Red Rocker of DOOM !!!!

[thescifiguy]

My former 70 GT had the red brake test rocker switch down there between the Fog and Flasher switches. That IS what that thing was for.....right?

Well, if I ever dared press it or some curious passenger monkeyed with it, THE WHOLE CAR WOULD SHUT DOWN!

Dead as a doornail. No engine/starting response and most of the instrument panel dead. After much cursing and giving it the finger(less costly than beating on it with a baseball bat), plus jiggling/removing/reseating of battery and various electrical connectors, it still wouldn't go.

Later, it would mysteriously start working again. It was a pretty well kept car, that was never trashed or rigged, and that I had lovingly upgraded and renewed, almost entirely, over the course of 15 years.

Has anyone else's "Kill" switch done this?

[2 Fast 4 U]

got a photo??

[yellaopelgt]

Thats VERY strange..... Does it kill immediately? Or are you OK for a bit until it shuts down?I would have to ask if you have an electric fuel pump.(you'd go for a bit till the fuel bowl emptied) That MIGHT be an answer, or if its somehow hooked into the ignition somewhere(would kill asap then it might just flood out trying to re-start especially when hot). Those 2 things would be my only guess.....The PO could have rigged up some sort of anti-theft deal somewhere along the line. If neither of those options are the case you MAY have a serious wiring problem that could be triggered by an overload. Then again just hitting the brakes and engaging the lights would probly do the same thing........odd.......just thinking out loud.
Joe

[thescifiguy]

By former GT, I mean that I no longer have the car, so fixing the problem is moot. I just thought I'd bring it up as a curiousity.
I figure that somehow the switch was grounding the all the primary power in the car. But, then you'd figure that the battery or wiring somewhere would burn out.
This did eventually happen to the car. Something shorted to the brown ground wires behind the dash and the whole mess of them around the steering coulmn and fuse box all heated up and sagged/melted into one another. The car still worked fine after that incident, but every now and then I'd make a turn or hit a bump and the car would die. I'd then reach down and slap my hand around down there amongst the wires and spark would return and I'd drive for another month or two until it happened again.

[jtb]

It is possible the PO might have done a re-wire, as suggested. Mine now functions as a switch for the windshield washer squirter pump...

[GTJIM]

As far as Opel wiring and Previous Owners go - ALL bets are off!
The quality of original wiring is bad enough ... then the less than competent have a go at it!

[yellaopelgt]

Yea...my bad, I didnt catch the former part. Still a scary situation none the less!! I am SOOOOOOO thankful the guy I bought my car from(original owner from day 1) was not the type to monkey around with stuff!!! I have had other gt's that were hobbled together so bad that they were literally bombs with wheels! Kinda like the mafia...you know the guy gets in turns the key and BOOM!!
Joe

[thescifiguy]

Speaking of monkeying around with stuff, I had come up with a solution for my non-functioning rear window defroster on that car. I mounted two 12V computer muffin fans at the base of the window and wired then into the defroster switch.
Makeout sessions weren't nearly so window fogging after that!