Your vehicle is equipped with a content theft-deterrent alarm system.

With this system, the security light in the instrument panel cluster will flash as you open the door if your ignition is off.

This light reminds you to activate the theft-deterrent system. Here is how to do it:

1. Open the door.
2. Lock the door with the power door lock switch or the remote keyless entry transmitter. The security light will come on to inform the driver the system is arming. If a door is open when the doors are locked, the security light will flash.
3. Close all doors. The security light should go off after about 30 seconds. The alarm is not armed until the security light goes off.

If the delayed locking feature is turned on, the theft-deterrent system will not start the arming process until the last door is closed and the delay timer has expired. See Delayed Locking .

If a door is opened without using the key in the driver's door cylinder or the RKE transmitter, a ten second pre-alarm will occur. The horn will chirp and the lights will flash. If the key is not placed in the ignition and turned to START or the door is not unlocked by pressing the unlock button on the RKE transmitter during the ten second pre-alarm, the alarm will go off. Your vehicle's headlamps will flash and the horn will sound for about two minutes, then will turn off to save the battery power.

The theft-deterrent system will not activate if you lock the doors with a key or the manual door lock. It activates only if you use the RKE transmitter or the power door lock switch from an open door. You should also remember that you can start your vehicle with the correct ignition key if the alarm has been set off.

Here is how to avoid setting off the alarm by accident:

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. The alarm will not stop if you try to unlock a door any other way.

The alarm can be tested by following these steps:

1. From inside the vehicle, lower the driver's window and open the driver's door.
2. 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.
3. Get out of the vehicle, close the door and wait for the security light to go out.
4. Then reach in through the window, unlock the door with the manual door lock and open the door. This should set off the alarm.

While the alarm is set, the power door unlock switch is not operational.

If the alarm does not sound when it should but the headlamps flash, check to see if the horn works. The horn fuse may be blown. To replace the fuse, see Instrument Panel Fuse Block and Underhood Fuse Block .

If the alarm does not sound or the headlamps do not flash, the vehicle should be serviced by your dealer/retailer.