The Honda Insight is the spiritual successor to the Civic Hybrid.
Like any car, it uses various beeps and chimes that may sometimes be a mystery.
In this article, we’ll help you get to the root of these beeping sounds.
Table of Contents
Why Does My Honda Insight Keep Beeping?
The most common cause of beeping on a Honda Insight is related to the auto-lock walk-away feature. Other causes include a blown fuse, the seatbelt sensor, a key fob left in the car, a door is open whilst driving, headlights on, key fob low on battery and safety features.
Auto Lock Walkaway
The most common cause of beeping on an Honda Insight is related to the auto-lock walk-away feature.
As the name implies, when you walk away your Insight automatically locks itself as long as you have the key fob on you.
However, If you walk away too quickly then the Insight will beep to warn you that the vehicle isn’t locked.
Try adding a slight pause before walking away from the vehicle and make sure the panel/computers are completely shut down.
Alternatively, just open and shut the door again – this has worked for some owners.
The auto lock feature may fail to lock if:
- You close the hatch or a door and walk away too soon before it is fully closed
- You have a failed lock or sensor.
- You mobile phone or other electronic devices could be interfering with the smart entry remote signal.
- You left a fob in the car
- A door, the hood or the rear hatch is not closed properly
- 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.
What Does The Owners Manual Say:
The beeper sounds if you move outside the walk away auto lock operating range before the door completely closes.
The auto lock function activates when all doors are closed, and the remote is within about 5 feet (1.5 m) radius of the outside door handle.
Exit vehicle while carrying keyless access remote and close door(s) and tailgate.
- While within about 5 feet (1.5 m) radius of the vehicle. -> The beeper sounds; the auto lock function will be activated.
- Carry the keyless access remote beyond about 5 feet (1.5 m) from the vehicle and remain outside this range for 2 or more seconds. -> Some exterior lights flash; the beeper sounds; all doors and tailgate will then lock.
Under the following circumstances, the auto lock function will not activate:
- The remote is inside the vehicle -> The beeper will not sound.
- The remote is taken out of its operational range before all the doors are closed. ->The beeper will sound.
How To Enable/Disable Auto Lock Walkaway:
- Using the touchpad, select settings from the main menu.
- Select ‘Vehicle’
- Select ‘Keyless Access Setup’
- Select ‘Walk Away Auto Lock’
- Select either ‘Enable’ or Disable’
With Auto Lock enabled, 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 be certain it’s locked.
Related: 9 Honda Insight Locking Problems (Solved & Explained)
Honda Insight Auto Stop Beep
If you have noticed a beeping alarm during an auto stop, that sounds similar to leaving the key in the ignition then this is caused by a blown fuse.
Under the dash, locate the fusebox and locate the 4th fuse (bottom row) which is rated at 7.5A. This fuse has either come loose or is blown and will need to be either pushed back in or replaced.
“Thanks guys, it was a blown fuse!! Replaced it no more beeping and the battery gauge now reads properly when starting the car.” – InsightCentral.net
“Thank you! Not blown; but clumsily inserted beside it’s proper slot by yours truly. Shudda thought to check that!” – InsightCentral.net
Most Common Causes of Honda Insight Beeping
The main common causes for an Insight that beeps are:
1. Auto Lock Walkaway
See the above sections for more details.
“There are several different beeps / chimes related to auto stop, door open, seat belt not buckled and lights on. None are warnings related to an engine or IMA malfunction.” – InsightCentral.net
2. Blown Fuse
The AutoStop will trigger a warning beep at every stop when there is a problem with the 4th fuse (bottom row of fusebox under dash, 7.5A).
2. Fob Still In The Car
If you’ve left a key fob in your Insight, you may hear a warning beep.
3. Car Is Not In Park
If you turn the key off and open the door without manually putting the vehicle in park, the vehicle will be left in accessory mode and may sound off a series of rapid beeps.
4. Headlight Switch In On Position
Make sure the headlight switch is in OFF or AUTO. Otherwise, it’ll beep at you – the beep is faster than the seat belt caution.
5. Door Is Open Whilst the Car Is Running
Ensure all car doors, the trunk and hood and firmly and properly closed.
