Battery kill switch?

Hello I couldn’t find any previous post on here in regards to a battery Kill switch being installed on the battery. Are there any issues with the PCM or anything that could be problematic if using a battery disconnect switch when the vehicle is not in use? My fully stock 1994 RMW sits for random length of time between drives and I may have a parasitic battery drain but for the time being can’t invest time in finding it. I just got a new battery and would like to protect it.

Thanks so much…,
Anthony

No issues with a battery disconnect other than having to reset your clock

Use a high quality disconnect, look to the marine industry. The cheap $12 ones will fail and cause a no start. Easy to fix wherever you are, but still a PITA.

OK… I’m glad you said that because I had a knife blade type switch ready to order for $10 online. Thank you very much.

You will also lose your radio presets.

Fix Until Broke wrote:

No issues with a battery disconnect other than having to reset your clock

Use a high quality disconnect, look to the marine industry.  The cheap $12 ones will fail and cause a no start.  Easy to fix wherever you are, but still a PITA.

I use this one in my GMC motorhome
https://www.bluesea.com/products/category/11/41/Manual_Battery_Switches/e-Series

… Thank you…. Another question though about my battery, it has the positive and negative cables on the side mount facing the firewall but a single red wire, about 12 gauge or so, goes up to the top positive post. What is that wire for? It disappears into a bundle. I would really like to have top mount battery cables because they are difficult to access on the side between the battery and the coolant reservoir, and they are attached with very small bolts. Can I use a different battery as long as that single red wire that goes to the top post gets attached somehow?

And I would like to be able to post photos, but I can’t figure out how to do it even after reading the FAQ instructions. I don’t see any of the prompts anywhere on my screen as listed in the FAQ instructions and nowhere on the page any reference to image.
Any help with this would be appreciated and I appreciate your patience because I know everybody knows how to do it but me!

There is a camera icon in the top right corner above the text you are typing. Click on it and it will allow you to insert a picture with your text.
The side post battery is used, because there is limited space above the battery with the hood closed. An 8 mm socket fits the bolt head in. Always remove the negative post first. As long as you have all of the wires attached to the correct post you will be good.

Okay,thanks….. But I don’t see a camera icon anywhere on the page at all. Can You or someone else post a screenshot of it? I do see below the box that I’m typing where you can attach a file but when I select my photo from my photo library it doesn’t end up in this message.

I am on my phone, so it is different from a computer. Using a computer, you must first upload the files, then insert them.

OK…. that explains it then…thank you.

The easiest way to get top posts is to install a 78 DT battery - This is the same battery but has both side and top terminals.

It is possible to fit a 65 series battery (top post only, more of everything), but it requires modifications to the battery tray (cutting/welding) and it's very cozy fit to the fender, A/C lines, radiator support, etc (everywhere). I've done it and wouldn't recommend it unless there's some other reason you need more battery capacity/CCA/etc

Fred Kiehl wrote:

T
The side post battery is used, because there is limited space above the battery with the hood closed. An 8 mm socket fits the bolt head in.  Always remove the negative post first. As long as you have all of the wires attached to the correct post you will be good.

i forget why the negative is supposed to be removed first. I think i have dyslexia sometimes. I've been removing my pos+ as it's a little easier to access and when i had checked which to remove when the car will be sitting for a while i misread the instructions.

Unknown electrical drains are really annoying. The guy i got my wagon from mentioned there was a parasitic drain somewhere but since i installed a bu camera to a hot wire (I like to be able to use the camera whenever i want, not just when in reverse - like checking just how close that jerk really is in the giant truck is behind me at the light type of deal) there is definitely a drain from the camera always being on. Ended up ruining the fairly new battery he had bought because of that - and not driving the wagon very often. Plan to wire in a toggle switch for that and bring it up to the front so i don't have to keep disconnecting the battery. Which i will be removing the NEG post from now on and maybe putting a baby sock or something over it just in case it were to make metal contact when not in use

The reason for removing the negative side is to avoid touching anything with the wrench and causing a short circuit. Your chances of making a short is much lower on the ground side.

Fred Kiehl wrote:

The reason for removing the negative side is to avoid touching anything with the wrench and causing a short circuit.  Your chances of making a short is much lower on the ground side.

really? even though i have a tiny little 8mm wrench i use, the negative side is hard to access with the way the coolant tank is shaped along with it being closest to the fender, the pos side is much more accessable and no metal is nearby that i'd hit with the wrench. Either way it's a pita to always do this while my other car is out of commission. I'd work on the issue if i didn't have so many other pressing important things to do.