Honda CRV alarm for headlights stopped working

I have a 2002 CRV. The headlight alarm worked when we purchased the vehicle. It has since stopped. Is there a fuse that needs to be replaced?

Another unwanted recently new feature is sometimes after I unlock the car and open and shut the doors, they lock automatically. Could this be related to the headlight alarm issue?

Kristi

Check the plunger switch for the drivers door, oval shaped with black rubber cover (easily seen with drivers door open) See if it is broken and check it's operation. One phillips screw and 1 connector to remove, can be swapped with passenger side switch.

Are you missing your dome lamp when drivers door opens ??

I checked the plunger swith inside of the door frame. That seems to be operating.

The dome lamp also works when opening the doors.

Any other ideas?

Check the plunger switch for the drivers door, oval shaped with black rubber cover (easily seen with drivers door open) See if it is broken and check it's operation. One phillips screw and 1 connector to remove, can be swapped with passenger side switch.

Are you missing your dome lamp when drivers door opens ??

If your dome lamp is working when the drivers door is open the switch is working.

How about "key in ignition" warning is it working o.k. ??

The "key in ignition" warning I'm not sure about. I do get a dinging sound when the key if first put into the ignition. But no warning after that, once I turn the car off and leave the key in the ignition and/or open the car door, there is no warning. I'm not sure if it ever did this.

Could it be a fuse or something more electrical?

I bought the car used. It didn't come with an owner's manual.

If the drivers door is open you should get beeping the second you insert the key.

The element making the noise is the same for both the "key in,drivers door open" and the "headlights on" warning.

Make sure the dome lamp comes on with the driver doors opening and also that the "key in" warning is working with the driver door open as well.

This will help eliminate piezo element and door switch as defective.

Yes, the dome light goes on when the door is opened.

After I put the key in the ignition the "key in" warning beeps 6 times. That's it. It doesn't beep again when the door is opened if the key is left in.

6 beeps is what you get when the seatbelt is not fastened and the key is turned to II.

You should be getting beeps starting the second you insert the key (with drivers door open) it would continue until key removed or drivers door shut.

Has any work been done recently ? (electrical or mechanical)

You mentioned the doors re-locking, That would normally occur if you unlocked the car and did not open any doors for 30 seconds or so. It appears the system is not seeing that your drivers door has been opened (except for the dome lamp works)

I haven't had any electrical or mechanical work done on it.

Sounds like I need to take it in? It's not a matter of replacing a fuse or something else that would be simple to fix?

Kristi

I would say if it was a blown fuse or similar you would have other symptoms (other systems not working)

I have the 2003 Honda CRV. My car does not warn me if my headlights are left on when I open the door. To be honest, I do not remember it ever doing that. I have run my battery down so many times I have lost count. I checked and when I open the door and insert the key I do not get and beeps. What could the problem be?

I have the 2003 Honda CRV. My car does not warn me if my headlights are left on when I open the door. To be honest, I do not remember it ever doing that. I have run my battery down so many times I have lost count. I checked and when I open the door and insert the key I do not get and beeps. What could the problem be?

Is your dome light coming on when the drivers door is open ??

The line (ground) for the drivers door switch feeds into the "multiplex unit" If the dome light is coming on, then the signal is making it to the control unit. The 01-02 Civics have had some failures of the mpx control units.

I still have this problem with my 2002 CRV. I too have run the battery down for leaving on the lights without the warning sound.

The dome light does come on so it's not the ground line.

I was told it could be a broken spring. The name of the part escapes me. There is a little button (spring) covered by a piece of rubber inside the door frame. Possibly it sends the alarm if the lights are on and the door is opened? Apparently this can be replaced. You need to take the rubber cover off and unscrew the spring. I still need to look into this.

Please let us know if you find a resolution.

TIA
Kristi

The button is called the "Plunger switch" See the second post of this thread.

I also see it's not the plunger switch if the dome light works when the door is opened.

I had this problem with my daughter's 2004 CRV. I read the posts and went to swap the driver side door switch with the passenger side. I found that the only thing wrong was the screw that holds the switch in place was loose. The screw also acts as the ground for the switch. It was loose and not grounded, thereby creating the problem. Check the screw to make sure that it is tight. This may be the only thing you need to do.

After my battery needed to be boosted, my door-ajar, lights on and key in ignition warning "indicator" beep are no longer working and also when I open my drivers side door, the dome light doesn't turn on. The doors auto re-lock by themselves even if I've opened the door and closed it again. I was told by Honda that I have to bring it in. Is there a way I can fix this myself by possibly just changing a fuse?

^^^ Check your plunger switch to see if it is in place and working. Check to make sure the mounting screw is tight.

