GM Service Manual Online
For 1990-2009 cars only

Your vehicle may have a content theft-deterrent system.

The theft-deterrent system will not arm when you lock the doors using the key or the manual door lock. It arms only when you use the remote keyless entry transmitter.

Arming the System

To arm the system, do the following:

  1. Close the doors, the windows, the hood, and the trunk or liftgate.
  2. Make sure that the windows are closed, as the system can be armed even if the windows are open.

  3. Turn the key to LOCK/OFF and remove the key from the ignition.
  4. If the key is inserted in the ignition, the transmitter will not arm the theft-deterrent system.

  5. Lock the doors by pressing the lock button on the remote keyless entry transmitter.
  6. • The LED light on the transmitter will flash once.
    • All of the doors will lock.
    • The hazard warning lamps will flash once and the horn will sound.
    • The security light will flash continuously to indicate that the theft-deterrent system is armed. The security light is located on the center of the instrument panel near the clock.

To avoid activating the alarm by accident, do one of the following:

    • Unlock the driver's or passenger's front door using the key.
    • Press the unlock button on the remote keyless entry transmitter.

Unlocking a door any other way will activate the alarm when a door or the trunk or liftgate is opened.

If you do not want to arm the theft-deterrent system, lock the vehicle using the key or the manual door locks.

Disarming the System

To disarm the system, do one of the following:

    • Unlock the driver's or passenger's front door using the key.
    • Press the unlock button on the remote keyless entry transmitter.
       - The LED light on the transmitter will flash once.
       - All of the doors will unlock.
       - The hazard warning lamps will flash twice.

If the door is not opened or if the engine is not started within 30 seconds after disarming the system using the transmitter, all of the doors will automatically lock and the theft-deterrent mode will rearm.

How the System Alarm is Activated

If a door or the trunk or liftgate is opened without using the key or the remote keyless entry transmitter, the horn will sound and the lamps will flash for up to 30 seconds.

How to Turn Off the System Alarm

If the system alarm is active, it can be deactivated using one of the following methods:

    • Press one of the buttons on the remote keyless entry transmitter.
    • Unlock the driver's or passenger's front door using the key.

Otherwise, the alarm will automatically stop after 30 seconds. The system will then lock the doors and rearm the theft-deterrent system.

How to Detect a Tamper Condition

If the hazard warning lamps flash once when you press the lock button on the remote keyless entry transmitter, the theft-deterrent system alarm was activated while you were away.