :-)