I have a silly question, on the drivers side front fender right in front of the Stingray plaque there is a key switch, what is this switch used for?

 

It's the switch for the built in alarm system.

 

Its for the factory alarm.

 

FWIW: Lots of valuable information in the owner's manual. Worth sitting down and reading through the manual.

 

You guys and the "read the manual" response, if I had one I would read it. I just bought the car at the Mecum Auction in Austin last month and it did not come with a manual so I ask for help here, I thought that is what this forum was for. At any rate thanks for the informaiton, oh what does the alarm do? Does it kill the ignition system, activate the horn, or what? I know, I know read the manual I don't have.

 

The alarm, if the switches are working, blows a horn that is mounted in back of the drivers side wheel. Atleast that is where mine was.

 

Please see this list of recommended books to complement your new purchase. Many will pay for themselves after the first use. For me, the AIM and Service manuals both paid themselves in just days.

We tell people to "read the manual", "get an AIM", etc because it's easier than transcribing here what it would say. And with the AIM, a picture is worth a thousand words, but if we posted those diagrams all the time it'd not be long until there'd be no need to buy the AIMs anymore: they'd all be online. Not exactly the best way to support our vendors, and probably not legal anyway. It's not the most helpful, yes, but those tend to be the reasons. That, and if we direct you to the manual you'll likely read about things you didn't ask about thus expanding your knowledge even further. Try not to get too wound up about it: we're all trying to help each other here.


To answer your question specifically, though it'll repeat some of what has been said, the switch activates your factory alarm system. The alarm, when engaged, will sound a horn hidden elsewhere on the body, not one of the main horns up front. On my 76 it's hidden in the left rear fender, behind the tire next to the radio antenna ground plate. It might be located somewhere else for you: you didnt specify what model year you have. When engaged, the alarm will sound if the doors or the hood are opened. It is not an ignition interlock, so there's nothing to stop the thief from driving off with the alarm horn blaring.

Unless your car's been really worked over by someone, odds are the alarm system still works or can be made to work with little effort. Get an AIM and some wiring diagrams to see how it was all put together, then determine if you want to repair it or not. Some owners choose to simply remove the switch on the fender and patch the hole. Others choose to repair the system; I'm going to repair mine for the novelty of it. I will probably never use it, but it'll be neat to have anyway. Also, some insurance companies give discounts if you have an alarm system installed. I don't know if this one would count since there's no interlock, but if you ask them and they Do count it, it's a cheap way to save on insurance. Now you've got me thinking that I need to call my agent...

Hope that helps you.

 

on my 76 the alarm locks out power to the ignition. there is no horn beep or starter crank. but it could have been reworked.

 

It will keep beeping until deactivated or the battery goes dead. A very rudimentary system. It does not cut out the ignition like modern cars.

 

Hmm... now I REALLY want to get mine working. I was under the impression it didn't lock out the ignition. If it does.... Great. something else to tinker with tonight.

If your horn doesnt beep it might be unhooked, or you may have flasher or relay disconnected, faulty or missing. They're mounted to the wall behind the seats, in the storage area. Wouldn't hurt to check.

 

Humm, you didn't read your book? If we all had books there would be no need for this forum, some of you guys take this forum way to serious. I am going back to the C6 forum (2011 GS is my daily driver and my 1974 is now asleep in the garage until spring).

 

I'm going to assume that was aimed at me. For what it's worth, I did read the book. It says nothing of an ignition interlock, which is why I believed it did not function that way (paul74's statement supports this) and why gunnersguru's comment surprised me. No need to get combative.

Even if we all had the books sometimes there are things the books don't address, like the above-mentioned alarm/ignition interlock.** We have this forum as a place to share information, help others and get help ourselves. Part of that sharing of information is sharing the best place to get answers to many typical questions: the reference material the manufacturer published. Who would know better how to assemble, disassemble, rebuild and maintain a car than the very people who engineered it?

We also suggest getting the books because you get instant answers to your questions, assuming the book can answer them. You read, you learn, you go back to the shop and wrench. If you rely solely on the forum you'll post and then wait, sometimes minutes, or hours... maybe days.... before getting your answer. The forum is a lot slower at responding in some cases.

Hopefully you'll reconsider this section of the forum as a resource when you get ready to work on your car come spring.


**Incidentally, I've gone through my wiring diagrams and traced the entire alarm circuit: no where (at least on a stock 76) does the alarm harness interface with the ignition, so there shouldn't be an interlock.