There is a small black box right below the hood release in my 1998 Rodeo. The box has a red light on it that blinks sometimes, but not always. Wiring comes out of the bottom side of the box, then goes up under the dash. When I sit in the driver's seat, the box is located near my left shin.

I ask this because my truck has an intermittent no-start problem that I have been unable to diagnose. This week, when I got in the truck to go to work, it would not start. I bumped the wiring, though, while turning the key and it started right up. Again, later in the week, when the truck would not start for a second time, I intentionally grabbed the wiring and moved it while holding the key on. The engine caught and fired immediately.

My thinking is that the black box with the occasionally-blinking light has something to do with the alarm/keyless entry system. Does anyone know for sure what it actually does?

On what may be a related note, my keyless entry also works intermittently. Occasionally, the alarm goes off for no reason, so the lights flash and the horn honks until I turn it off. Unfortunately, the interior lights will not go out when this happens, nor will the alarm/keyless work. My only recourse has been to pull the fuse that runs the keyless/alarm system. Of course, that fuse also allows the rear wiper and stereo to operate, so I'd like to determine what the problem is.

All of this has caused my wife to begin to make noises about getting rid of my truck. Any advice you can offer would be welcomed and may help me keep my truck instead of buying a used Honda Civic. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />