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1980 MGB Battery Disconnect Switch Installation

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1980 MGB Battery Disconnect Switch Installation
#1
RPittenger Richard Pittenger
Troy, OH, USA   USA
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1980 MG MGB
Forum Friends,

I've recently posted a couple questions in regard a battery disconnect switch for my MGB. Today I've completed the installation and just wanted to report back with a post describing the completed project shown in the accompanying photos. This is a remotely controlled disconnect switch by a company by the name Knoweasy (Chinese, if you can believe it). It was an Amazon purchase.

The installation was easy and used my battery cables and no hole drilling or other modifications to the car. The only extra hardware needed was a longer M8 bolt for the clamp at the negative battery terminal which allowed the unit to clear one of the battery caps. It came with two simple on-off remote controls. I will occasionally need to lift up the unit off the battery terminal to check the electrolyte level in the battery, but this seems to me to be a minor inconvenience.

Any comments?

Good evening,
Richard


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Re: 1980 MGB Battery Disconnect Switch Installation
#2
MG14611 Avatar
MG14611 Robert P
NY, NY, USA   USA
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1963 MG MGB MkI "Born To Run"
1963 MG MGB MkI "Potential"
Cool! The remote is convenient and the Off lockout when running is good.

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Re: 1980 MGB Battery Disconnect Switch Installation
#3
lewk Avatar
lewk Silver Member Keith Lewis
Cambridge, ON, Canada   CAN
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1975 MG MGB MkIII "RBLUEB"
2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
2012 BMW 323i
It looks like, from your pictures and description, that you have to lift the battery lid for access to the battery to turn on and off. Am I missing something? Or is there a remote switch that you are not showing?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-04-25 08:53 AM by lewk.

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Re: 1980 MGB Battery Disconnect Switch Installation
#4
ClayJ Avatar
ClayJ Silver Member Clay Johnston
Mt. Olive, MS, USA   USA
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1972 MG MGB
Great work!

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Re: 1980 MGB Battery Disconnect Switch Installation
#5
RPittenger Richard Pittenger
Troy, OH, USA   USA
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1980 MG MGB
Keith,

Yes, you're missing something. As I noted in the post, the unit came with two remote controls, the key fob type, which of course will be used most of the time. But the unit does also have an on-off switch on the top surface. Additionally, the unit senses battery voltage and will disconnect the battery when charge falls to 11.9 Vdc. Also, when the engine is running, the off position on the remote control is deactivated to prevent an accidental press of that button from shutting off the car, possibly while driving down the road.

Good day,
Richard

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Re: 1980 MGB Battery Disconnect Switch Installation
#6
lewk Avatar
lewk Silver Member Keith Lewis
Cambridge, ON, Canada   CAN
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1975 MG MGB MkIII "RBLUEB"
2010 Ford Explorer Sport Trac
2012 BMW 323i
Got it. That's a very cool way to do the cut off need. Thanks for posting.

In reply to # 4789142 by RPittenger Keith,

Yes, you're missing something. As I noted in the post, the unit came with two remote controls, the key fob type, which of course will be used most of the time. But the unit does also have an on-off switch on the top surface. Additionally, the unit senses battery voltage and will disconnect the battery when charge falls to 11.9 Vdc. Also, when the engine is running, the off position on the remote control is deactivated to prevent an accidental press of that button from shutting off the car, possibly while driving down the road.

Good day,
Richard

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Re: 1980 MGB Battery Disconnect Switch Installation
#7
ingoldsb Avatar
ingoldsb Silver Member Terry Ingoldsby
Calgary, AB, Canada   CAN
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1971 MG MGB
Quote: Also, when the engine is running, the off position on the remote control is deactivated to prevent an accidental press of that button from shutting off the car, possibly while driving down the road.

Disconnecting the battery while the engine is running may not shut off the car - but it does have about a 1 in 4 chance of blowing the diodes in the alternator. It is a great feature that disconnect is deactivated when the engine is running. How does it know that the engine is running?


Terry Ingoldsby
terry.ingoldsby@DCExperts.com

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Re: 1980 MGB Battery Disconnect Switch Installation
#8
MGB567 Avatar
MGB567 Barrie Braxton
Ninderry, KabiKabi country, Queensland, Australia   AUS
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1966 MG MGB MkI "Money Guzzler"
1979 MG MGB GT V8 Conversion "Darkside"
I have a kill switch. Although I would never turn the key to the off position whilst driving (or engine running) it's meant to be turned to off either by the driver or a marshal in the event of a catastrophe. Killing the alternator would be the least of my worries.


