Honda Civic Beeping? (9 Common Causes & Solutions)

The Honda Civic is one of the most popular cars in the world.

Like any other car though, it has beeps, chimes and noises to alert the driver’s attention.

If you’re unsure why your Civic keeps beeping at you, this guide is here to help.

Honda Civic Beeping Whilst Driving

The most common cause of beeping on a Honda Civic is related to the auto-lock walk-away feature, however other causes include the seatbelt sensor, a short in the wiring, key fob left in the car, the door is open whilst driving, or a light bulb is blown in the gauge cluster.

If your Civic keeps beeping there’s usually a simple explanation.

Honda Civic Beeps When Walking Away

A continuous beeping could be indicating that the walk-away auto-lock function has not been activated and your Civic is still unlocked.

This can happen for a few reasons, namely:

  • The smart entry remote has been left in the vehicle
  • A door, the hood or the rear hatch is not closed properly
  • The Civic has not been turned off and you left the vehicle with the smart entry remote
  • Its possible you walked away from the vehicle too quickly – stay within 5 feet of the vehicle when you get out and close all the doors and then wait until you hear a second beep before walking away.
  • You mobile phone or other electronic devices could be interfering with the smart entry remote signal.

To enable the walk-away auto-lock feature its very simple.

  1. With the vehicle in park and the ignition on, go to the ‘Home’ screen on the display audio and select ‘Settings’.
  2. Then select ‘Vehicle’
  3. Then select ‘Door/Window Setup’
  4. Then select ‘Walk Away Auto Lock’
  5. From here you can either choose ‘On’ or ‘Off’

Now when you exit the car with the fob and all the doors and tailgate are shut properly, the car will beep once whilst you’re still in close proximity.

Then, when you are at least 8 feet away it will beep again to signal that everything is now locked.

Listen for both beeps to certain its locked.

Honda Civic Doesn’t Beep When Locking the Doors

If your Honda Civic does not beep when you lock the doors, this means that the Keyless Lock Answer Back feature is turned off.

When you exit your Civic and lock it using the fob, you have the option of having beeping ‘on’ or ‘off’. This can be adjusted using the Keyless Lock Answer Back feature.

This can be set from the display unit.

  1. Go to menu
  2. Using the scrolling wheel, go down to ‘Settings’
  3. Then scroll down to ‘Vehicle Settings’
  4. Then scroll down to ‘Door/Window Setup’
  5. Then scroll down to ‘Keyless Lock Answer Back’

If it’s on ‘Off’ the car will make no sound when you lock it.

If its ‘On’ it will beep when you lock it

Then just use the return / back button to get back to the main screen.

Note: this process may vary slightly depending on model year, consult the owner’s manual if you are having difficulty.

Honda Civic Beeping When Starting

If your Honda Civic beeps when you start it, try starting the car with the seat belt fastened.

This beeping is common across various Honda models.

Honda Civic Trunk Beeps & Wont Close

If you have a spare set of keys in the trunk of your Honda Civic, this will prevent you from locking and shutting your trunk as part of an anti-kidnap feature.

Some owners have been unable to close their trunk, and are hearing a beeping noise.

This problem may be related to your fob trunk button, but it’s unlikely this is the cause.

If you have placed bags or items in the center of the trunk try moving these, there is potentially a sensor here that needs to be unobstructed when closing the trunk.

Also, make sure your spare key fob is not inside the trunk when you try to lock it. The ‘anti-kidnapping feature will prevent the trunk from locking otherwise.

Most people find it’s their spare set of keys that is preventing their trunk from locking, however if this doesn’t seem to be the cause then you can override it by holding the trunk down and it will beep continuously and then lock.

Alternatively, you can try hitting the trunk button repeatedly on the key fob, this might re-activate the latch.

If you’re still having difficulty it’s probably best to speak to your dealership.

Related: 8 Common Honda Civic Locking Problems (Solved & Explained)

Honda Civic Beeping When Door Open

If you open your Civic car doors and hear a beeping noise then this is the car’s way of drawing your attention to something, it is most likely you have left your lights on or there is a short in the wiring either in the ignition cylinder and steering column, or the seat belts.

If there is an electrical connection fault in the wiring then this will activate a chime or warning sound as the car thinks you haven’t fastened your seatbelt or left the key in the ignition and is alerting you not to lock the doors until you have the keys out.

Honda is well known for their ignition switches wearing out and shorting and there have been several recalls for this.

To see if your Civic was affected by this recall you should do a check on Honda’s website, you’ll need your VIN number.

Honda Civic Chirping Sound From Engine

If you’re hearing a strange chirping sound coming from your engine then this could well be related to the fuel you are using.

Some owners have noted that this is to do with fuel that contains ethanol and the sound is normal -the ethanol in the gas makes the fuel pump make that sound.

This problem is accentuated if you use low-quality, cheap gas.

Changing the fuel pump will likely not make the noise go away.

So we advise trying higher quality gas, failing that it’s best to speak to your dealership.

You may also be interested in our article: Honda Civic: 11 Common Problems

Other Common Beeping Causes

Seatbelt sensor

One of the most common causes for the beeping is related to the passenger seatbelt sensor, it may be completely broken or it might be triggering a beeping sound if you put groceries, your dog or other items on the passenger seat.

A simple test for this will be to fasten the seatbelt and see if the noise stops. It won’t hurt to ensure all doors and the trunk are shut properly too.

Stuck Door Latch

Door latches that ‘stick’ are a common problem across all cars.

If the latch isn’t closing properly the car will think you still have a door open.

Try lubricating it with some WD-40 or you may need to replace the latch itself.

Alternatively, the sensor that detects the door is shut may be faulty in which case it will need to be replaced.

Related: Honda Civic Alarm Keeps Going Off? (8 Causes & Solutions)

Accessory plugged in

Some Civics have a 12V charging port.

Owners have found that by unplugging items from this outlet the beeping ceases.

Gauge cluster bulb

If a bulb blows in your gauge cluster then your Civic may start beeping at you to try and draw your attention to the problem.

It’s hard to signal this issue to the driver otherwise.

This could be an airbag warning light that’s gone out, so just have a thorough inspection of the light on your gauge cluster to make sure there lit up properly.

The best time to do this is just as you turn the key in the ignition and everything should light up.

Lane Departure Warning

Some beeps are normal, for example if you have a lane departure warning this will beep multiple.

Adaptive Cruise Control

If you own a touring model with ACC, this will beep when a car is detected or no longer detected by the system.

Seat Memory

Some Civic owners have had success by resetting their seat memory also known as Driving Position Memory System.

How to reset will vary depending on model year so its best to consult your owners manual for this.

Diagnosing Beeps With a Scanner

Another possible option if you’re hearing a beeping sound is to use an OBD2 diagnostic scanner tool.

These are fairly easy to use, you simply plug them into your car – there’s usually an OBD2 port under the steering wheel.

Once you have the scan codes you can research these online specifically for the Civic.

There are also OBD apps available so you can connect your car straight to your smartphone (either with a cable or Bluetooth) without even needing a scanner.

Related: Honda Civic Headlights Burning Out? (10 Common Causes)

Resources

https://owners.honda.com/vehicle-information/information/2021/Civic-Sedan/manuals

https://owners.honda.com/vehicle-information/manuals

https://owners.honda.com/help/customer-relations

https://owners.honda.com/service-maintenance/recalls

Author:

  • Ian Sawyer

    Growing up with a father who was a mechanic I had an appreciation for cars and motorcycles from an early age. I shared my first bike with my brother that had little more than a 40cc engine but it opened up a world of excitement for me, I was hooked. As I grew older I progressed onto bigger bikes and...