![]() ![]() Do you agree with this advice, or can something else/more be done? It’s true I use the car sparingly, and even less since pandemic restrictions have kept me working from home with nowhere to go. Also, keep the car outdoors rather than in my heated garage, to inhibit rust. The advice to forestall this issue? Take the car out periodically and work those brakes hard to get them hot so the pads can scrub the rotors. The explanation: I don’t drive the car enough. While the brake pads were still at 6-8 millimetres, I was told the rotors were too rusty to salvage and the pads too scored to be reused. The last instance was fall 2021 when both front and rear were serviced. ![]() The front brake rotors and pads have been replaced three times, the rear two times. Overall, I’ve been happy with the ownership experience, bar one quite expensive thing – my brakes. I have exclusively relied on the BMW dealership who sold me the car to maintain it. I bought a new BMW 328ix sedan which I’ve owned for more than seven years. While I’m not completely against the idea, I do suggest caution when installing a kill switch on a newer vehicle, as there is potential for unforeseen problems, especially if it is installed in a poor manner. Other than the horn relocation, these ideas were in the research phase and had not been implemented yet, said the service manager. Another idea was to install an additional parallel circuit to supply power to the vehicle’s GPS locating system that was being disabled by thieves simply by pulling a fuse. They were also looking for an advanced kill-switch-style device that did not disrupt the vehicle’s sensitive electronics. The theft deterrent ideas being discussed were to relocate the vehicle’s horn to an inconspicuous location as its current location was too easy for a thief to disable. He also confirmed the bulk of their recovered customer trucks were stolen by thieves exploiting the Onboard Diagnostic port. My local dealer service management team was working on ideas to aid their customers, as they realize that additional theft deterrents are required, said the service manager. He ultimately decided to remove the kill switch and return it to stock as he was worried about failures within his truck that could be blamed on this modification. This explains why the Ram’s back-up camera didn’t work and warning lights were illuminated. Something similar is likely happening here. For example, when a power outage occurs in your home and cuts off the power to your personal computer it may not always reboot in its typically manner, and may display a message that the system was shut down suddenly. ![]() Unlike decades ago when vehicles had few electronics, computer shutdown procedures in new vehicles don’t occur when the power is abruptly cut. But like any electrical modifications, including aftermarket radios or trailer-brake controllers, if electrical problems occur during your warranty period there is the potential for warranty refusal. His answer was that there was nothing specifically or officially from Chrysler Canada specifying kill switches. Always looking for ideas to write about, I took up his quest and headed to a nearby Chrysler dealer to speak with the service manager. The dealer staff said it would void all electrical warranties. He then called his dealership to inquire if the new switch had any potential warranty implications. ![]() He revisited the installer and was assured it was indeed installed as per the instructions. Every time he used the kill switch the same series of warning lights appeared and the inoperative back-up camera plagued the truck for the first half hour of operation. Eventually, after a half hour of driving, the warning lights went out and the back-up camera started to function again. He may have been over thinking it, but he also swore the truck drove differently for the first few kilometres. His back-up camera did not work other warning lights were illuminated on the dash, such as a non-operating lane-departure system. When he reengaged the switch, the truck’s electrical system performed differently. Immediately after the installation, he noticed his brand-new Ram truck wasn’t quite right. The idea being that when it is parked, the switch is manually turned to the off position, severing the electrical connection between the battery and the onboard electronics, hopefully thwarting would-be thieves.Ī friend recently purchased a kill switch from an online retailer and had it installed. A kill switch is an electrical switch hidden somewhere in the vehicle with only the owner knowing where it is located. One popular method is to add a kill switch. Given the amount of Ram pickups that have been targeted for theft lately, owners are looking for additional ways to protect their vehicles. ![]()
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