Mk1: CKD 11/66 first registered 8/5/67; owned since 3/77. 18GB +40 balanced. Peter Burgess BVFR head. Piper 285. 123. FidanzaFW. 4synch c/r box. Lots more as I did a nut and bolt rebuild; finished 2015. Tartan Red.

GT: December '78. VW Golf guards, flush fit front and rear valances. Torana XU1 vents, frenched indicators & Mk1 rear lights. 'Worked' Rover V8 with Monsoon ECU for EFI. GM4L60E, Lokar tiptronic & Quick4 controller. Vintage Air A/C. FC IFS. CCE 4 link rear. Salisbury with Quaife. Jaguar Storm.

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Re: 1980 MGB Battery Disconnect Switch Installation
#9
MG14611 Avatar
MG14611 Robert P
NY, NY, USA   USA
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1963 MG MGB MkI "Born To Run"
1963 MG MGB MkI "Potential"
“”. How does it know that the engine is running?””

I would imagine that the switch detects the amount and direction of current flow in the negative battery cable (Hall effect probe or current sending circuit) to determine if the engine is on. There is likely some allowance for maintenance or trickle currents.

The design is clever in that the unit is always powered by its direct connections to the battery and can switch the ground cable without disturbing itself.

Nice failsafe features and necessary manual override.



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 2024-04-27 07:48 AM by MG14611.

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Re: 1980 MGB Battery Disconnect Switch Installation
#10
Bob Allen Avatar
Bob Allen Gold Member
Houston, TX, USA   USA
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1978 MG MGB
Looks like a nice disconnect switch with a couple additional features. Took me a few minutes but I found the one you purchased.
Confirmed when I saw your review mentioning the MGB. Thinking of grabbing a couple, one for the B and one for the wife’s F150 that doesn’t get driven very often since she works from home.


https://www.amazon.com/Knoweasy-Battery-Disconnect-Automatic-Perfect/dp/B0CC5NCPFC


1978 MGB
When diagnosing issues related to running and stalling, always check to see if you have gas in the tank first.

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Re: 1980 MGB Battery Disconnect Switch Installation
#11
MG14611 Avatar
MG14611 Robert P
NY, NY, USA   USA
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1963 MG MGB MkI "Born To Run"
1963 MG MGB MkI "Potential"
“”… one for the wife’s F150 that doesn’t get driven very often since she works from home.””

If the battery is cut off in the F150, you may need to reset the radio and might lose the “memory “ of USB paired devices like the phones, depending on how recent the truck is and how it’s equipped.

For the simpler MGs not an issue!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2024-04-27 10:03 AM by MG14611.

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Re: 1980 MGB Battery Disconnect Switch Installation
#12
Bob Allen Avatar
Bob Allen Gold Member
Houston, TX, USA   USA
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1978 MG MGB
Understood, for the F150 it would be mostly for the auto shut off when the battery voltage drops below 12v. Not worried about the radio and such since if the battery dies I have the same situation.

In reply to # 4789909 by MG14611 “”… one for the wife’s F150 that doesn’t get driven very often since she works from home.””

If the battery is cut off in the F150, you may need to reset the radio and might lose the “memory “ of USB paired devices like the phones, depending on how recent the truck is and how it’s equipped.

For the simpler MGs not an issue!


1978 MGB
When diagnosing issues related to running and stalling, always check to see if you have gas in the tank first.

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Re: 1980 MGB Battery Disconnect Switch Installation
#13
MG14611 Avatar
MG14611 Robert P
NY, NY, USA   USA
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1963 MG MGB MkI "Born To Run"
1963 MG MGB MkI "Potential"
If the battery drops that far below, you’ll know about it well before when starting becomes difficult! Just saying! smiling smiley

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Re: 1980 MGB Battery Disconnect Switch Installation
#14
RPittenger Richard Pittenger
Troy, OH, USA   USA
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1980 MG MGB
Gents,

Concerning how this device knows that the engine is running and, therefore, doesn't permit the unit to shut off battery power if the remote off button is inadvertently pushed, the short answer is I don't know. I'm not privy to know what circuitry/electronics is in the blue plastic enclosure. Even if I did know, I probably wouldn't be able to explain how it works. I think, though, that at least part of the reason that it works in this way is related to the magnetic latching relay which will maintain continuity between the negative post of the battery to the negative battery cable even if the coil which operates the main switch contacts loses power by way of an off command from the remote control.

See the Amazon listing (link in Bob Allen's Post #10 above) for this unit for a photo and brief description of the magnetic latching relay

Does this make sense?

Richard

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