Ground switch If you are going to send a VAZ or another brand car for a long period of time, you must follow certain rules. One of the items is installing a battery disconnect switch. It will keep the battery in working condition for a long time, preventing liquid leakage. In addition, the presence of this unit will serve as a serious obstacle for those who try to commit theft. Let's look at how to install a power switch on a VAZ car with your own hands. At the same time, we warn you: if you do not have sufficient skills, it is better to seek help from professionals.
Where to begin
Before installing the mass switch, you need to select it in accordance with the technical characteristics of the car. This can be done in a specialized organization. Services in this direction are provided by an online store operated by VDS-Torg LLC. The company supplies the market with spare parts for Bogdan, Etalon, Ataman buses, as well as for Tata and Isuzu trucks. Here the interested buyer finds:
- Only certified goods.
- High level of service.
- Individual approach to the client - all his wishes are taken into account, the best options for spare parts are offered based on the price and technical characteristics of the vehicles on which they are planned to be installed.
A reliable mass switch can be found in the Bogdan spare parts catalog, which includes over 1000 items, here is a good model. All components are new, supplied directly from the manufacturer. The price of parts and components in the VDS online store is confirmed with the manager.
Do it yourself
To disconnect the ground from the car battery, you can do it extremely simply by lifting the hood and unscrewing the corresponding terminals. But if there is a button in the cabin through which the shutdown is carried out, it will be much more convenient to work with it. You can make a similar solution yourself.
If you do not plan to use a factory switch, you can make it yourself. A simple circuit in which there are no mechanical contacts is quite suitable. This increases the reliability of the design. Plus, such a system will be an excellent addition to your security system, if one is provided.
To assemble the circuit breaker, you will need an S1 type button, which will be installed in the interior, a diode and a thyristor.
A thyristor is a thyristor that has 3 electrical terminals. These are the control electrode, cathode and anode.
- The thyristor will be used as an electric relay, which is activated when a pulse appears on the control electrode.
- A control button is installed in a hidden location chosen by the motorist himself. When the contacts are closed, a pulse will occur on the button.
- Arriving at the thyristor, the pulse promotes unlocking, the resistance changes sharply towards decrease, and a high voltage current passes through the network.
- The thyristor allows current to pass only in the direction from the battery to the on-board electrical network.
- So that the battery can be recharged from the generator, a diode is connected in parallel with the trinistor.
- The part is fastened using a duralumin-based angle.
- Holes are made on one shelf for attaching semiconductors.
- On the second, you need to drill holes for the fastening element that will be used to attach the device to the body.
- Installation stranded wire is used as wiring.
By combining everything into a single circuit, when you press a button hidden in the cabin, it will be possible to open the ground, thereby cutting off the current from the battery to consumers.
Pay attention to technological nuances
A good switch is equipped with fuses and serves to de-energize the car battery. It is this circumstance that poses an additional problem for potential hijackers. If you decide to purchase a power switch, make sure it is new. Don't use a used one! In this state, the VM will easily damage the electrical system of the machine.
When the battery is de-energized, there is a high probability that the car computer will turn off. This, in turn, threatens failures, such as erasing from memory information necessary for full operation. How to prevent such a development of events, what energy source to buy and how to connect it - these issues should be discussed with professionals.
Related link:
Instructions for buying a new car
Why do Soviet cars have Massa?
I am sure that many who still found the good old “Muscovites”, “Zhiguli” and “Zaporozhets” from their grandfathers (or maybe even owned them themselves) probably remember the atmosphere of these cars well. Their indescribable smell of comfort in the cabin, the headliner with a hole in it, perhaps the braid on the steering wheel, perhaps some other elements of decoration and “tuning” :)
However, other elements inherent to the time were often encountered. More technical. For example - a mysterious mass switch, or simply “mass”) Correcting some malfunctions often began with the question “is there mass?” and always in childhood it was not clear - what kind of mysterious mass is this and why is it needed?
The answer, I think you yourself know very well: in most modern passenger cars, the on-board network uses direct current, with a voltage of about 12 Volts. In order not to unnecessarily create too many wires, only positive wires go to electricity consumers (lamps, radios, etc.), and the negative terminal of the battery is connected to the body. The body is steel, conducts current well, and plays the role of a “negative” wire. This is the same “mass” :) So, as I already said, the negative terminal of the battery is connected to the body. If reliable contact disappears between the consumer (and the engine is also a consumer! The spark plugs are the same - without mass) reliable contact disappears, then, as you understand, this device or unit will not work: the plus comes to it, but the minus does not
Therefore, it is especially important to have reliable “mass” in everything - from the engine to the headlights
As it logically follows from the above, if you accidentally drop the positive wire on the car body, there will be a short circuit, followed by burnout of the wire, damage to the wiring and a potential fire :)
The ground switch allows you to open the connection between the negative battery and the body. By and large, this is similar to throwing off the terminal. But why was it staged, and so en masse at that?
Well, I would probably highlight two main reasons here. Firstly, we must assume that periodically some electrical problems occurred in the car. The owners were often electricians, so as a result of such repairs, some problems were solved, while others were created. Oxidizing twists, blue electrical tapes, secret nano-boxes - all this, multiplied by years and aging, created unknown “leaks” of electricity, which at best drained the battery, at worst created the smell of heated insulation. In short, it was easier to install the coveted “ground” button than to understand the car’s electrical system and look for the cause of the leaks.
Secondly, this function could partly serve as some kind of simple anti-theft device. Being well hidden (and original), the main switch could put a potential car thief in a slight stupor. About 30 seconds. Then he would simply throw the pre-stored wire over the body and battery.
Well, everything is clear with the advantages of a switchable minus - but does this minus have any disadvantages?