Hey all, I finally had it after my wife left the lights on again today. I found this link and just swapped my drivers side plunger switch with the passenger side and it works like new! Thank you CopyTech99! We are passing the CR-V on to our teenage son and I am relieved that I won't (shouldn't) be getting calls from him to jump the battery.

Same deal on my '02; headlights drained battery because the alarm stopped working. Thanks to this forum, I switched the two driver's and passenger's door push-button door switches, and viola, the headlights-on alarm is now working.

As noted above, on screwdriver was all it took; very simple.

Wish I'd researched this years ago. Thank you AF.

Just changed the passenger "plunger" switch unit with the driver side and the "lights on" warning sound worked no more call from my wife stranded. Thanks everyone:)

Yes, what you suggested worked! The cover for the switch had broken on the driver's side, and the passenger's side was very difficult to unscrew. But the door open alarm and key in the ignition alarm returned. Now to get another switch cover at some point.

This forum rocks! Thank you! This battery has been drained *so* many times over the years. Wish I knew this before!

This forum rocks! I followed the direction to switch the driver-side and passenger-side "plunger" switch units and the warning sound came back. Thanks to all of you for your kind advice. I am sure I will be visiting this site more often.

Wow, thanks! The plunger in the door jam was the culprit for me.. Not only does it scream my lights are on, but, it tells me now, that the key is in the ignition. The dome light works properly too.. It was going off and was dark when I opened the door.. The dome light comes on when you turn the car off, but it wasn't working for the door. The plunger switch had been pushed back into the hole in the panel. I just fit it back into the plug and screwed it back on and voila. Thanks again. I love my 2003 CR-V Honda (Though I'm recovering from a wrecked 2007 Prius. Eeek as far as fuel economy goes).

Thanks. Swapped the plunger switch with the passenger side. My headlight alarm now works again. Took me 5 minutes.

I just bought a 2003 CR-V for my daughter, and the battery ran down last night by leaving the lights on. Found this post, and just completed the switch swap. Alarm is working as expected. A major relief as she gets ready to head off to college. Thanks to everyone on this thread!

I just drained my battery (again) because I was not warned (again) that the lights were on. Being on the road at a hotel is making this particular instance more of a hassle than usual. I am anxious to try the plunger switch swap when I return home to see if it solves this stress inducing problem. It causes stress even when I turn the lights off because five minutes later, I'm never 100% sure that this little task got done. I'll be crossing my fingers and losing sleep hoping for a good Samaritan in the morning. Stay tuned.

Next morning.

I had the bike in the car. I made a 6 mile round trip to AutoZone to buy a wrench to remove the battery. The plan was to put 20 lbs worth of battery in my backpack and bike back to AutoZone to have it charged. Fortunately, a kindly looking good Samaritan and his little girl were walking to their car and I mustered up the audacity to request a jump. I spent the next 30 minutes driving around, wasting gas, checking out the local scenery while my aging battery recharged. Crisis solved.

Now onto the root cause. As the cure was advertised as a one screw driver fix, and I had nothing better to do on labor day, I decided to attack it right here in the hotel parking lot. Here is the synopsis:

1) The plungers are on the aft side of the driver and passenger door frames pointing outwards. They are covered by small black rubber boots.
2) The bolt holding the assembly in place is directly below the plunger protected by a rubber flap integral with the plunger cover. The flap cover opens easily with a strategically placed thumbnail.
3) My bolts were over-torqued and required the proper size Phillips screwdriver with gentle/firm pressure to loosen the bolts without stripping the heads. It is a combination Phillips hex head screw, so it's obviously better to use a socket wrench if available.
4) Pull out the plunger assembly and unclasp it from the wiring harness by pushing on the release tab. CAUTION: Do NOT allow the wiring harness to fall back into the door frame. This did not happen to me, but the harness did everything it could to retreat into the abyss of the inner body of the door frame. Extra hands would be useful here to avoid an expletive filled tirade.
5) I swapped the assemblies and pretended to leave the lights on as I got out of the car (unlike yesterday, when I did this without pretending). I was immediately serenaded by the sweet sound of a high pitched warning tone for the first time in 3 years. Also, the key in ignition beep-beep-beep and dome light is now working correctly. Victory!
6) I'll buy a new plunger for the passenger side when I'm bored someday. It is not as critical as the driver side, but the bizarre automatic door locking logic is probably confused by a non-working plunger.

Having the same problem too. No buzzer when lights on. I've gotten pretty good at remembering but then others drive it or my 2-year-old will play with things and leave the lights on and no one notices when they take her out. Dead battery on the way to watch the Super Bowl the other day.

So, time to do something about it.

I am going to try the switcheroo with the passenger side door first and if that succeeds, yay me and thank you guys!

If not, I found the part # 35400-S5A-013

and I see 2 listings for it on ebay at present for about 6-7 bucks. So, if switching it doesn't work. I'll go buy one of those.

