Key Takeaway How Do I Put a Ghost Immobiliser Into Service Mode?

To put your Ghost immobiliser into service mode, follow these steps:

• Switch on the ignition so the dashboard lights come on (no need to start the engine)

• Enter your personal disarm sequence and wait for the indicator to flash twice

• Press your designated service button five times

• Wait for the indicator to flash five times to confirm service mode is active

• Or use the Autowatch Ghost app to toggle service mode on and off over Bluetooth

• To cancel: enter your normal disarm sequence, or simply drive at around 32 mph (50 km/h) for more than 15 minutes and it exits automatically

Putting your Ghost Immobiliser into service mode is straightforward once you know the sequence. Service mode (sometimes called valet mode) temporarily bypasses your personal disarm code so that someone else can start and drive the vehicle for a short period, without you having to hand over your secret PIN. It is the feature you use whenever your car goes in for an MOT, a service, a repair or valet parking, keeping your unique sequence private while still allowing authorised access. Below we walk through exactly how to activate it, how to turn it off again and a few things worth knowing before you hand over the keys.

What Service Mode Actually Does

The Autowatch Ghost is a CAN bus immobiliser that stops your vehicle starting until the correct sequence of button presses is entered. Because your disarm sequence is personal and secret, you never want to share it with a garage or valet service. Service mode solves this. When active, it suspends the requirement to enter your sequence, so the car can be started and driven normally by anyone. Once service mode is cancelled, full protection returns automatically and your secret sequence is required once again.

How to Put Your Ghost Into Service Mode (Button Method)

Follow these steps with the vehicle stationary and safe to operate:

1. Switch on the ignition. Turn the ignition to the on position so the dashboard lights come on. You do not need to start the engine.
2. Enter your disarm sequence. Input your personal Ghost sequence using the vehicle buttons as you normally would, then wait for the indicator to flash twice to confirm the system is disarmed.
3. Press the service button five times. Using the button designated as your service button during installation, press it five times in succession.
4. Wait for confirmation. The indication signal will flash five times to confirm the vehicle is now in service mode.

Your car can now be started and driven without the disarm sequence. It is worth noting that your service button and confirmation behaviour are set during installation, so if you are unsure which input was assigned, check your owner documentation or the emergency card supplied when your Ghost Immobiliser was fitted.

How to Put Your Ghost Into Service Mode (App Method)

If your Ghost is paired with the Autowatch Ghost smartphone app, you can enable service mode with a single tap. Open the app, connect to your vehicle over Bluetooth, and switch service mode on. This is often the quickest option when you are dropping the car off, because you can activate it without running through the full button sequence. Remember to turn it back off in the app once the vehicle is returned to you.

How to Turn Service Mode Off

Cancelling service mode restores full immobiliser protection. There are two ways it happens:

• Manually: Simply enter your normal disarm sequence with the ignition switched on, and the system returns to fully armed protection.

• Automatically: The Ghost will exit service mode on its own once the vehicle has been driven at around 32 mph (50 km/h) for more than 15 minutes, so protection is never left off by accident after a long drive.

Tips Before You Hand Over Your Keys

Only activate service mode when you genuinely need to give someone else access, such as for servicing, repairs or valet parking. Because the vehicle can be started freely while service mode is on, avoid leaving it enabled for longer than necessary. If your car will only be parked and not driven, you may prefer to leave the system fully armed instead. And if you ever forget your sequence or run into difficulty, keep the emergency card and owner documentation supplied with your Ghost to hand, as this contains the reference information you need.

Service mode is one of the features that makes the Ghost Immobiliser so practical for everyday ownership. It gives you covert, PIN based theft protection while still letting trusted people drive your car when they need to, all without ever compromising your personal disarm sequence.