2017~2024 Engine Immobilizer Anti-Theft vs. Theft Deterrent System - Two Different Things?

[181962]

This has been my experience as well. I can appreciate what an alarm is designed to do, the problem is that in many cases, it just doesn't.

IMO, a better theft deterrent system is the blinking "security" LED found on some cars, and usually installed with most aftermarket car alarms. A thief sees that and has to factor the potential of a loud alarm or an immobilizer into their decision to break in, similar to the way a Beware of Dog sign in the window of your house works. I wonder if this is what Mazda is describing when they mention the Theft Deterrent System? My CX-9 Sig does have a blinking red icon in the instrument cluster that is visible from outside of the driver's side window, but its a lot less obvious than the blinking LED you'd find installed on the steering column cover in an aftermarket alarm installation.

The 2020 manual on pages 3-47 thru 3-50 clearly shows how the imobilizer and the phantom theft deterrent system are two different things. The theft deterrent system makes a fuss when it "detects inappropriate entry", consistent with the industry use of the term. What's strange is it says it will trigger when a door is opened with the auxilliary key?! Figure that one out. Better yet don't since the system does not exist in the U.S. it would seem.

Pretty sure the flashing dash light is confirming the engine immobilizer is activated and is probably meant to provide the sentinal affect you describe to scare away the less than proficient thief. My Toyota has EI but no TDS and does the same thing.

There's also a little inadvertant manual humor. The very next page covers the vehicle's "Break-in Period".

 

[181962]

Can't do that with Triplex.

As for car alarms, when did you see any opportunistic thief be put off by a car alarm? And when did you see a thief caught by one going off? You hear a car alarm going off in the street, you automatically assume it's a false alarm and ignore it. Useless.

Or one could say, when did you hear a car alarm and then look to see who the jerk is only to see nobody's there. He might have already ducked out of sight and is slinking away.

Nothing stops an accomplished, professional thief. There are whole lot more who are looking for something to sell for drug money or, sadly, for something to eat, who spot an open window opportunity. Most petty thefts are thefts of opportunity.

I'll say this much. Having nothing in view worth stealing is better than a theft deterrent system. Leave an iPhone on the console with a window open and you may find it gone.

 

[Mantra 7]

The theft deterrent system makes a fuss when it "detects inappropriate entry", consistent with the industry use of the term. What's strange is it says it will trigger when a door is opened with the auxilliary key?!

I was sure my '19 Sig (North America) has the Theft-Deterrent System but now I'm convinced it does not. After placing the transmitter well away I tried reaching in through a partially open window and opening the door (no alarm sounded) but re-read the manual and noted that closed windows are part of the arming procedure. Followed the TDS arming procedure several times but could still open the door with the auxiliary key, a condition that should have sounded the alarm. The manual states that a properly armed system will flash the "security indicator light" in the dash twice per second for twenty seconds. Nothing I did would trigger this, the only flashing security light was the engine immobilizer light flashing once every two seconds. I pulled the original window sticker from my file and noted that "Anti-Theft Engine Immobilizer" is listed but nowhere does it say Theft-Deterrent System.

 

[cz5gt]

isnt the manual handbook general for all countries?

 

[sm1ke]

isnt the manual handbook general for all countries?

It is not, unfortunately.

 

[cz5gt]

Strange, the online one for cx5 seems to be generic. For example, it refers to headlamp washers and we don't have those in US. That's why I thought this caused confusion with the whole theft system topic.

That below is the EU cx5 details of the intrusion sensor which we don't have in US.
there is no such item in US.

 

[Sig cx-5]

I was sure my '19 Sig (North America) has the Theft-Deterrent System but now I'm convinced it does not....

LOL, I just did the same thing earlier in the week. I was kind of surprised, too. I just figured they thought the dash light blinking would scare a thief away.

 

[181962]

...re-read the manual and noted that closed windows are part of the arming procedure.

Interesting. I didn't get that far because the manual said previously that opening the door with the door lock switch would trigger the alarm. If that only happens with the windows closed the vehicle has already been broken into and triggered the alarm in which case the switch would not be a trigger!?

Yet another illogicality from this manual.

I just tried the aux key in my 2020 Touring, possibly the only way to test the existance of this system without trashing the vehicle. No dice.

Curiosity replaced my practical interest in the matter a while back. My curiosity is now exhausted, but now I have another question for another thread.

 

[sm1ke]

If you have a friend, you could have them sit in the back seat, then lock the vehicle with all the windows up. Then they can unlock the door with the door lock switch and open the door to see if it does anything. Simple solution that doesn't involve "trashing the vehicle".

 

[RedBaron]

If you have a friend, you could have them sit in the back seat, then lock the vehicle with all the windows up. Then they can unlock the door with the door lock switch and open the door to see if it does anything. Simple solution that doesn't involve "trashing the vehicle".

I think that was already done in one of these threads...Answer: No Alarm.

 

[CX5Nut]

Tried that with our 2018 cx5 after we bought it and no alarm!