The Hyundai Palisade is one of the highest rated, large SUVs on the market.
As with any vehicle, the Palisade’s alarm can be triggered for mysterious reasons.
In this article, we’ll investigate the causes and solutions for the Palisade alarm going off at random…
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Why Does My Hyundai Palisade Alarm Keep Going Off?
The Hyundai Palisade’s alarm can be triggered by the rear seat occupancy alarm, a malfunctioning key fob, a weak 12V battery, faulty door switches, a faulty hood switch, sticking latches and accidental pressing of the panic alarm.
1. Rear Seat Occupancy Alarm
The Hyundai Palisade is equipped with a rear seat occupancy alarm that can be triggered by objects on the rear seats, such as boxes, occupants, pets, and groceries.
The system is designed to prevent children from being accidentally forgotten in the car (risk of heatstroke) or accidentally being locked in the car.
- Ultrasonic sensor detects movement in the rear seats
- Horn sounds, lights flash and a Blue Link alert message is sent to the driver’s smartphone if movement is detected
A “Check rear seats” message even pops up on the instrument cluster after the rear door has been opened and closed.
The car provides two warning alerts to notify the driver to rear seat occupants. If those two warnings are ignored, the Palisade’s alarm system will be triggered in 25-second bursts up to 8 times.
Here is what the manual says:
Make sure that all the windows are closed. If the window is open, the alert may operate by the sensor detecting an unintended movement (e.g. wind or bugs)
This is one owner’s experience of the rear seat occupancy alarm system as shared on PalisadeForums.org:
“Has anybody else had the alarm go off for no apparent reason when walking away from their Palisade? This has happened to us 3 times in a public place after we’ve locked the car and walked 20-30 ft away. We have 8k miles on the car, not enough for the battery on the fob to be low!”
Another Palisade owner commented on this in the thread:
“My sunvisor for the front windshield is heavy enough to trigger the back seat alarm. We have to make sure it’s on the floor when not in use. So yes, packages will trigger the alarm.”
Another Palisade owner shared the solution:
“Of course you can… you would just need to make sure you turn off the rear occupant alert (or acknowledge the pop up in your instrument cluster every time you get out of the car if you don’t want to turn it off entirely). If you leave the rear occupant alert enabled and leave any windows open, wind blowing through will be picked up by the ultrasonic sensors.”
How to Disable Rear Occupant Alert
You can activate and deactivate the rear seat occupancy alarm from the display screen.
- Select “Setup”
- Select “Vehicle”
- Select “Convenience”
- Untick “Rear Occupant Alert”
When the rear seat occupancy alarm goes off, you can deactivate it by unlocking the door with the key fob or smart key.
The rear seat occupancy alarm detects movement within the Palisade’s interior up to 24 hours after the doors are locked.
2. Key Fob Issues
A key fob that is damaged, dirty or has a dying battery can trigger the Palisade’s alarm.
For the sake of a few dollars it may be worth replacing the battery, but first you should try giving the fob a good clean.
You will want to remove any bits of dust and dirt and give the electrical contacts a clean with a cotton swab and some rubbing alcohol.
The battery type used in the Palisade’s key fob is CR2032, which is cheap and readily available at most supermarkets, although its worth getting a good quality brand of battery.
Ensure that the battery is facing the right way up, and the battery connects to the contact points.
Test the key fob by locking/unlocking your doors. If problems persist, you should contact your dealer or a reputable auto electrician.
The manual also offers this advise:
Keep the remote key away from electromagnetic materials that block electromagnetic waves to the key surface.
3. A Dead or Dying 12V Battery
One of the leading causes of intermittent false alarms and mysterious nuisance alarms is a dead or dying 12V battery. If the 12V batter is dying or has an insufficient voltage, it can trigger the Palisade’s alarm.
A 12V battery usually lasts 3 – 5 years before needing to be replaced.
However, before replacing the battery, take a look under your Palisade’s hood.