(That’s a pun, give it a like :)) The disadvantage follows almost from the advantages - it would seem that you can now turn off the mass quickly.
However, everyone put the switch wherever they wanted, and often it was somewhere under the hood, which somewhat devalues the speed of shutdown and accessibility. Structurally, this was also done differently, some have switches, some have screws, some have push-button switches - in any case, they have a common drawback - sooner or later the switches oxidize, acquire noticeable resistance and heat up. Becoming a threat themselves, and sometimes making starting the engine impossible. In general, I think that this thing is completely unnecessary, because the best ground switch is good wiring. If the wiring is in good working order, I don’t see any need for such switches - that’s why they are not there from the factory. Today, when I see a “mass switch” on some purchased Moskvich, after some inspection of the wiring, I throw all this electrical creativity to the dogs. The wiring must be in good working order and standard.
Source
Progress
So, you purchased a ground switch for a VAZ car. Now it’s just a matter of small things – the connection process. To do this, prepare a workplace and the necessary tools:
- keys;
- pliers;
- screwdrivers;
- brushes;
- probes.
Stage 1
Disconnecting the terminal from the battery ground. This will prevent a short circuit, which can cause not only a burnout of the car's electrical system, but even an electric shock. The operation is not difficult, since the terminal wire is painted black and marked with a minus sign.
Stage 2
Disconnection from the positive terminal of the battery. The wire of this terminal is red and marked with a “+” sign.
Disconnection is carried out carefully. At the same time, the level of the electrolyte fluid of the battery is checked and its terminals, both positive and negative, are cleaned with a brush. The ground terminal is retained - it will be needed when the car returns to active use.
Stage 3
Work directly with the switch. This unit is connected to the negative terminal of the battery using a key of the appropriate size. After tightening, you must make sure that the fastening is secure. The wiring terminal, in turn, is connected to the positive terminal of the battery, and the switch is connected to the ground wire.
Stage 4
After the system is assembled, it is tested. This is done with the mains switch turned off (otherwise the fuses will blow). After you are sure that the system is working normally, you can turn on the VM.
Repair of VAZ 2101, 2106, 2107 hub
Maintenance-free front hubs on VAZ 2107 (bushing drawing)
This time we will talk about maintenance-free front hub bearings. Having changed 3 bearings over the winter (sometimes they didn’t last, sometimes they overtightened them, sometimes they fell apart during maintenance), I got tired of all this, surfing the Internet and DRIVE came across articles about maintenance-free bearings on the front. There are several options: 1. Buy a ready-made kit. There are people who sharpen hubs and axles for them. 2. hub with axle from Izh od (also suitable) - I couldn’t find it 3. Rear hub from 08 VAZ + bearing also rear and + adapter sleeve - that’s what you need and in terms of cost.
How to de-minus the engine yourself
The procedure involves running additional wires to ground from the main sources of current consumption. For most cars, the minus is carried out from 4-6 sources:
- minus generator;
- mass from starter;
- negative wire from the engine (preferably at least 2 points);
- weight of the gearbox (if automatic transmission is available);
- minus the body in the engine compartment (remote part from the battery);
Wires must be flexible, made of high quality pure copper with a minimum content of impurities. The use of wiring based on copper alloys is not recommended. Also, the wire must have a large cross-section
This is necessary to ensure the best conductivity of electrical current. Additionally, you will need to pay attention to the insulation of the wires. It must be durable, resistant to mechanical wear and have the ability to withstand significant temperature fluctuations (large heating in the engine compartment followed by cooling).
It is worth adding that you can purchase both ready-made solutions for sale and do the demining of the engine yourself. For manufacturing you will need a copper cable, heat shrink tubing and terminals. The length of the cable and the number of terminals will depend on how many devices are planned to be grounded to the body (connected to ground). After cutting the cable, you need to crimp the terminals and apply heat shrink in those places where the cable is exposed to connect to the terminal. The final stage will be the installation of the manufactured wires in the engine compartment of the car.
How does the engine start button work? Available options and solutions for installing the starter button yourself. How to install the engine start button yourself.
Signs of malfunction or breakdown of the high-voltage spark plug wire of the ignition system. How to check car armored wires with your own hands.
The starter clicks and/or buzzes, but the engine does not turn over. The main causes of starter failures, diagnosing and troubleshooting them yourself.
How to quickly start the engine with a discharged battery. Features and advantages of using an autonomous battery charger. Tips for choosing a booster.
Conditions for proper storage of a car battery. Removing, inspecting and preparing the battery. How to preserve your battery without regular recharging.
Basic methods for repairing a cracked engine block. Crack detection, repair by welding, riveting or applying an epoxy layer.
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Typical malfunctions, repair and maintenance of the mass switch
The switch and the entire electrical circuit associated with it are reliable and can serve for many years without problems. However, if the switch is poorly positioned (for example, if it is poorly protected from moisture and dirt), corrosion may occur in it, which will lead to poor contact between the contact disk and the terminals, as well as between the terminals and the wires connected to them. In this case, the switch can be disassembled and cleaned.
Sometimes more serious malfunctions of the switch are possible - breakage of the electromagnet winding, breakage of the latch, sagging or breakage of springs, deformation of the armature rod, and others. In these cases, it is much easier and cheaper to completely replace the switch.
With proper installation and careful operation, the remote main switch will protect the battery from loss of charge and the car from theft for a long time, without requiring any attention.
As a rule, automobile factories do not install a special button or mechanism that would turn off the power to the mass. Ground (-) is called negative power supply. The negative from the battery is connected to the car body. Having the ability to disconnect the ground without disconnecting from the battery terminal, there is convenience and protection of the car from fire in the event of a short circuit and protection against theft.
