How to disable horn when locking Ford Transit

A beep sound can be very uncomfortable and undesirable when it’s triggered for unknown reasons.

This article answers the question “Why Does My Ford Transit Beep When I Lock It?” Let’s get started…

Why Does My Ford Transit Beep When I Lock It?

The undesirable beep is usually triggered by door problems. If the van is not “reading” all the doors as closed, there will be a beep as a warning sign. Faulty door lock switch, faulty door lock actuator, faulty deadlock, central lock not working, and misaligned sliding door are the top problems.

If the manual lock is on by mistake or the van is set by fabric to beep when locked, there are easy ways to make it stop the beeping.

The Central Locking Is Not Working

Your remote key sends a signal to the door lock switch, the switch activates the actuator and this one opens the doors.

Therefore, the easiest place to start when a mechanic is looking to diagnose a problem will be in the central locking.

Something as simple as a blown fuse can be causing the problem, or if your key fob is faulty or without a battery it will fail to send a signal.

All the fuses in each circuit and the central lock unit should be check to discover if there is a malfunctioning.

Faulty Door Lock Switch

The door lock switch, lock and unlock the doors back and forth.

In many of the vehicles is that visible and accessible little stick in the left corner of the door, that with the years has developed to different shapes and places of the vehicle.

With the use, they can start failing and a replacement will be needed.

There is a clear sign easy to notice when this is about to happen.

When the door lock functions are not responding sometimes.

For example, if the door is possible to open when the switch is closed.

Or even if by mistake you broke this small and sensitive piece, you will probably need to change the entire switch system.

Faulty Door Lock Actuator

The door lock actuator is a small mechanical device that receives power when the door lock switch is pressed or when the key is used to lock.

If it doesn’t respond with these two actions, the actuator is probably faulty.

Sometimes, the actuator becomes noisy and then stops working completely.

And sometimes, only responds to one action, locking or unlocking, and not to both of them.

Faulty Deadlock

The deadlock makes all the door handles mechanically disengaged, therefore, the doors will not open from inside or outside.

If the deadlock is faulty, and it doesn’t lock a door when you press the button on the key fob, it can cause a beep or a honk since a door is still open.

The Manual Lock Is On

There is a manual lock on the doors in case of an unfortunate event like a power failure.

Some models have key locks in all the door handles, but some models only in the driver’s door.

If your battery goes flat, for example, and you only have a key lock in the driver’s doors, you can lock the other ones with the manual lock on the side of the door.

If you don’t have any battery issues, but you switch on a manual lock, this can trigger a beep or the honk when you lock your Transit with the key fob.

Misaligned Sliding Door

A very common issue with the Ford Transit is to get the sliding door misaligned with the time.

Or in the worst-case scenario, damaged parts, like the rollers.

This will cause that the door is not fully closed, and therefore, having issues locking it.

A proper door adjustment is essential. It should be even done as prevention with older vans.

A different door gap in one or more of the four sides of the door can be a sign that it needs an alignment.

A professional in a body shop can fix a misalignment easily, fast and cheap with the proper tools.

The Van Is Set To Honk When Lock By Fabric

If there are no issues with your van, but instead, is set to beep or honk when you lock it by fabric, there is a quick trick you can try to fix it.

This fabric setting is not usual, but it can still be found in some models depending on the year and origin fabric.

If you want to deactivate this feature:

Press the lock and unlock buttons at the same time for two seconds and the lights will flash three times.

Lock the doors and the horn shouldn’t sound anymore (unless the panic alarm or security system is triggered).

To reactivate the feature:

Press the lock and unlock buttons for two seconds and the lights will flash once. The horn should sound once.

If this trick doesn’t work, you can always check the manual of your van.

Why Does My Ford Transit Alarm Keeps Going Off?

If your problem is instead your alarm system going off for no reason, first of all, try to discover if it is sensor-related.

Some alarms have very sensitive pressure sensors, and even a strong wind can set off the alarm.

Another very common problem is when your battery is reaching a low percentage of life left.

The battery will stop sending the correct amount of voltage to the alarm system and it will set it off all of the sudden.

If the battery terminals are sulfated (white and blue powder looking) it will fail to make electric contact.

Besides setting off the alarm system, can also cause stalling when using electricity like the lights or the radio or difficulty to turn on the van.

RELATED POSTS

The Ford Transit is the world’s most recognizable van.

Like any modern vehicle, it uses beeps, chimes and noises to alert the driver’s attention.

