I have a 1997 Ranger and lately it's been having difficulty starting. What I've noticed is that normally, when I turn the car on, all the panels light up correctly except for the check engine light. While that light is off, the engine will not start, but if I sit with the accessories on for a few minutes, it eventually does come on and the vehicle starts right up. What research I've been able to do indicates that this is an anti-theft system of some kind, but I didn't think a '97 would have that. Is there any advice I could get to either by-pass / disable this function, or else help me come up with a fix for the problem.

Thanks.