Symptoms of Bad Anti-Theft System: What should You Know and Do?

The anti-theft system in your vehicle is a crucial part of the vehicle, especially if you are in an insecure neighborhood. When you drive to the city, you wouldn't just leave your laptop and other belongings openly and an unlocked vehicle. You need to secure the vehicle to prevent intruders from stealing your stuff or even getting away with your vehicle. But the anti-theft system, which helps protect your car and whatever is inside, can malfunction. This makes the vehicle vulnerable to theft and vandalism.

In this article, we take a deeper look into your car's anti-theft system. We investigate how a bad anti-theft system behaves and the associated symptoms. By the end of the article, you should have the right information on what you should do in case your vehicle's anti-theft system fails. You will also have enough information on the steps and tricks you can apply to reactivate the system.

The anti-theft system

A car anti-theft system is a combination of parts that help secure the vehicle. A good anti-theft system should make it physically impossible for someone to steal your car. The parts or gadgets playing this role include tire locks, steering, and gear shift lock. The system should also scare thieves away the thieves. This is why alarm systems are installed and will blare once the system is activated. The alarm system will blast whenever an intrusion is detected and will continue until the alarm is shut off. A good modern anti-theft system should help track your vehicle once it's stolen.

The vehicle anti-theft system can best be explained by categorizing the different components and subsystems into categories. These categories are;

• Active - An active anti-theft gadget or system must be activated whenever you want it to work or be effective. For example, the car's alarm is active because you have to press a button or remove the key from the ignition slot for it to be activated or deactivated. Other gadgets under this category include steering wheel lock and brake pedal lock.
• Passive - These are gadgets that don't require the driver to do anything. BMW vehicles came with a physical ignition key that had a chip that communicated with the vehicle immobilizer to allow the ignition of the vehicle to go ahead. That is a passive anti-theft device playing its role in the anti-theft system. Some cars have a passive alarm system activated whenever you close the driver's door.
• Tracking - These are gadgets or systems incorporated in the anti-theft system which help you locate your vehicle if it's stolen. You can also perform a number of activities remotely. GPS trackers help locate the vehicle if stolen. Some GPS devices give live data, while others update as the vehicle goes. Some GPS devices have access to the engine, whereby you can switch off the engine even when the vehicle is hundreds of miles away.

How to tell your vehicle's anti-theft system has problems

When the anti-theft system of your vehicle malfunctions, you will be unable to perform a number of functions. In some cases, the vehicle will become inoperable, and you can be left stranded. You will need to know the various symptoms to look for to know if the anti-theft system is misbehaving and whether there is a reason for alarm. Here are the leading symptoms to look out for;

1) Failure to recognize the key

Modern vehicles are equipped with push start/stop ignition button. If your car has this ignition system, then you are well aware that the fob key that enables the engine to start must have a working battery and be on you whenever you are driving. If the key's battery is dead, you won't operate most of the vehicle functions starting with ignition, opening and unlocking the doors, and arming the alarm system. The vehicle might even lock you outside and sound the alarm when you try to open or operate it with a fob key whose battery is dead.

Some older vehicles like BMW, Mercedes Benz, Chrysler, and Ford used to come with a physical key with a chip on it. The chip communicates with the immobilizer, and if the chip is spoilt, the alarm system will be activated since the vehicle will 'think' you are a thief.

Solution

Start by checking the battery of your fob key. If the battery is working and the vehicle still won't recognize the key, check the vehicle's battery. The alarm system only works if the vehicle's battery has enough charge. If the problem is neither with the batteries, it is time to consult a professional who will check the immobilizer, the receiver of the key, and the vehicle's wiring.

2) The alarm won't work

A malfunctioning anti-theft system can cause the alarm to go mute. You might wonder what has happened to your car after pressing the locator button on the fob key and the alarm doesn't sound. The cause for this malfunction will range from a faulty horn, a dead battery, bad wiring, or a faulty anti-theft system.

Solution

Of course, there is reason to be concerned if you can't locate your vehicle using the alarm sound. However, as highlighted above, several things might cause the alarm not to sound. When you finally locate the car in the parking lot, start by checking the battery of the fob and that of the vehicle. Seek professional help if the alarm still doesn't work. The anti-theft system might have been flooded with water and destroyed the wiring system.

3) Engine not starting

Some vehicles have their anti-theft systems installed by the manufacturer. As such, the engine and the anti-theft system are integrated such that the engine won't start if the anti-theft is faulty. In most modern vehicles, the immobilizer is integrated with the ECU. Once the immobilizer determines the fob key used to start the vehicle is the right one, the ECU allows the fuel to flow to the engine. Even if you manage to hotwire the vehicle, the engine will still not run because the ECU has blocked the fuel flow.

Solution

You should not have difficulty determining whether the immobilizer is causing the anti-theft system to malfunction. A faulty immobilizer will make it impossible to start the car or even unlock and lock the doors. The best solution to this problem is to take the vehicle to the dealership and have the faulty immobilizer checked.

4) The anti-theft or security light is not flashing

A vehicle installed with an anti-theft system is armed with a warning light that is mostly installed on the dashboard. The light serves as a theft deterrent and an indicator to the driver to know when the system is armed. Carmakers can install the anti-theft warning light, or they may not. If you discover the light, which can be blue or red in most cases, is not flashing after you lock the vehicle, then there is a problem with the anti-theft system.

Solution

The answer to this problem will depend on what is causing it. The light will often fail to flash or show when the car battery is compromised. The battery could be dead, or the terminals are faulty. In other instances, the anti-theft system might be the problem. The anti-theft system itself could be dead, making the flashing light die as well. You will need an expert to diagnose the problem for you.

The role of the driver in keeping the anti-theft effective

There are many things that you should know about the anti-theft system. However, not many drivers have really taken the time to understand how the anti-system in their vehicles work. If you find the anti-theft system is not working, here are a few steps to take;

• After checking the car and fob batteries and confirming everything is normal, it is time to reset the system.
• To do this, you will need to disconnect the car battery's positive terminal and leave the vehicle that way for 15 minutes. Removing the terminal, especially for older cars, ensures the ECU's power supply is cut, forcing the ECU to reset. In some vehicles, removing the ECU fuse will reset the car's electronic systems and components. So, for some vehicles, removing the positive terminal of the battery might not be necessary.
• Depending on the affected anti-theft component, you can bypass the system and drive to the nearest dealership or get out of danger. For example, if the fob key is dead, you can remove the small physical key in the fob gadget and open the doors. You can even start the vehicle using a dead fob key. In some Toyota models, for example, place the Toyota logo against the start/stop button and press the button to start the engine. Other car makes have their own unique way of bypassing the fob key, but you can never do this without the original fob with you.

Conclusion

Every driver should learn how their car's anti-theft system works. The good thing about the anti-theft system in modern vehicles is that all the information is found in the user manual. Reading the user manual guarantees you some intriguing tricks on how you can fully utilize the anti-theft system. You also learn what you should do whenever the system malfunctions.