I will check back in and let you know but a HUGE THANK YOU already. I was afraid this would cost me $$$!!:rofl:

I just want to say thank you to all who shared the solution to this annoying headlight alarm failure problem. I swapped the switches from passenger side to driver side and the alarm works perfectly now. Great info, thanks again.

I've been draining my battery for years. Thanks to this post I swapped the driver and passenger switches and it works now.

.....And the return of your long missing dome light !

... ditto for me, swapped the switches and back to normal. Took about 3 minutes.

Thanks for the help ! I just followed everyone directions and replaced the driver side plunger with the passenger side one and it worked.
I found the part on Rock Auto and the price there is about 3 dollars.
Think I'll wait to order though....

Very nice posting friends please share some more Tricks for BMW
(http://www.automotiveforums.com/vbulletin/member.php?u=564536)

I just swapped over the drivers and passengers door light switch. Hey presto! the warning sound comes on if you turn off ignition with the lights on.
Could have saved a 34 year marriage gents !
Thank you so much

Good advice boys, several problems I've had for some time fixed in ten minutes by simple swapping the two switches.

Many thanks.

Thank you very much for the great advice! I swapped out the switches between the passenger and driver's door and problem solved!

So, I tried everything mentioned here. I switched the drivers side switch with the passenger side. Nothing. Went back in the house and thought, "why does everyone post that this worked for them" Re read all posts again. Maybe I didnt tighten the screw down tight enough. Back to the honda. Tightened it down to the best of my ability! Nothing. Back to the house. Read posts again. Well....at least someone posted a part number. Maybe I can just order one. Or....someone mentioned: a spring. Maybe that's it. Went out to check where the spring is located. Took it all apart looking for the spring. Then it dawned on me, maybe I didn't put the switch in tight enough. So I mushed it in as tight as I could and tightened the screw as best I could and...... Vualla!!!!! The sound of beeps and alarms! No more dead battery for me!!! I like being a girl, but sometimes i feel my age creeping up on me and I guess I'm not as strong as I use to be! Thanks to all of you for your wonderful advice:) I hope mine helps someone like me.

Hi everyone, I'm a new entry here and I'm very glad to greet you all. I also have a 2002 CRV with the same problem as described above. I did try to solve it by swapping switches, but it didn't work. Can anyone please tell me where the buzzer is actually located and how it looks like? Thanks
Cheers from sunny Rome

guys and gals...just HAD to register to thank you for this thread, still churning out satisfied customers in 2017..My 2003 Honda CRV got its first jump in the rain stranded in Connecticut on a trip from NY because recently my "headlights on" warning stopped working...Swapped the door plungers and back to working!...Still some other gremlins after 278,000 miles but I'll try researching in another thread...Many thanks to original posters, surely saved me a boatload from taking to a dealer!:iceslolan

Good evening ladies gentleman, boys & girls.
We have ourselves a 2003 Honda CR-V (Henry) it appears we aren't the the only people to have the lack of beeping when we leave the lights on! As annoying as it is we want it back... it's never worked but today started working very briefly!
Unlike most other our interior globe is not working. And the fact it worked intermittently today would suggest a bad earth! I saw in an earlier post that someone mentioned a loom or socket perhaps?? Any ideas would be greatly appreciated:) many thanks all

^^^ Inspect drivers door pin switch. It is covered in a black rubber boot, and held in place with a single Philips screw.

Swap it with the passenger sides switch.

My daughter has a 2004 CR-V, and I've had to go jump her battery about 4 times. My wife is going over this morning for the 5th time.

Found this forum post and it sounds exactly like her issue, so tonight I'll be going over to swap the switches and see if that brings back her alarm. I'm pretty hopeful, as she has all the symptoms you have been describing: no alarm when the key is left in, no alarm when the lights are left on, and no dome light when you open the drivers side door.

If this fix works, I'll probably check online and order two new switches and replace both sides.

Thanks for the info! Hopefully avoiding an expensive trip to the shop, with their $75 'diagnostic' fee, and probably a $25 switch (actual cost about $5)...

Hey guys im having a problem with my 2011 honda crv the fob suddenly stopped working. I put a new battery in it i had the dealer reprogram it i have no dome lights when any of the doors are opened or chiming sound nothing .but the button on the driver door will only unlock/lock the car if the key in on the on or the car is started. It all so locls the car when i start driving amd unlocks when i put it in park i checked the fuse box under the dash and i switched the plungers from the passager door to the drivers and i have nothing. Not chime no dome lights bothing . I hope thats all the info u guys need but anything would be a big help i really dont want to go to the dealer.

I replaced the plunger on the driver's door and passenger door, double checked that they were securely plugged in, the screw holding the plunger in place is tight. My interior light still does not come on when I open the door and the "headlights on" indicator is till not beeping. Any other suggestions? Thanks!