What are the pros and cons of using a mercury switch for hood open trigger?
What are the pros and cons of using a magnet separating thing (dunno what to call it) for hood open trigger?
With my truck I not sure where the heck I can mount a pin switch, so I want to know what is good and bad about the alternatives.
since you have a truck I'm sure there's a little space to install the common hood switch that most remote starts or alarms come with. I have never used mercury switches but I've used mercury-type switches which work very much alike but it's just a little steel ball inside a small cylinder that when they touch one another do the trick. The problem with this switches is that if you live in place with a lot of hills you'll end up with false triggering and/or your remote start not working since because of the hill the alarm thinks your hood is open. I don't know if you know what I mean but if I were you I'd use the good ol' regular hood pin that you can buy anywhere. Just drill a hole and presto. Trucks have many places to install those switches
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Personally i like the mercury switch better, as they tend to last much longer than their counterparts. Plus, youd have to be parked on a damn steep hill to false the trigger
Believe me Viper it's happened to me or else I wouldn't mention it. Well...at least around here there are a few damn steep hills. I'd agree on the mercury switches for the simple fact that regular hood pins are exposed to weather conditions such as oxidation and corrosion and they do fail in time gotta keep them well greased.
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gest put the mercury switch , works better .
Hiils around here are not too steep but sometimes I do end up parking at an odd angle when I go places, but where I plan to do my remote starting is level ground. I think the alarm just ignores the hood trigger when it is closed and the alarm is turned on so it wouldn't be a problem.
Next Question: Where can I buy a mercury or ball in cylinder thingy?
Install is going to be on a Commando FM 870 if that matters.
Personally I have used the magnet switches on both the hood and tool boxes in the truck bed. I make sure to silicone up the holes in the swtich side (both) since they are not water proof by nature. It's takes some playing with to get in the right psoition.
I like this because I have seen the hood pryed up to cut the battery cable and with the magnet mounted near the battery even starting to tug on the hood moved the magnet enough to trigger alarm. Same with the tool box. Had a plastic gullwing style and if you tried to pry on it the alarm would go off. Actually had this stop a breakin on my truck once! Think they tried to do it right while I was in the gas station at night. I just thought it falsed due to a loud truck and ignored it till I saw the pry marks the next day. Neither ever "falsed".