A loose connection or grime build-up can also cause the battery to malfunction.
If you have a multimeter in your garage, check the battery yourself, we’ve included a simple guide at the bottom of this article.
If not, head to your nearest AutoZone – they offer battery health checks.
You can also try disconnecting the battery, cleaning the battery’s terminals, and then reconnecting the battery.
When reconnecting the battery, ensure the connections are tight and free of any obstructions on the terminals.
You can clean the terminals of your 12V battery using a toothbrush dipped in baking soda and water mixture. Only clean the battery when it has been completely disconnected.
Note: Make sure the engine is turned off before doing anything battery related.
4. Faulty Hood Switch
Another common reason why a Palisade alarm will go off mysteriously is due to a failed or faulty hood switch.
Also known as a hood latch sensor, this electrical component reports the state of the hood.
When the alarm is armed, the hood should be shut and the switch will confirm this to the car’s computer.
If the hood latch sensor is damaged or broken then this can cause the alarm to go off at random, as it will report an open hood when in actual fact it is closed.
You may also see a warning on the dash such as “Hood Open”.
Hood latch sensors often get dirty and clogged up with grime so it’s worth giving it a thorough clean and some lubrication first.
If you’re a hands-on type of person, you can replace this sensor quite easily with the help of a YouTube tutorial.
If not, have your local mechanic take a look for you.
5. Faulty Door Lock Sensors & Sticking Latches
A faulty door latch sensor is a common cause of Palisade alarms going off. Due to wear and tear and continually opening and closing the door, these sensors can wear out.
Similar to the hood latch sensor, the vehicle alarm monitors the doors to make sure no one is opening them.
Give all door latches a clean and some lubrication with WD-40.
A latch that is sticking can also trigger the alarm.
You will be able to ask your dealer to run a diagnostic test to show the last several reasons why the alarm was triggered.
This can help pinpoint the exact cause, especially if the reports show it was coming from one sensor in one of the doors.
Related: Hyundai Palisade Beeping? (15 Common Causes)
6. Accidental Press of Panic Alarm
One simple and often overlooked reason for a false alarm on the Palisade, is accidentally pressing the panic alarm.
This can be easily done when the fob is in your pocket especially when wearing tight clothes or bending down to pick something up.
Here is what the manual says:
Press and hold the Panic button for more than one second. The horn sounds and hazard warning lights flash for about 30 seconds.
To cancel the panic mode, press any button on the remote key.
Alternative Suggestions
Check Bluelink
If you have the Bluelink app you can check this for clues as to why your alarm is going off.
It is best to check the app when the alarm is going off.
Disconnect the Battery
Sometimes mysterious alarm 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.
Make Sure All Doors Are Shut Properly
This is sometimes overlooked, but make sure all doors, trunk and hood are shut properly.
Check For Warning Messages
When the alarm occurs can you see any lights or warning messages on the instrument panel?
This can give a clue as to what’s causing the alarm e.g. ‘Hood Ajar’.
Take it to a Hyundai Dealership
If needed, take your Palisade 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 you’re car is still under warranty then they should fix and resolve the issue for free.
Check for Recalls or TSBs:
By entering your car’s VIN number on Hyundai’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.
Test the 12V Battery
How to Test the Battery
- Before testing, remove the surface charge from the battery, this allows for an accurate reading.
- Simply turn on the headlights for 2 minutes then turn off.
- Set the multimeter dial to the ’20 Volts’ setting.
- Make sure the car is turned OFF
The multimeter will have a red probe and a black probe:
- The red probe is for making contact with the positive terminal
- The black probe is for making contact with the negative terminal.
Measure across the battery terminals.
- The meter should display a reading, if the battery is fully charged the voltage should be between 12.2 and 12.6 volts.
- Anything under 12V and the battery should be charged or replaced.
Resources
https://autoservice.hyundaiusa.com/campaignhome
