razor

I woke up this morning to find the door on my truck wide open and all my stuff was taken. Luckily it seemed to be someome just looking for junk (eg: glasses, cell phones etc), not trying to steal cars.

The one thing that keeps bugging me is:

WHY DIDN'T THE ALARM GO OFF???

It seems that they used a slimjim or something similar to jimmy the driver door and get into the truck, but shouldn't the alarm sound? Do you engage the alarm by hitting "LOCK" on the keyless entry, or is there some other trick to it that I'm too dumb to figure out?

Thanks.

07TahoeLTZ

Did you have an alram put on or do you just have the remote giving to you at the sale? If so, it is not an alarm, just a door opener. I had the dealership install an after market alarm using the factory remote. Cost me about $250.

tahoe07

If you lock the door with the remote while the door is open it also activates the security alarm. If you just hit lock after the door is closed the "alarm" is not activated. FROM MANUAL...
[align=left]Content Theft-Deterrent[/align][align=left]Your vehicle may have a content theft-deterrent[/align][align=left]alarm system.[/align][align=left]To activate the theft-deterrent system, do the[/align][align=left]following:[/align][align=left]1. Open the door.[/align][align=left]2. Lock the door with the Remote Keyless Entry[/align][align=left](RKE) transmitter. The security light should[/align][align=left]come on and flash. The door does not need to[/align][align=left]be open.[/align][align=left]If the delayed locking feature is active, the[/align][align=left]alarm will not be activated until all doors are[/align][align=left]closed and the security light goes off.[/align][align=left]3. Close all doors. The security light will stop[/align][align=left]flashing and go off after approximately[/align][align=left]30 seconds. The content theft deterrent alarm[/align][align=left]is not armed until the security light goes off.[/align][align=left][/align][align=left][align=left]If a door is opened without using the RKE[/align][align=left]transmitter, a ten second pre-alarm will occur. The[/align][align=left]horn will chirp and the lights will flash. If the key[/align][align=left]is not placed in the ignition and turned to[/align][align=left]START or the door is not unlocked by pressing[/align][align=left]the unlock button on the RKE transmitter[/align][align=left]during the ten second pre-alarm, the alarm will go[/align][align=left]off. Your vehicle's headlamps will flash and the[/align][align=left]horn will sound for about two minutes, then[/align][align=left]will turn off to save the battery power.[/align][align=left]The theft-deterrent system will not activate if you[/align][align=left]lock the doors with a key, the manual door lock, or[/align][align=left]the power door lock switch. It activates only if you[/align][align=left]use the RKE transmitter. You should also[/align][align=left]remember that you can start your vehicle with the[/align][align=left]correct ignition key if the alarm has been set off.[/align][align=left]Here is how to avoid setting off the alarm by[/align][align=left]accident:[/align][align=left]• If you do not want to activate the[/align][align=left]theft-deterrent system, the vehicle should be[/align][align=left]locked with the door key after the doors[/align][align=left]are closed.[/align][align=left]• Always unlock a door with the RKE transmitter.[/align][align=left]Unlocking a door any other way will set off the[/align][align=left]alarm if the system has been armed.[/align][align=left]If you set off the alarm by accident, turn off the[/align][align=left]alarm by pressing unlock on the RKE transmitter or[/align][align=left]by placing the key in the ignition and turning it[/align][align=left]to START.[/align][align=left]Testing the Alarm[/align][align=left]The alarm can be tested by following these steps:[/align][align=left]1. From inside the vehicle, lower the driver's[/align][align=left]window and open the driver's door.[/align][align=left]2. Activate the system by locking the doors with[/align][align=left]the RKE transmitter.[/align][align=left]3. Get out of the vehicle, close the door and wait[/align][align=left]for the security light to go out.[/align][align=left]4. Then reach in through the window, unlock the[/align][align=left]door with the manual door lock and open the[/align][align=left]door. This should set off the alarm.[/align][align=left]If the alarm does not sound when it should, but[/align][align=left]the vehicle's headlamps flash, check to see if the[/align][align=left]horn works. The horn fuse may be blown. To[/align][align=left]replace the fuse, see Fuses and Circuit Breakers[/align][align=left]on page 556.[/align][align=left]If the alarm does not sound or the vehicle's[/align][align=left]headlamps do not flash, see your dealer for[/align][align=left]service.[/align][/align][align=left][/align]

