What Causes the Hazard Lights to Keep Flashing After Locking the Car?
3 Answers
If the hazard lights keep flashing when locking or unlocking the car, it is likely due to the car key battery running low. Replacing the car key battery should resolve the issue. Hazard warning lights, commonly known as hazard flashers or emergency flashers, are signal lights used to alert other vehicles and pedestrians that the car is experiencing a special situation. The following four scenarios require the use of hazard lights: 1. Temporary parking: When temporarily parked, hazard lights must be turned on, and in some cases, a warning sign must also be placed. If the car is temporarily parked to wait for someone or pick up something, the hazard lights should be activated to alert others of the parked vehicle. 2. When the car is being towed due to a breakdown: Both the disabled vehicle and the towing vehicle must turn on their hazard lights; otherwise, they may face fines and penalty points. Failure to activate the hazard lights in this situation may prevent trailing vehicles from recognizing the driving status of the leading vehicle, increasing the risk of accidents. 3. When visibility is less than 100 meters: In heavy fog conditions, common in northern autumns and winters, where visibility drops below 100 meters, hazard lights must be turned on. 4. When permitted by traffic authorities: In certain special cases, with approval from traffic authorities, vehicles in a convoy may need to activate their hazard lights.
It's quite unsettling when the hazard lights keep flashing after locking the car. The most common reason is that a door, hood, or trunk isn't properly closed. There are over a dozen latch sensors in the car, and if even one isn't engaged correctly, the car will think it's 'unsafe' and alert you by flashing the lights. Last time I fixed this issue, I found a microswitch in the door latch that had rusted due to water ingress, causing the system to misjudge. Additionally, if the remote key button is stuck or something in your pocket is pressing the key, causing repeated lock signals to be sent, the car will also 'confusedly' keep flashing its lights. I recommend first making sure all doors are tightly closed and trying again. If that doesn't work, check if the wiring connectors are damp or oxidized, or read the car's computer for any fault codes in the anti-theft system.
Last month, my own car had this issue. After struggling for a while, I found out it was because the trunk latch was loose. Modern cars are so smart that even if you use a mechanical key to lock the car, the body control module will keep sounding the alarm if it detects that a latch hasn't returned to its position. Another time, while helping a neighbor check their car, I discovered a more hidden problem—an aftermarket dashcam was secretly tapping into the fuse box wiring, causing signal interference. It's important to note that when the battery voltage is insufficient, the anti-theft system might act up. If the dashboard shows abnormal icons at the same time, you should be even more alert. If you really can't find the cause, try disconnecting the negative terminal of the battery for ten minutes to reset the system. In most cases, this will restore normal operation.
