by Chris Miles
Many DeLoreans suffer from vampiric battery drain if the car is parked for too long. How many times have you wanted to take the DeLorean out for a drive, just to turn the key and find out your battery is dead?
The battery cut off switch is not a new idea. However, some of us probably have an inexpensive switch that we just live with. Others don’t have one at all. While it’s best to make sure you don’t have some underlying issue, a battery cut off switch will prevent your battery from draining if you do not operate your car regularly. Especially for owners who store their cars in the winter, a battery cut of switch is almost a must. It’s also a convenient way to disconnect the battery whenever you want to work on the car. I never like messing with the battery cables if I don’t have to. With a battery cut off switch it may also eliminate the need to have your car on a trickle charger.
The Pollak Master Disconnect Switch is my favorite, as it’s a very heavy duty battery cut off switch that outperforms your run of the mill switch from Harbor Freight, or your favorite discount auto parts store. Pollak has been manufacturing these switches for many, many years. Over the span of production they have been made in the USA, Mexico, India, and most recently Taiwan. If you watch eBay, you can usually find New Old Stock USA made Pollak switches. Just beware of the cheaper Chinese knockoffs, as they do not have the Pollak stamp on them.
Over the years many people have installed these switches by drilling a hole through the battery access door. I am not the biggest fan of doing this because I don’t want to damage the original battery cover. Or, the switch could rub or dig into the back of the passenger seat, which is more costly to repair/replace. I prefer to make a bracket to mount the switch inside the battery cubby. You will also need to buy one 2 foot battery cable to run between the battery and the switch. You can pick one of these up at your favorite auto parts stores, or on Amazon or from O’Reilly Auto Parts. For installation, I connect the positive battery cable to one stud on the switch. I then run the new 2 foot battery cable to the other stud.