engine2

[quote]ORIGINAL: tahoe07

If you lock the door with the remote while the door is open it also activates the security alarm. If you just hit lock after the door is closed the "alarm" is not activated. FROM MANUAL...
[align=left]Content Theft-Deterrent[/align][font="arial"][color="#231f20"][size="2"][align=left]Your vehicle may have a content theft-deterrent[/align][align=left]alarm system.[/align][align=left]To activate the theft-deterrent system, do the[/align][align=left]following:[/align][align=left]1. Open the door.[/align][align=left]2. Lock the door with the Remote Keyless Entry[/align][align=left](RKE) transmitter. The security light should[/align][align=left]come on and flash. The door does not need to[/align][align=left]be open.[/align][align=left]If the delayed locking feature is active, the[/align][align=left]alarm will not be activated until all doors are[/align][align=left]closed and the security light goes off.[/align][align=left]3. Close all doors. The security light will stop[/align][align=left]flashing and go off after approximately[/align][align=left]30 seconds. The content theft deterrent alarm[/align][align=left]is not armed until the security light goes off.[/align][align=left][/align][align=left][align=left]If a door is opened without using the RKE[/align][align=left]transmitter, a ten second pre-alarm will occur. The[/align][align=left]horn will chirp and the lights will flash. If the key[/align][align=left]is not placed in the ignition and turned to[/align][align=left]START or the door is not unlocked by pressing[/align][align=left]the unlock button on the RKE transmitter[/align][align=left]during the ten second pre-alarm, the alarm will go[/align][align=left]off. Your vehicle's headlamps will flash and the[/align][align=left]horn will sound for about two minutes, then[/align][align=left]will turn off to save the battery power.[/align][align=left]The theft-deterrent system will not activate if you[/align][align=left]lock the doors with a key, the manual door lock, or[/align][align=left]the power door lock switch. It activates only if you[/align][align=left]use the RKE transmitter. You should also[/align][align=left]remember that you can start your vehicle with the[/align][align=left]correct ignition key if the alarm has been set off.[/align][align=left]Here is how to avoid setting off the alarm by[/align][align=left]accident:[/align][align=left]• If you do not want to activate the[/align][align=left]theft-deterrent system, the vehicle should be[/align][align=left]locked with the door key after the doors[/align][align=left]are closed.[/align][align=left]• Always unlock a door with the RKE transmitter.[/align][align=left]Unlocking a door any other way will set off the[/align][align=left]alarm if the system has been armed.[/align][align=left]If you set off the alarm by accident, turn off the[/align][align=left]alarm by pressing unlock on the RKE transmitter or[/align][align=left]by placing the key in the ignition and turning it[/align][align=left]to START.[/align][align=left]Testing the Alarm[/align][align=left]The alarm can be tested by following these steps:[/align][align=left]1. From inside the vehicle, lower the driver's[/align][align=left]window and open the driver's door.[/align][align=left]2. Activate the system by locking the doors with[/align][align=left]the RKE transmitter.[/align][align=left]3. Get out of the vehicle, close the door and wait[/align][align=left]for the security light to go out.[/align][align=left]4. Then reach in through the window, unlock the[/align][align=left]door with the manual door lock and open the[/align][align=left]door. This should set off the alarm.[/align][align=left][font="aria

davemec

I think the alarm is activated whether you use the remote to lock the door when opened or closed. In step 2 it says:
[align=left]2. Lock the door with the Remote Keyless Entry[/align][align=left](RKE) transmitter. The security light should[/align][align=left]come on and flash. The door does not need to[/align][align=left]be open.

The last line states the door can be closed. Does this sound right? Just wondering, cause I never hit the lock button on the remote until after I shut the door and wanted to make sure I was activating the security system.
[/align]

RLevitz

I got the Viper system installed on my 07 tahoe. I live in downtown dallas and it definitely gives me a good feeling when I leave my truck alone. Cost me $800 installed and works great. Also got the tilt sensors which I have tested and work flawlessly. The remote is kinda big, but whatever.

konasmrz

I don't know if this is a programming option or not, but on mine the first time you push the lock button on the RKE the doors lock, and that's it. If you push the lock button twice then the doors lock & the horn chirps & the alarm is set.

Also, if you push the lock button (on the door) with the drivers door open, then close it you get the delayed lock followed by horn chirp which also sets the alarm....

RedBoat

I actually had to go thru the instructions above when I bought mine to "activate" the alarm.

schorner

So if you activate it once, it will always come on when you use the RKE to lock (with the doors closed)?

razor

Ok, I just tried out a couple things on the truck and found out the following:

If you hit "LOCK" on the remote, regardless if the door is open or closed the alarm with set.

I opened the window before setting the alarm and found:

If I reached in, unlocked the door and then opened it, the alarm goes off (regardless if you set it with door open or not).

If I unlocked the door using the key and then opened it, the alarm does not go off.

So, does the key disengage the alarm? Does that make sense?

I've never heard of an alarm that the key disarms it. Then I wonder what part of the locking mechanism disarms the alarm, and if using a slim jim engages that part and disarms the alarm as well.

Regardless, it doesn't make sense why the horn didn't go off when they broke into my car.