Are your exterior lights not flashing when locking car? What could be the root cause of this?
The lights flashing when locking the car usually indicate that all doors have been locked. But when it fails to flash, that could mean that your car’s sensors are malfunctioning, one of your doors is still open, or there are problems with the hood’s latch.
Read on as we help you investigate why won’t my lights flash when I lock my car.
Table of Contents
What Are the Causes?
1. Car Doors Not Sealed Tight
The first thing to do is to have a visual check with all of your car doors that might still be slightly opened. This also includes the trunk door, the hatch, and the hood. Make sure that they are completely sealed.
2. Faulty Car Sensors
Your car’s sensors are interconnected to the vehicle’s electrical system, which is powered by a battery. When this battery is depleted, the sensors will fail to signal that the doors are closed. In this case, all you need to do is replace the battery.
3. Bad Hood Components
Check to see if your car’s hood is sealed. If the lights still don’t flash when locking the car, inspect for any damages in the hood latch or if it is jammed. You can get it unstuck by lubricating it with lithium-based spray.
In addition, make sure that the hood latch is hinged properly and that the hood cables are plugged in correctly.
4. Broken Bulbs
Burnt bulbs are a common reason that car lights don’t flash headlights. If you use your headlights too much or often leave them on during the daytime, this end result is even more likely to happen.
5. Issues with the Key Fob
In most cases, issues with the key fobs mean their batteries have run out of juice. That said, if the key fob is brand-new, you may want to look into its programming, which may hinder the car from locking. And if the car doesn’t lock, its exterior lights won’t flash either.
6. Blown fuse
Another possible reason that the lights don’t flash when locking cars is a blown fuse. When this happens, the vehicle’s entire electric system may be impacted, making it impossible for the exterior lights to flash.
How to Fix It?
If you can’t make headlights turn on when unlocking car, it is essential that you inspect all of your car doors and make sure they are completely shut so the car lights can flash.
If a discharged car battery is the problem, this could branch out to other car problems in the future, not just your car’s sensors. Make sure to replace your car battery or have it fully charged so that all of its electrical systems can work properly.
Also, check if the hood’s components are properly in place. Plug the hood latch as shown in this video:
Frequently Asked Questions
Why Are My Honda Hazard Lights Flashing When Car Locked?
It might think that you have triggered the hazard lights/alarm when you lock your car. Check your factory alarm module, and see if any of the buttons causes your hazard lights to flash.
Another reason is that you may have a faulty relay switch. This relay switch is a vital electrical component to turn on and off the hazard lights. You will need to replace it if it is no longer in good condition.
Why is My Car Alarm Light Not Blinking?
Your car’s battery may be depleted and must be recharged. Also, ensure you are using the right key and that it is not damaged.
The anti-theft feature might have also been activated. You can reset your car’s system or reset the factory alarm, as the case may be.
How Much Does it Cost to Repair Car Headlights?
The cost of headlight bulbs differs for each car model. However, halogen bulbs can cost you around $20.
Headlights for newer car models can go for more than $100 per set. For example, the price for Ford F-150 can cost around $107. And for Toyota Prius, headlight bulbs have an average cost of $167.
Conclusion
Now that you have learned the answer to “why won’t my lights flash when I lock my car”, you know that it can be easily remedied with the information and tips we provided.
It could be a simple solution, like checking if all of your car doors are still open. We hope that this topic has been helpful to you. Please feel free to share this article with your friends.
Working with Vernon and Ryley has been a great experience for me. Together with the rest of the team, I hope to create reliable and useful information for our readers, no matter where they are and their experience with car maintenance.
