How to create a shut off switch.... Plz help quickly

General Discussion
1

I was recently contacted by some folks that used to be good friends of my wife and myself… we made amends but I told them that I would like to break the news to my wife. I love surprise her so, my thought is this… Since the friends live a different state than they used to live. I want to drive there have my car breakdown in front of their house and request that my wife go and ask something…

What i need is a way to shut the car off from the drivers seat. It will require some jerry rigging but if its not too difficult I can handle… It would be great if the shutoff device would prevent me from cranking it back up… 97 toyota avalon

These were such good friends and we grieved so when the friendship ended that I know that this would be perfect… The friends will be in the dark on this as well as my wife! A challenge I know… plz help and soon!

Thanks so so much

2

Uhm, why not just say to your wife I have been talking to our old friends? It sounds hard to do but sometimes it turns out a lot easier than we play it out in our heads.

Oh and that way you don’t have to introduce a problem into your Toyota. It is old enough and will start giving you its own problems without you creating them.

3

If you have a fuse panel on the left side then you could distract your wife and pull the fuel pump fuse. I would not recommend “jerry rigging” any wiring on a vehicle that uses computers to control your engine. You might wind up with some very expensive repairs. Just learn where the fuse is or attach a fuse puller to the correct fuse beforehand.

4

Perhaps it would be easier on everyone if you had a chance meeting at a local eatery in their new area? Imagine our surprise to meet you here! If things don’t go well, you can easily parts ways and there’s no modifications to your car necessary…

5

Unless the issues between the 4 of you were entirely your making, I wouldn’t ‘surprise’ my wife in this way.

Also, my wife like the anticipation part of planning a get together, she’d rather know beforehand, anyway.

6

Ha, this great! I got marriage advisors, and psychologists to boots! I like the fuse idea i could tie a piece of fishing line to it… with a little tug then car cuts off. Great advice appreciated

for car bashers: 97 avalon is a super reliable, once you realize how to work around sludge issues. Yea I had a test of wills with toyota corp… 330,000 plus miles, runs like a top though. So yea, it gives me less problems that most of my friends newer cars give them.

For the marriage advisors, and psychologists: It seems you know my wife, friends and nature of the difference far better than me! Thanks, but no thanks.

7

Questions like this make my brain hurt.

If I. . . Thought this was a good idea to pull on my wife, I’d install a fuel cutoff switch.

8

Have you thought about how you are going to handle this if your well-intended plans blow up in your face? Every good plan has a contingency plan, so you might want to make a nearby motel reservation just in case.

9

OK then, strictly car stuff - once you cut off your engine, you know your power steering and brakes are gone, too, right? This might call for a few practice runs in an empty parking lot…

10

And then post back here with the results of your premeditated breakdown and unannounced visit…inquiring minds want to know how it all turns out. For the best, we hope.

11

I’m not a marriage counselor or a pscychologist but I hate surprises. Some people don’t but I wouldn’t appreciate someone doing that to me. I don’t even like people dragging out bad news or good new. Just tell me right off and then fill in the details if you want. I appreciate honesty, directness, and people who stand straight and speak up and don’t mumble. I think the restaurant is a good idea but holy cripe why not just tell her???