Factory Alarm?

[Squidbait]

So the neighbour's '08 4wd Dakota was stolen last night, and it got me to thinking about the little blinking red light on my driver's door ('96 Golf TD).

What exactly sets the alarm off (apart from me trying to get into the hatch without unlocking the doors first)?  Apparently simply pulling on the door handles doesn't.  Does it take a good bump or hit, or manually unlocking from the inside, or is it more for show than go?

Marc

[the caveman]

The door switches on the door posts, same ones for the interior lights, for the hood ,[ on a 96] it's near the coolant bottle, switch in the truck lock, and radio when removed from the dash. later cars had the hood switch in the lock . Mk4's doors have them in the locks which fail constantly

[nathan_b]

turning on the ignition without disarming the alarm. Or unlocking the door without disabling the alarm (pulling up on door pin). Opening any hood hatch or door when the alarm is armed.  And sometimes if you are just having a bad day it will go off.

[Squidbait]

Thanks,

Not that I'm expecting my ol' 96 4-door to be the apple of any thief's eye, but it's nice to know.  The joy of buying used... the owner's manual is usually long gone.  Bentley's in the mail... but until then... sigh.

[macka]

Thanks,

Not that I'm expecting my ol' 96 4-door to be the apple of any thief's eye, but it's nice to know.  The joy of buying used... the owner's manual is usually long gone.  Bentley's in the mail... but until then... sigh.

you can view most owner manuals online, just use google.