Your vehicle is equipped with a content theft-deterrent alarm system.
With this system, the security light on the cluster will flash as you open the door (if your ignition is off), to let you know that you are activating the system.
This message reminds you to activate the theft-deterrent system. Here's how to do it:
- Open the door.
- Lock the door with the power door lock switch or the remote keyless entry transmitter. The security light should come on and flash. If you are using the remote keyless entry transmitter, the door does not need to be open.
- Close all of the doors. The light will stop flashing and stay solid.The security light should go off after approximately 30 seconds. The alarm is not armed until the security light goes off. If the delayed locking feature is active, the alarm will not activate until all doors are closed and the security light goes off.
Once the system is armed, if a door is opened without the key or the remote keyless entry transmitter, the alarm will go off. Depending on how you have programmed the alarm in the secondary information center, the horn may sound, the headlamps may flash or both the headlamps and the horn will activate.
Remember, the theft-deterrent system won't activate if you lock the doors with a key or use the manual door lock. It activates only if you use a power door lock switch with the door open, or with the remote keyless entry transmitter. You should also remember that you can start your vehicle with the correct ignition key if the alarm has been set off.
Here's how to avoid setting off the alarm by accident:
| • | If you don't want to activate the theft-deterrent system, the vehicle should be locked with the door key after the doors are closed. |
| • | Always unlock a door with a key, or use the remote keyless entry transmitter. Unlocking a door any other way will set off the alarm if the system has been armed. |
If you set off the alarm by accident, unlock any door with the key. You can also turn off the alarm by pressing UNLOCK on the remote keyless entry transmitter or by placing the key in the ignition and turning it to START.
Testing the Alarm
The alarm can be tested by following these steps:
- From inside the vehicle, lower the driver's window and open the driver's door.
- Activate the system by locking the doors with the power door lock switch while the door is open, or with the remote keyless entry transmitter.
- Get out of the vehicle, close the door and wait for the security message to go out.
- Then reach in through the window, unlock the door with the manual door lock and open the door. This should set off the alarm.
If the alarm does not sound and the headlamps do not flash, you may have the feature turned off. See DIC Operation and Displays for more information.
