Fitting a battery isolator switch then locking the car

Fitting a battery isolator switch then locking the car

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Discussion

Mr Green

Original Poster:

936 posts

181 months

Wednesday 9th December 2009
quotequote all
I have a 5 series and the battery is under the back seat, sometimes it doesn't get driven for a few months, on one occasion the battery wouldn't start the car, it was in my garage so it wasn't locked. Now after acquiring a project that is taking up space in the garage I need to park the 5 series on my drive locked(central locking)but want to fit one of these.

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Car-Battery-Isolator-Cut-Off...



If I fit it next to the battery then remove the key I assume the central locking won't lock. If I hold the door button down and close the door it won't have the power to unlock later. My car had a flat battery a few years ago and I had hell of a job unlocking it.
What are my options?


Edited by Mr Green on Wednesday 9th December 16:07

Bill

52,479 posts

254 months

Wednesday 9th December 2009
quotequote all
Doesn't it have a keyhole on the driver's door?

dern

14,055 posts

278 months

Wednesday 9th December 2009
quotequote all
Forget the isolator and get a solar charger from maplins.

The Wookie

13,909 posts

227 months

Wednesday 9th December 2009
quotequote all
Does it have door locks and a key boot release? If it's anything like most of the cars I've used, I'd say lock the doors with the key (which should mean no alarm), open the boot (which shouldn't unlock the central locking), Switch off red key, shut boot, lock boot with key.

Edited by The Wookie on Wednesday 9th December 16:16

RacingTeatray

2,493 posts

215 months

Wednesday 9th December 2009
quotequote all
I fitted one of those to my Z1 (battery also behind seat) because obviously flat batteries aren't clever on a car with electrically-operated doors.

I fitted it the boot, which can be unlocked with the key separately, thus giving easy access to the switch without locking/unlocking the rest of the car.

Even if your 5-series has the modern type of slot key, presumably you can lock and unlock it with the pull-out blade?

Mr Green

Original Poster:

936 posts

181 months

Wednesday 9th December 2009
quotequote all
dern said:
Forget the isolator and get a solar charger from maplins.
This is my project.



So I will need to fit an Isolator switch to this eventually, it hasn't even got a steering lock. Those solar chargers seem like a good idea but I also want to put a carport(for shade) on the drive next year.

john_p

7,073 posts

249 months

Wednesday 9th December 2009
quotequote all
No battery, no alarm, no payout if it's stolen? If your insurance company was to know (and care).

Mr Green

Original Poster:

936 posts

181 months

Wednesday 9th December 2009
quotequote all
john_p said:
No battery, no alarm, no payout if it's stolen? If your insurance company was to know (and care).
Is there a gap in the market?

eldar

21,614 posts

195 months

Wednesday 9th December 2009
quotequote all
Wire a 30a fuse across the terminals on the switch. When you turn it off, it will still allow the alarm and the like to work.
If someone tries to start it, the fuse blows, and all goes dead.

mat205125

17,790 posts

212 months

Wednesday 9th December 2009
quotequote all
eldar said:
Wire a 30a fuse across the terminals on the switch. When you turn it off, it will still allow the alarm and the like to work.
If someone tries to start it, the fuse blows, and all goes dead.
An ingenious anti-theft plan, however a bit of a Baldrick plan for preventing the battery going dead over a period as the alarm drains it wink

miniman

24,827 posts

261 months

Wednesday 9th December 2009
quotequote all
Well, you can lock the car with the remote, then turn off the isolator, then shut the door. Not sure how you are going to unlock, though.

RacingTeatray

2,493 posts

215 months

Wednesday 9th December 2009
quotequote all
With the key?

My 2009 BMW 1-series has the slot key, but there's a normal keyblade tucked away inside and there is a perfectly serviceable keyhole in the drivers door and the boot lid which it can be used it to unlock the car. I don't imagine it works differently on a modern 5-series.

Edited by RacingTeatray on Wednesday 9th December 17:09

buggalugs

9,243 posts

236 months

Wednesday 9th December 2009
quotequote all
There's a trick to opening e34 and e39 locks with a flat battery, google should turn it up but its something like turning it really hard past a certain point. If you can verify that this works then you can take the battery off without worrying.

RacingTeatray

2,493 posts

215 months

Wednesday 9th December 2009
quotequote all
You can do the same with the Z1 if the battery is dead to release the catch, but then you have to push the door down manually, which I've always been worried isn't terribly good for it.

x type

910 posts

189 months

Wednesday 9th December 2009
quotequote all
you could use one of these instead , it has a by pass fuse to keep alarm and central locking working but the fuse blows if you try to start the car ,but it doesn't stop the battery from draining over a period of time . should keep insurance happy for one thing .

http://gbdriver.co.uk/index.php?main_page=product_...

Edited by x type on Wednesday 9th December 18:23