How To Install EMP Shield In a Car: Vehicle EMP & Lightning Protection
An EMP Shield for your vehicle is one of those preparedness upgrades that fits in the “peace of mind” category.
I do not look at it as a guarantee against every possible scenario. There are no guarantees with EMP, lightning, power surges, or modern vehicle electronics. But if you are concerned about keeping a car, truck, RV, tractor, or other vehicle operational during an unusual electrical event, this is a practical option to consider.
The main reason I like the EMP Shield vehicle model is that the installation is fairly simple. It is not a complicated rewiring project. The basic vehicle installation involves mounting the unit in the engine compartment and connecting three wires: one to positive, one to negative, and one to chassis ground.
I installed an EMP Shield in my Subaru Outback Wilderness, and the basic installation was simple.
Disclosure: EMP Shield is an advertiser on Modern Survival Blog. I only promote products that I believe are relevant to preparedness and worth considering.
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Find “Vehicle Protection” in their Shop Menu for more information
For people searching how to install EMP Shield in a car, here is the simple overview.
How To Install EMP Shield In a Car
The vehicle EMP Shield is installed near the battery or another secure location in the engine compartment. The goal is to mount the device where it will not move around, rub against sharp edges, contact hot engine parts, or interfere with normal vehicle operation.
The basic wire connections are:
| Wire Color | Connection |
|---|---|
| Red | Positive battery terminal |
| Black | Negative battery terminal |
| Green | Chassis ground |
That is the simple version. As always, follow the manufacturer’s latest instructions for your specific model and vehicle. If you are not comfortable working around a vehicle battery, have a qualified mechanic install it.
The new EMP Shield Micro (shown above) is smaller with the same level of protection, making it even easier to find a spot to install it in your vehicle.
EMP Shield Installation Overview
Here is the general installation process:
- Choose a secure mounting location in the engine compartment.
- Make sure the wires can reach the battery terminals and a suitable chassis ground.
- Connect the red wire to the positive side of the battery.
- Connect the black wire to the negative side of the battery.
- Connect the green wire to a chassis ground point.
- Secure the device and wiring so nothing can move, rub, or come loose.
- Double-check the connections and keep the wires away from heat, belts, fans, and sharp metal edges.
That is why I originally described this as an easy installation. For most vehicles, the job is straightforward. The important part is doing it neatly and safely.
Can You Protect a Vehicle From an EMP?
That is the big question.
A vehicle has a lot of electronics today. Engine control modules, sensors, ignition components, charging systems, communication modules, and other circuits all matter. Older vehicles may be simpler, but even many older vehicles still depend on electronics to run properly.
An EMP Shield is designed to shunt excess voltage away from the vehicle’s electrical system very quickly. In simple terms, think of it as a fast-reacting protective device installed across the vehicle’s electrical system. The idea is to give sensitive electronics a better chance of surviving an EMP, lightning-related surge, solar event, or other damaging over-voltage condition.
Again, I would not call anything 100% guaranteed protection against every possible EMP scenario. But I do consider it a sensible layer of protection, especially for a vehicle that you depend on.
Car Lightning Protection: People vs. Electronics
There is an important distinction here.
A hard-topped metal vehicle can offer protection to the people inside during a lightning storm because the metal shell helps conduct the lightning around the occupants. That does not mean the vehicle itself will always come through undamaged. Lightning can still damage tires, wiring, electronics, sensors, and other vehicle systems.
National Weather Service: Lightning & Cars
That is where the EMP Shield concept makes sense to me. It is not about protecting you while you sit in the vehicle. It is about helping protect the vehicle’s electrical and electronic systems from a damaging surge.
Why I Added One To My Vehicle
When I think about vehicle preparedness, I want better odds.
I want better odds of getting home. Better odds that a vehicle I depend on is not taken out by an unusual electrical event. An EMP Shield is not cheap, and each person has to decide whether it makes sense for their own situation.
For me, it is the same general way I think about other preparedness items. I may never need it. But if I do, I will be glad it is already installed. Especially if I am on a road trip!
How To Install EMP & Lightning Protection For Your Vehicle
Reference video below from EMP Shield:
How Does EMP Shield Work?
This is what I really like about EMP Shield. The device begins “clamping” in 0.5 nanoseconds, fully clamping by 1 nanosecond (10⁻⁹ second)! Theoretically that’s fast enough for the worst E1 pulse of an EMP.
According to the manufacturer, the EMP Shield is designed to protect electronics and equipment connected to the vehicle’s electrical system by shunting excess voltage away from the system.
This is accomplished by shunting (shorting) the over voltage coming in…the EMP Shield will see the surge and protect your electrical system.
~ from the manufacturer
Since the shunting is completed incredibly fast (500 trillionths of a second), the over voltage is pulled away from the equipment before the voltage can rise high enough to damage any equipment. We call this new technology SightSpeed™ and it ensures no heat is generated within the electrical system which protects all electronics connect to the system.
If you’re interested, check it out for yourself. Go to their Vehicle Protection page. They also have protection for other things too, including your home.
Frequently Asked Questions
The basic vehicle installation uses three connections: red to the positive battery terminal, black to the negative battery terminal, and green to chassis ground. The unit should be mounted securely in the engine compartment with the wires routed safely away from heat, moving parts, and sharp edges.
For many vehicles, the installation is fairly simple. It is usually a short three-wire installation. However, anyone uncomfortable working around a vehicle battery should have a qualified mechanic install it.
There is no perfect guarantee against every possible EMP scenario, but a vehicle EMP protection device is intended to improve the odds by protecting the electrical system from damaging over-voltage events.
A hard-topped metal vehicle can help protect the people inside during a lightning storm, assuming the windows are closed and occupants are not touching metal connected to the outside. That is different from protecting the vehicle’s electronics, which may still be damaged by a lightning strike or nearby surge.
The metal body and roof structure are what help protect occupants, not the rubber tires. Convertibles, fiberglass bodies, and open vehicles do not offer the same type of protection.
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Isn’t it sacrificial and so a second burst would destroy the vehicle anyway? I understand the chance of two blasts in quick succession is what would be expected.
I understand the concept of this device shunting overvoltage to ground to protect the rest of the circuits in the system. My question on this vehicular model is where is it shunted to? Chassis ground. Hmm. So now you dump this charge to your chassis which leaves it at a very high potential. Is there not some sort of grounding strap from the chassis to physical ground ? ( like we used to do in the 60s & 70s to get rid of ignition noise on our AM car radios). That power surge has got to be shunted to someplace.