Electrical problem

[StangNut86]

my 89 5.0 won't start... in fact it won't even crank. everything else in the car works. it cranks if i bridge the starter relay with a screwdriver. i figure there must be something wrong with the starting circuit. also, there's a small red light right next to the dimmer switch that blinks on and off 3 times every 2 seconds or so. i'm told this isn't stock... could it be some sort of aftermarket igition killswitch that i don't know about?

today i'm going to try and fire it up with the igition on and the relay/screwdriver trick... maybe that'll cancel it out. i doubt it, but who knows. i wanna at least hear it run for a minute... my poor car... i have to at least turn it around so my brake job today goes a little easier.

any ideas as to how to bypass a killswitch or jsut diagnose the starting circuit are appreciated... thanks guys.

[HiFlow5 0]

That blinking light is more then likely an alarm system someone had installed. I had a problem once when the replay for my alarm went bad and my car would not start or even turn over. It was as simple as replacing the relay for the alarm. Mine was located in the steering colum. you may have to bring it to an stereo/alarm shop and see if they can disable the alarm system.

[StangNut86]

actually, a few hours after i posted this i found the problem... there's a killswitch installed just under the dash, to the right of the fusebox. it was a simple matter of turning it back on and now it starts flawlessly. i spent the last few hours installing my new front brakes and wheel bearings, and it's made a huge difference in my drivability. now if only i can find a timing light.........

thanks anyway hiflo