Kill switches on Freightliner Cascadia?

Discussion in 'Trucking Electronics, Gadgets and Software Forum' started by alemiss, Nov 6, 2022.

  1. alemiss

    alemiss Bobtail Member

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    Has anyone ever asked this question? I can't find any answers on the entire world wide web.
    If a Freightliner Cascadia doesn't currently have a kill switch, can one be installed? and what does it take to accomplish that?
    I have one truck that has a kill switch and the one I just bought doesn't have one. The switch on the older truck was acting up so we changed the switch, the PDNB module and the harness that connects them. Fixed the problem.
    So what does it take to install a kill switch on a truck that never had it from the beginning?
    Thanks
     
    Flat Earth Trucker Thanks this.
  2. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    Easy. Just buy a high amperage rated master disconnect switch and install it between battery negative and the truck frame.
     
  3. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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  4. alemiss

    alemiss Bobtail Member

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    Thanks. But that begs the question: If it's that simple, why aren't kill switches today installed the way you're suggesting? It certainly is not the way my first truck is set up.
     
  5. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    Its been done the way I described for decades.
     
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  6. alemiss

    alemiss Bobtail Member

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    So connect the negative terminal of the battery to one terminal of the switch and from the other terminal of the switch to the frame of the truck? So the idea is, when the switch is thrown, it denies the truck a negative terminal by grounding it? Am I getting this right?
     
  7. AModelCat

    AModelCat Road Train Member

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    Pretty much. I used truck frame simply because that's where the battery group is usually grounded. I'd stick with using whatever location your truck already uses for a ground and just put the switch between there and the battery.

    I've also been told that if the ECM is connected directly to the battery terminals that they should be relocated to the other side of the disconnect switch so that the ECM gets disconnected as well. Apparently if you accidently try and crank the engine with the switch off it could cause the ECM to get spiked if its not been isolated.
     
  8. alemiss

    alemiss Bobtail Member

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    Thanks. Yes, I personally won't mess around with the electronics myself. I am simply trying to learn. Thanks again
     
  9. Hammer166

    Hammer166 Crusty Information Officer

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    The newer freightliners and Western Stars don't actually kill power to the truck by opening the ground, they just shut down the PNDB, which in turn pulls the power from the other power modules.

    Personally, I like the method @AModelCat suggests. You know everything is dead when there's no ground to the battery.
     
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  10. armo

    armo Light Load Member

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    men what you want? part numbers of kill switch, pndb and wiring harness?