- Sat Aug 15, 2009 9:16 pm
#138085
Introduction
The problem with a fuel pump kill switch is that it's very easy to bypass and run battery power directly to the fuel pump. It's easy to determine when the fuel pump isn't powered up because with the engine off you can actually hear it. Fuel pump kills are very common and widely known in part because of my write-ups several years ago but also because too many people rely solely on a cheap switch as their only security. As a result, fuel pump kills are no longer a reliable way to prevent your car from being stolen.
The idea of killing the PGM-FI relay isn't new. FCM has been describing just how to do this across many online forums for many years. However, FCM doesn't do pictorial write-ups so this has never really caught on.
The PGM-FI Main Relay controls the Fuel Injectors, the Fuel Pump, the O2 sensor, the Alternator, and the Vehicle Speed Sensor. From a thief's perspective, it's much harder to diagnose and bypass the fuel injector portion of the kill. They're going to waste too much time bypassing the fuel pump to no avail.
Tools and Parts
10mm Socket or Wrench
Flat Blade Screwdriver
Crimpers
Wire Strippers
Razor Knife
Drill
Angle Driver
Switch 1A or greater
18 gauge stranded wire
Ring Terminal
Butt Connector
Metal Tapping Screws
How To Kill the PGM-FI Main Relay
The Main Relay has a black, low current ground wire. If you put your switch on this one wire, you can kill the entire relay. Some of the Civic's have two wires and you will need to cut both.
This is optional but to keep the wiring stock and make this process easily reversible, I went to the junkyard and cut a main relay harness. I then de-pinned the black wire to use for my kill switch so I could tuck my original black wire away.
This is your main relay and is exactly the same for all 94-01 Integras and 92-95 Civics and Del Sols. You can remove the 10mm bolt and unplug the harness using a flat blade screwdriver.
Push the clips in on each side.
Pry the white clip up but don't completely remove it. You just need to free the black wire.
There's a little tab inside that you'll need to flatten down with a straight pick. Press on it while pulling on the wire.
Wire the Switch
Once you remove the stock wire you can tuck it into the factory loom. Pin your junkyard wire and extend it to your switch. If you're not using a junkyard wire then cut your factory wire and extend the relay side to your switch. Once you've decided where to mount your switch, you ground the other pin using a ring terminal and a metal tapping screw or a factory bolt.
If you need a wiring diagram for a two pin switch then you have no business performing this mod. In fact, I don't know how you even feed yourself.
I wont give you an example of where to mount the switch because in the past I have found that many people are sheep and will imitate it exactly.
Relocate Main Relay
To bypass your kill switch someone only needs to ground the main relay. So you'll need to hide it. You can extend all the wires and move it somewhere but for this write-up I'm just moving it up as high in the dash as it will reach.
You need to cut the tape to separate the main relay harness from the rest of the wires in the loom.
Then I bent this tab so that the bracket would be flat.
I removed the knee bolster so I can access this spot where I re-mounted the main relay. A thief can still get to it here but if you have an alarm they shouldn't be spending enough time under the dash to find it.
This is what it looks like relocated. After you put the knee bolster and dash panel back on it's invisible when looking up from below.
Make it Work with Remote Start
If you have remote start then you'll want to wire your negative status output wire (22 gauge blue/white on DEI alarms) to the black wire before the switch.
The problem with a fuel pump kill switch is that it's very easy to bypass and run battery power directly to the fuel pump. It's easy to determine when the fuel pump isn't powered up because with the engine off you can actually hear it. Fuel pump kills are very common and widely known in part because of my write-ups several years ago but also because too many people rely solely on a cheap switch as their only security. As a result, fuel pump kills are no longer a reliable way to prevent your car from being stolen.
The idea of killing the PGM-FI relay isn't new. FCM has been describing just how to do this across many online forums for many years. However, FCM doesn't do pictorial write-ups so this has never really caught on.
The PGM-FI Main Relay controls the Fuel Injectors, the Fuel Pump, the O2 sensor, the Alternator, and the Vehicle Speed Sensor. From a thief's perspective, it's much harder to diagnose and bypass the fuel injector portion of the kill. They're going to waste too much time bypassing the fuel pump to no avail.
Tools and Parts
10mm Socket or Wrench
Flat Blade Screwdriver
Crimpers
Wire Strippers
Razor Knife
Drill
Angle Driver
Switch 1A or greater
18 gauge stranded wire
Ring Terminal
Butt Connector
Metal Tapping Screws
How To Kill the PGM-FI Main Relay
The Main Relay has a black, low current ground wire. If you put your switch on this one wire, you can kill the entire relay. Some of the Civic's have two wires and you will need to cut both.
This is optional but to keep the wiring stock and make this process easily reversible, I went to the junkyard and cut a main relay harness. I then de-pinned the black wire to use for my kill switch so I could tuck my original black wire away.
This is your main relay and is exactly the same for all 94-01 Integras and 92-95 Civics and Del Sols. You can remove the 10mm bolt and unplug the harness using a flat blade screwdriver.
Push the clips in on each side.
Pry the white clip up but don't completely remove it. You just need to free the black wire.
There's a little tab inside that you'll need to flatten down with a straight pick. Press on it while pulling on the wire.
Wire the Switch
Once you remove the stock wire you can tuck it into the factory loom. Pin your junkyard wire and extend it to your switch. If you're not using a junkyard wire then cut your factory wire and extend the relay side to your switch. Once you've decided where to mount your switch, you ground the other pin using a ring terminal and a metal tapping screw or a factory bolt.
If you need a wiring diagram for a two pin switch then you have no business performing this mod. In fact, I don't know how you even feed yourself.
I wont give you an example of where to mount the switch because in the past I have found that many people are sheep and will imitate it exactly.
Relocate Main Relay
To bypass your kill switch someone only needs to ground the main relay. So you'll need to hide it. You can extend all the wires and move it somewhere but for this write-up I'm just moving it up as high in the dash as it will reach.
You need to cut the tape to separate the main relay harness from the rest of the wires in the loom.
Then I bent this tab so that the bracket would be flat.
I removed the knee bolster so I can access this spot where I re-mounted the main relay. A thief can still get to it here but if you have an alarm they shouldn't be spending enough time under the dash to find it.
This is what it looks like relocated. After you put the knee bolster and dash panel back on it's invisible when looking up from below.
Make it Work with Remote Start
If you have remote start then you'll want to wire your negative status output wire (22 gauge blue/white on DEI alarms) to the black wire before the switch.
Last edited by suspendedHatch on Thu May 31, 2012 3:10 am, edited 1 time in total.
