The HR-V is a well-rounded subcompact SUV.
But like many other vehicles fitted with modern technology, it has beeps and chimes for various reasons.
In this article, we’ll help you figure out what’s causing the beeping.
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Honda HR-V Beeping
The most common cause of beeping on a Honda HR-V is due to the auto-lock walk-away feature, however other reasons include the seatbelt sensor, a short in the electrical wiring, a key fob that’s been left in the car, the door is still open whilst driving, or a light bulb has blown in the gauge cluster.
If your HR-V keeps beeping there is a wide range of causes however there is often a simple explanation as to why.
Simple Common Causes
The main common causes for a HR-V that beeps are:
- Fob still in the car
- Car is not in P (park)
- Door is open whilst the car is running
- Car is not shut down completely
- Auto-lock walk-away feature
Seatbelt Sensor
A common cause for beeping is sometimes linked to the passenger seatbelt sensor.
The sensor itself may be broken or it might be triggering a beep if there is weight on the passenger seat such as groceries or a bag and the seatbelt is not fastened.
A simple test for this will be to fasten the seatbelt and see if the noise stops.
It’s always a good idea to ensure all doors and the rear hatch are shut properly too.
Accessory Plugged in 12V Outlet
Sometimes your HR-V for some reason won’t like some of the accessories you plug into the 12V Power Outlet.
Owners have found by disconnecting their charging devices/electronics from the outlet the beeping has ceased.
Gauge Cluster Bulb
If a bulb blows in your gauge cluster then your HR-V may start beeping at you to try and signal that there is a problem.
It’s hard to alert 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 come on.
Lane Departure Warning
If your HR-V is equipped with LDW then you can have a beep included as a warning and this is normal.
Road Departure Warning
Road Departure Warning is designed to beep also, this is completely normal, it may even pull the steering to get you back on track.
Seat Memory
Some HR-V owners have had success at getting rid of unknown beeps by resetting their seat memory – also known as the Driving Position Memory System.
How to reset the seat memory will vary depending on model year so it’s best to look in the owner’s manual for how to do this.
Honda HR-V Beeps When Walking Away
A continuous beeping as you exit the vehicle and walk away could be indicating that the walk-away auto-lock function has not activated and your HR-V 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 ajar and not closed properly
- The HR-V 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.
- The engine is still running and you’ve left the car
To enable the walk-away auto-lock feature its very simple.
- With the vehicle in park and the ignition on, go to the ‘Home’ screen on the display audio and select ‘Settings’.
- Then select ‘Vehicle’
- Then select ‘Door/Window Setup’
- Then select ‘Walk Away Auto Lock’
- 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 HR-V Beeping While Driving
The most common cause for a HR-V that beeps whilst driving is the seatbelt. If there’s weight on the passenger seat this can trigger the alarm, or if the seatbelt sensor is faulty this will trigger it too.
Try buckling the passenger’s seat belt.
It’s also a good idea to make sure all the doors and the rear hatch are closed properly.
If all of these conditions are met, the problem could lie in a defective door switch, leading the HRV’s electronic system to think a door is open while the car is in motion.
Some owners have suggested disconnecting the battery for an hour to see if that clears any possible errors.
Related: 8 Common Honda HR-V Locking Problems (Solved & Explained)
Honda HR-V Doesn’t Beep When Locking the Doors
If your Honda HR-V does not beep when you lock the doors, this means that the Keyless Lock Answer Back feature is turned off.
When you exit your HR-V 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.
- Go to menu
- Using the scrolling wheel, go down to ‘Settings’
- Then scroll down to ‘Vehicle Settings’
- Then scroll down to ‘Door/Window Setup’
- 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.
It may also be caused by not closing your hood, rear hatch or a door properly.
Here’s what owners on hrvforum.com had to say:
“Same thing happened to me yesterday, but it was the back hatch not properly closed.”
“Make sure your hood is closed properly, not just the doors and back hatch.”
“Yep. Hood not properly closed [why it didn’t beep].”
Related: Honda HR-V Alarm Going Off? (13 Common Causes)
Honda HR-V Beeps 3 Times
If you hear multiple beeps this is likely related to the walk-away auto-lock feature. If you walk away too quickly, this can trigger the three beeps to warn you the car has not been locked.
The owners manual states:
When all doors have been closed and the smart entry remote is inside the vehicle, or if the smart entry remote is not detected within about 8 feet (2.5 m) of the vehicle, the auto-lock function will not be activated.
If you step too far from the vehicle (more than 2.5 feet), before hearing the first beep and you walk away you will hear the triple beep.
Try adding a slight pause before walking away from the vehicle and make sure the panel/computers are completely shut down with a Honda screen with a logo.
Alternatively, just open and shut the door again – this has worked for some owners.
Honda HR-V Beeping When Door Open
If you open your HR-V doors and hear a beep or beeping 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, steering column, or the seat belt sensor.
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 HR-V was affected by this recall you should do a check on Honda’s website, you’ll need your VIN number.
This beeping could also be related to the auto-lock function.
Honda HR-V Chirping Noise From Engine
If there’s a strange chirping sound coming from your HR-V’s engine then this could well be related to the fuel you are using. And this is a common problem across several Honda models.
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 though 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.
Related: 8 Best & Worst Honda HR-V Years (With Facts & Stats)
Resources
https://owners.honda.com/vehicle-information/manuals