How to determine if there's an engine immobilizer?

I have a 2019 4 Runner How does one determine if the vehicle has an engine immobilizer ?

 

Welcome. That's a hard question without actually knowing more of your experiencing. But most immobilizers will give you dash lights and no crank. Like dead battery worth no clicking. Some don't even do that much.

 

Welcome from Wisconsin! If you witness a high speed chase, with a vehicle the same color as yours.... and your vehicle shuts down, you have an immobilizer! Just kidding, I couldn't resist. I would ask a dealership, giving them your VIN. They should be able to tell you.

 

LMAO

 

I think all 5th Gen's have them, you can confirm this by looking for this warning light:






If you see it, then you have it.

 

I bet the 4Runner has had one standard for at least 20 years.

It’s in pretty much any modern car except a decade of Hyundai and Kia’s before the end of 2021 because $$$.

 

All 4th Gens have a engine immobilizer, not sure about 3rd Gens, so I would be very surprised if not all 5th Gens didn't have it

 

Maybe I asked the wrong question.
1)-I guess first I should have better understanding of what an immobolizer is designed to do.
I thought it was a device that I can turn on or off while I am absent from the car similar to an iginition lock out.
OR
2)-should I simply add a rocker switch to the ignition fuse hot wire?

 

The immobilizer is turn off by the chip in the key thus enabling the vehicle, so you need the chipped key to get the engine to start/run, if you want to be able to disable the vehicle manually you would need to install a "kill switch" somewhere but you would still need the key to start it after you enable the vehicle via the kill switch.

 

Immobilizer is completely automatic. If computer in car says OK to the chip in the key, engine will start. Otherwise it won't go.