I have a 2019 F150 XLT sport screw 2.7 5.5 I bought it last September.



I use it for work. I have about 2 grand in tools under the back seat and about 5 grand of parts and stuff in the bed under a Bakflip cover. And I have to park it on the street. I was nervous right away about the security of the Backflip, that's why I keep my tools in the cab. Also, the Backflip isn't really water proof. I found that out the hard way. Now I keep everything in baggies.

I added some switches to the backflip and wired them into “tailgate ajar” and enabled it with Forscan. So if someone does force it open I will get an alert on my phone.



I have been reading on this board about how our trucks are so easy to steal. The key fob scanners and the stupid driver door lock cylinder. I wanted to add a kill switch. I found a post about it.

A lot of folks here say that if they want the truck that bad then they can have it. I can't do that. With my tools and my inventory of parts if it gets stolen it is a paperwork nightmare for me. I would rather avoid it if at all possible.



My first thought was to add a hidden kill switch. Then I thought about it a lot. If I have a hidden kill switch, how will that work when I'm at the car wash? Or at a restaurant with valet parking? It won't work very well. Plus, it can't be hidden all that well because I will need to get to it to start the truck. I thought about a hidden rfid reader. That would work, but it would have to be energized all the time to be able to read a tag. So I decided to have a switch out in the open, with easy access, but a keyed switch. When I'm at the car wash, I'll just leave the key in, and tell them not to touch it.



I did some research and I ended up adding a key switch that will disconnect fuse 18. Fuse 18 is a micro3 fuse, and I could not find an add a circuit for this fuse so I made my own. I cut apart a micro3 fuse and salvaged the 3 legs out of it. I soldered a wire to each leg then crimped on a female spade connector that will fit the fuse. I interrupt fuse 18 with my key switch.



I wasn't too sure if this is the right way to do this, but it works. Someone else here found an ignition immobilizer wire in the ignition switch, but I didn't want to take all that apart to find it, so I went with fuse 18 instead. But my truck seems like it does funny things once in a while and I don't know if it's because I switched out fuse 18. Like the ap on my phone can't locate my truck sometimes. I wasn't totally comfortable with this setup.



I did some more reading and I found another old post. This one talked about interrupting the brake switch on the brake pedal. You can't get it out of park unless you press the brake pedal. I found it and probed it. I found one wire that had +12vdc on it. I cut that wire (tan with a red tracer) and I can't get the truck out of park. Perfect! I rewired my key switch to the brake switch. The 12v wire goes to the switch, common. Normally open goes back to the brake switch. Normally closed goes to a blinking LED so I have a reminder. So thieves have a reminder. It looks like an alarm LED.



So now my truck will start as normal, but I need the key switch on to get it out of park. I feel much better about this now. As an added benefit, when I am screaming down the freeway and I see a cop or something that I need to slow down for, now I can turn off my brake lights, slow down fast, then enable them again. I had a similar setup on an old Mustang. I'm pretty sure it's not legal to do this so don't tell anyone. I don't know why I'm only getting 16-17mpg out of my 2.7 eb haha



I 3d printed a small switch panel and it fits into the useless hole in my dash where a trailer brake controller would go if I had one. Pull down the plastic dash under the steering column and you can get to the back side of that box. I added a latching push button switch, and the key switch. The latching push button switch powers up an Arduino Nano using power on with the key. Fuse 1. The nano takes a second to boot, and I programmed a 4 second delay, then it sends 5 pulses to the dm switch. When the switch is on then I have auto sport mode about 5 seconds after I start the truck. Yes, I am addicted to sport mode, on the street. I will usually go back to normal mode once I'm settled down on the freeway.


That's it, that's my kill switch evolution. I hope this will help someone who might be in a similar situation.

 

I've been considering that exact same switch for my Bakflip. Works good? Do you have a switch on the tailgate as well?

 

There is another way to feel secure....talk to your insuance agent about a PAP- personal articles policy- you can insure anything with it and that includes your tools or anything inside the truck.

 

The switches work great, very reliable. No I didn't add a switch to the tailgate. I was under the impression that there is one already, like in the doors. Some kind of internal latch switch. ???
I know if I start the truck with the backflip open I will get a red alert on the dash, tailgate ajar. I haven't actually tried it with the tailgate yet. haha I will.

 

I bought commercial insurance for this truck. It costs an arm and a leg but everything is insured.
It's just the inconvenience of listing everything, having to go out and buy everything again, not to mention the disruption of my work.

 

I like those ideas. I've thought about something like that for my bed cover. As far as theft deterrent, I prefer a more lethal methods. Wire the steering wheel and shifter + to - and put the kill switch there. Just make sure to disable it for valets and such.

 

I took the easy way out...I enabled Secure Idle with Forscan and it won’t shift out of park unless the key fob is in the truck.

 

Oh I know, I am in a similar position, I do construction an have many tools. But I would rather be paid back for the tools then lost and never seen them again.

 

Hello , how has this been so far? Are you still happy, did you notice any bugs that this mod have caused?

 

If I forget to turn it off and I start the truck, everything is normal. When I step on the brake pedal then a bunch of messages flash on the screen. This won't work, that won't work, go to the dealer. I like it. If I turn off my little key switch first, then start the truck and press on the brake, then everything is fine, like normal. no bugs.
I have a console shifter and I didn't realize how easy it is to get in there and bypass the shifter lock. I am screwing down a steel plate over that hole. Anything to slow down the thieves.
I forgot to mention, my truck has a key starter, not a push button start.