I have installed a cut-off switch in, what I believe to be, the correct way (and someone else I know has it setup exactly the same) but now the engine wont fire up. It will turn over, has fuel... possibly a spark problem, though it is all wired up as it should. Turning the engine over seems quicker than how it was wired OE (probably due to the thicker cable), I did smell some kind of burning plastic after a while and noticed that the resistor was extremely hot!! Why would this be? I'm guessing this is probably why my problem is...
I take it from your description that the switch is the FIA variety with the 4 spade terminals on the rear. If your resistor is getting hot when you turn the big red key then it is wired incorrectly, as you are dumping the full battery load through it. The alternator side of the switch should have a small jump lead to the spade terminal of one of the pair that make a circuit when the kill switch is in the off position. When activated this protects the alternator diode pack from blowing by dumping through the resistor. The other pair of spade terminals only work when the kill switch is in the on position and should be a live feed to the ignition circuit.
Yes it is the FIA version with the 4 spade terminals. This is how I have it wired: Large terminals: Left / Right Cable to Battery / Cable to Starter, Fusebox, Jump lead Z: Left/Right To Resistor / Jump Lead W: Ignition coil, both. re: 'Ignition coil' - someone I know has intercepted the original black wire that goes from the fusebox/ignition switch at the coil end, unattached the black '+' wire and from this, routed it to one of the 'W' terminals, the other 'W' terminal then goes back to the coil and onto the '+' terminal, completing the circuit. Are the larger terminals (for the battery cable + starter inc. fusebox and 'jump lead') side dependant at all, as in, does it matter which side things are attached to? Likewise the above with the W and Z terminals...?
I think we may have spotted the problem . I've just checked a spare kill switch in the garage and on that one it is the W terminals that should have the jump lead / resistor connected to them. The Z should have the coil/ignition feed to them. If in any doubt double check with a volt meter, one pair will have continuity with the kill switch in the on position (this will be the coil/ignition feed) while the other pair will have continuity in the off position (this will be for the resistor/jump lead). No it does not matter which side they are connected to, just make sure that the 'jump' lead is connected to the alternator side. Wired this way all should work fine and protect the alternator when using the kill switch to cut the engine.
I knew it would be something simple, yet couldn't get my head around it. A better diagram then: So all I've got to do really is swap the Z and W terminals over and leave the two thicker cables as they are?
So, Im wiring one of these up to my VR6. Most of it is ok, Not sure on the ignition switch and ignition coil though. Obviously its one of the ones going into the barrel but what wire? Also where do i get the ignition coil feed from? Im guessing im cutting off one cable and putting the coil end on one terminal and the switch end on the other? Edit- Oh, And does the resistor have to go to the battery negative or would a chassis ground work?
So, Going by the above "black wire"... H1 Steering Column Wiring Harness, Red H1/01 Ignition Switch Starter Run, or from Starter Interlock Relay Main Fusebox Starter Power, Red/Black H1/02 Ignition Switch Battery Power Battery Power, Red H1/03 Ignition Switch Run Power Load Reduction Relay Power, Black/Yellow H1/04 Ignition Switch Start/Run Power, Black Would that be H1/04?
Another thread i found http://www.clubgti.com/forum/showthread.php?t=215714&highlight=fia+switch James, Did you use the ignition wire from the switch to the fusebox or from the fusebox to the alternator?
ign switch wiring: 15 - black - coil live X - black/yel - x-over relay trigger (basically ign live feed with ign on, but NOT when cranking) P - grey - parking lights S or SU - brown/red - key in ign live for radio/headlight warning relay 30 - red - live feed from battery
