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Posted by: BigDBass Sep 23 2011, 12:34 PM

Is there a "go to" solution for a quick battery disconnect?
I've seen some for race cars, but I'm just looking for something in the engine bay in line with battery wiring to make it quick and easy to disconnect the battery when working on the car, flat towing, etc.

Any recommendation for part and source would be appreciated.

Dan

Posted by: Rand Sep 23 2011, 12:43 PM

I got mine at Summit Racing
http://www.summitracing.com/parts/SUM-830052/

Harbor Freight has them too
http://www.harborfreight.com/heavy-duty-battery-cutoff-switch-66789.html
http://www.harborfreight.com/battery-disconnect-switch-97853.html

Posted by: flipb Sep 23 2011, 12:50 PM

My car has the cheapie green knob (linked above at HF) courtesy of a PO.

It's pretty convenient - loosen it one turn and it's disconnected. Or, if you're paranoid or parked in a bad neighborhood, spin it loose and slip it into your pocket.

Especially convenient for fuching with wiring... very easy to disconnect the battery, fidget, then reconnect to test your work. Just turning a knob.

Posted by: BigDBass Sep 23 2011, 01:10 PM

Ah, that one from Harbor Freight looks perfect. (Maybe I'll get 2 since one will probably break.)
Thanks!

Posted by: pcar916 Sep 23 2011, 01:19 PM

I'd advise against any of the cheap solutions. My car had the "green knob" on it for about 6 months when I bought it. It got increasingly corroded and gave me flakey results for a while until it just broke altogether. Use this one if you want to be kind to your alternator and diodes... not to mention the ECU if your car has one.

http://www.racerpartswholesale.com/product/1908/Battery_Disconnects

Posted by: flipb Sep 23 2011, 01:36 PM

Hmm, guess it's a YMMV situation. I've had the green knob since I bought the car 2 years ago (and who knows how long it was on before I bought it) with no trouble... no visible corrosion and no electrical issues. (Other than forgetting to re-tighten it after I've left the car parked for a while.)

Posted by: pcar916 Sep 23 2011, 01:50 PM

Oh yeah, I did that plenty of times. It falls under the same heading as leaving your steering wheel in the house. But the corrosion wasn't something I could see unless I took the thing apart. It simply got increasingly tough to screw it down hard enough to make good contact.

Sidenote: You can get a battery cutoff from Pegasus, Summit, or any of the other normal racing outlets. But the pricing is nearly always better at Racer Parts Wholesale.