hi guys,

i'm back with another odd question: i want to know if there's a way to prevent a car from starting by removing a fuse or removing something very simple.

See, i just bought a motorcycle and now that my car is sitting in the driveway, i want to make sure that my family doesn't find a spare key and start a bad habit of driving my car regularly.

Is there any way i can pull a fuse to stop my car from starting up? Any other suggestions around this? And no---disconnecting the battery will not deter the siblings from trying.

Take distributor cap off and pull the rotor out and place cap back on. Car will turn over but won't start.

If they're that determined, then they'll eventually learn your ways...especially when they see you hunkered over the engine.

There should be an ignition relay located in the engine comparment's fuse box that would be easier to remove than the rotor. This will disable the starter. Check the fuse cover for it's location...should be easy to unplug. But I'd disconnect the battery too to keep them from depleting the battery while trying to start it. You can buy a little 12V plug-in battery to keep your radio presets, etc, though I'd use a rechargeable and parallel in a small solar panel for long time in between drives.

Make sure you run it occasionally (at least once a month) with the A/C to keep all the seals and o-rings lubricated and to prevent flat-spotting the tires.

Good luck!

Try the simplest first. Hide the keys.

I've always wanted to place a switch under the dash or driver seat which interupts the fuel pump power. Running wires between a hidden switch and the wires underneath your backseat for fuel pump power (connected to terminal 4 or 5) with good solder connections would do it. Make sure the wires and switch are rated for 5 amps or better.

Consider that they might just run the battery down in an attempt to start the vehicle. Something like "The Club" on the steering wheel is quite a hint not to mess with the car.

They'll only run it down once, if at all - unless they are really forgetful.... :)

If they're that determined, then they'll eventually learn your ways...especially when they see you hunkered over the engine.

There should be an ignition relay located in the engine comparment's fuse box that would be easier to remove than the rotor. This will disable the starter. Check the fuse cover for it's location...should be easy to unplug. But I'd disconnect the battery too to keep them from depleting the battery while trying to start it. You can buy a little 12V plug-in battery to keep your radio presets, etc, though I'd use a rechargeable and parallel in a small solar panel for long time in between drives.

Make sure you run it occasionally (at least once a month) with the A/C to keep all the seals and o-rings lubricated and to prevent flat-spotting the tires.

Good luck!

what about something in the ECM? inside the car under the passenger dash against the door.

To effectively disable a car, you must employ more than one strategy so that whomever attempts to start it will have to find the correct "combination" instead of just checking/tweaking one thing at a time and hope it fires up. I suggested the ignition relay since that is a simple part that you can remove AND take with you while not being obvious to spot. A hidden kill switch as Brian suggested as well as disconnecting a main battery or starter ground (not at the post...easy to spot) would be a reasonably effective deterrent without causing undue stress on the battery in the event of attempts made to start it. I would tend to stay away from the ECM since that is a sensitive, critical, and expensive part of the car's operation. Disconnecting it would lose any saved running parameters or DTC history...it is not designed to be messed with on a regular basis...and as mentioned, breaking one of those is costly.

On the flip side...ever considered an alarm system or a keyed starter disabling system, which is a specially-designed plug-type key that you must plug into a receptacle in order for the car to work. Just a thought....

To effectively disable a car, you must employ more than one strategy so that whomever attempts to start it will have to find the correct "combination" instead of just checking/tweaking one thing at a time and hope it fires up. I suggested the ignition relay since that is a simple part that you can remove AND take with you while not being obvious to spot. A hidden kill switch as Brian suggested as well as disconnecting a main battery or starter ground (not at the post...easy to spot) would be a reasonably effective deterrent without causing undue stress on the battery in the event of attempts made to start it. I would tend to stay away from the ECM since that is a sensitive, critical, and expensive part of the car's operation. Disconnecting it would lose any saved running parameters or DTC history...it is not designed to be messed with on a regular basis...and as mentioned, breaking one of those is costly.

On the flip side...ever considered an alarm system or a keyed starter disabling system, which is a specially-designed plug-type key that you must plug into a receptacle in order for the car to work. Just a thought....

i took a look at the engine fuse box for the starter fuse, and i had a hard time taking the fuse off. I stuck a flat screw driver into the slot and tried to wiggle the fuse out. And it wouldn't budge. Is there a trick to this?

I'm posing a picture of the fuse box. i'm certain i'm pulling the correct fuse according to the diagram. The fuse is the chunky purple square one. I believe it corresponds on the diagram to ST meaning starter.

Would you be able to make sure i'm in the right area.


http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q254/kewallal/100_0992.jpg


(http://i138.photobucket.com/albums/q254/kewallal/100_0992.jpg)

They'll only run it down once, if at all - unless they are really forgetful.... :)

hahaha, i laughed hard at this post. you can call them forgetful. i call them dodo birds.

Look for a nut holding it in on the bottom

http://info.rockauto.com/getimage/getimage.php?imagekey=943753&imageurl=http%3A//info.rockauto.com/Airtex/1R1204.jpg

This is the bottom side of it...don't think there's a way of getting a nut on the bottom of it. The Camry repair manual shows the bottom connectors but nothing else to hold it down. It simply says "Remove starter relay".

To be safe, I'd buy a spare in case you break this one trying to get it off. You could remove the starter fuse too...or even replace it with a blown one so that it's not obvious there's a fuse missing.

"I'd buy a spare in case you break this one trying to get it off."

Or just go to an auto parts store and look at the new relay. That will tell you if there is a nut or screw threw it on the bottom.

"You could remove the starter fuse too...or even replace it with a blown one so that it's not obvious there's a fuse missing."

That is a great idea. I never thought of that one. I'll have to put that one in my memory banks on disabling a car. Thanks jdmccright.

Mike