6. Seatbelt Sensor
Another common cause for beeping is related 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 your pet dog.
A simple test for this will be to fasten the seatbelt and see if the noise stops.
It’s a good idea to ensure all doors and the rear hatch are shut properly too.
7. Accessory Plugged in 12V Outlet
Sometimes your Insight for whatever reason won’t like some of the accessories you plug into the 12V Power Outlet.
Some owners have found by disconnecting their charging devices/electronics from the outlet the beeping has ceased.
8. Gauge Cluster Bulb
If a bulb blows in your gauge cluster then your Insight 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.
9. Lane Departure Warning
If your Insight is equipped with LDW then you can have a beep included as a warning and this is normal.
10. 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.
11. Low Key Fob Battery
A low key fob battery can cause a number of issues including random beeps and even triggering your car alarm.
Try giving the fob a clean, remove any dirt/dust/grime and replace the battery.
12. Seat Memory
Some Insight 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.
13. Electronic Devices Inside or Outside of The Car
The beeping may not actually be coming from your Insight. Do you have any other electronic or battery-powered devices in your vehicle or your garage that could be causing the beeping? Usually, it’s their batteries going bad.
For example, a garage door opener, a smoke alarm, a carbon monoxide detector, or a dropped wristwatch.
“Well, this is an update on the beeping chiming noise in my Honda Insight. I took it to the dealer this morning, got it there at 7:40. I retrieved the car at 1:00. The sounds were being made by a pager that belonged to a friend and had fallen between the passenger seat and the door.” – InightCentral.net
14. Electrical Issues
If your Insight has developed an electrical fault or a there is a wiring issue, it may beep as a result of this.
This can be quite difficult to diagnose if there obvious warning messages and the best thing to do is visit your local Honda dealer.
Related: Honda Insight Alarm Going Off (13 Common Causes)
Honda Insight Beeping When Door Open
If the light switch is ON then this will trigger beeping when the driver door is open. Make sure the headlight switch is on OFF or AUTO to avoid beeping.
You may notice this after getting your car back from the valet as sometimes they need to adjust switches to clean them properly.
Honda Insight Multiple Beeps / Beeps 3 Times
Multiple beeps are usually related to the Auto Lock walkaway, feature.
See the first section where we cover this in detail.
Honda Insight Not Beeping When Locked
If your Honda Insight does not beep when you lock the doors, this means that the Keyless Lock Answer Back feature is turned off.
When you exit your Insight 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 ‘Settings’
- Select ‘Vehicle’
- Select ‘Door/Window Setup’
- Select ‘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 and the exterior lights will flash when you lock it.
Honda Insight Beeping While Driving
The most common cause for an Insight that beeps whilst driving is the seatbelt sensor. 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 trunk are closed properly.
If all of these conditions are met, the problem could lie in a defective door switch, leading the Insight’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.
Alternative Suggestions
Check for Recalls or TSBs
By entering your car’s VIN number on Honda’s recall page or the NTHSA’s Safety Issues & Recalls page you can determine whether or not there is a TSB or recall for your vehicle and if there is you’ll want to get it addressed.
A recall is issued by a vehicle manufacturer for issues that are safety-related, while a TSB covers components that may be malfunctioning but don’t compromise the safety of the vehicle.
Disconnect the Battery
Sometimes mysterious beeping problems can disappear with a simple reboot, there are no guarantees here but it’s worth a try.
Disconnect the battery for 20 seconds and this resets many of the electronics in the vehicle.
Check For Warning Messages
When the beeping occurs can you see any lights or warning messages on the instrument panel?
This can give a clue as to what’s causing the beeps e.g. ‘Door Ajar’.
Take it to a Honda Dealership
If needed, take your Honda to the dealership.
Tell them you are NOT paying for a check on what the problem might be.
Ask them if they will check it for free.
Most dealerships and other places do quick/initial diagnosis for no money as they plan to make money for the repair of your vehicle.
If your unit is still under warranty then they should fix and resolve the issue for free.
Resources
https://owners.honda.com/vehicle-information/information/2022/Insight/manuals
https://owners.honda.com/service-maintenance/recalls