If you’re Transit keeps beeping and you’re not sure why, then this guide is here to help.

Ford Transit Beeping

The most common cause of beeping on a Ford Transit is due to a fault with the SRS (airbag system) and it often means the airbag warning lamp has blown in the gauge cluster and the problem is not necessarily related to the airbags themselves. This is a backup tone to indicate the warning light is not working.

There is a quick and easy way to check this:

Turn the key to the ‘ON’ poistion.
Observe the gauge cluster.
All lamps should illuminate, including the airbag lamp.
If it doesn’t you will hear the beeping noise.

The gauge cluster refers to the collection of driving instruments behind the wheel and includes things such as speedometer, fuel gauge, warning lights and tachometer.

If there is no light for the airbag warning in the dash when you turn the key on, then you’ll need to replace the bulb.

By doing so, the beeping should stop, its also important to check for loose connections.

You will need to remove the instrument cluster, open it and in the back it will have all the little light bulbs.

If changing the faulty bulb didn’t do the trick or you’re not confident to change the bulb yourself, we recommend contacting your local Ford dealership.

From the Ford Transit Owners Manual:

Note: The information below is related to the SRS which is the Supplementary Restraint System which is essentially the vehicle’s airbags.

The readiness of the safety system is indicated by a warning indicator light in the instrument cluster or by a backup tone if the warning light is not working.

Routine maintenance of the airbag is not required.

A difficulty with the [SRS] system is indicated by one or more of the following:

The readiness light (airbag light in the instrument cluster) will not illuminate immediately after you switch the ignition on.
The readiness light either flashes or stays lit.
A series of five beeps will be heard. The tone pattern will repeat periodically until the problem, the light or both are repaired.

If any of these things happen, even intermittently, have the supplemental restraint system serviced at an authorized dealer immediately.

Unless serviced, the system may not function properly in the event of a crash.

Ford Transit Horn Beeps When Locking

If the horn beeps when you lock your Ford Transit this is to signal that the van hasn’t been locked. If the doors are locked and shut then you should lubricate the door latches with WD-40. Usually but not always it’s caused by the sliding door.

It’s always a good idea to try cleaning the door contact pads and pins first – although they may need replacing.

The pads and spring-loaded pins are to the rear of the door near the locking mechanism.

And if it’s not the side door, the wiring to the rear door is another common point of failure.

One owner found that by re-syncing their sliding door, they were able to stop the horn beeps:

“Mine did this when the van was locked and I opened it from the inside.

For some reason, the lock on the sliding door comes out of sync with the rest.

Try locking it, then from the inside, turn the white little handle to lock from inside, then blip it to unlock and this might solve your issue”

Ford Transit Beeping Noise While Driving

If your Transit beeps whilst driving, check all of the door contacts. If they become dirty or greasy it can trigger a beep as the van thinks the doors aren’t shut properly.

Ensure the latches and locking mechanisms are free from debris too.

Ford Transit Chirping Noise When Accelerating

A common cause for a chirping noise coming from the engine on a Ford Transit is a worn or faulty alternator.

You’ll most likely hear this sound when pulling away or when driving at speed when your foot is down.

While the battery is used for starting your van when the engines off, the alternator keeps your it alive when the engine is running.

The alternator powers most electronic components while you’re driving around or idling and is also responsible for charging the battery of your van while driving.

Ford Transit Beeps Twice

If your Ford Transit beeps or honks twice when you lock it this can be caused by a door that hasn’t been shut properly, a second set of keys left in the van, keys left in the ignition, exiting the vehicle with the engine still running or if the hood is open.

One of the reasons why Ford installed the double honk is to prevent scenarios such as:

You drive you and your passenger to a location.
You get out to go to an appointment.
The passenger gets in the driver seat and drives away.
Unknowingly you forgot you have the key fob in your pocket.

The double honk is to remind you, you have the key.

It is possible to disable the double honk with Forscan which allows the user to make various modifications to their Ford vehicle.

The double horn beep is a relatively new ‘feature’ that Ford has rolled out across their line-up.

It is a requirement of the FMVSS regulation (USA regulation) that require a warning noise on every car when the key leaves the car while it’s still running

You may also notice two honks if you leave a phone or iPad or accessory plugged in the charging port and walk away from the vehicle, for example, to a gas station.

It’s never a good idea to leave valuables on display especially in an unlocked vehicle.

Ford Transit Beeps While Driving

If you are experiencing beeping whilst driving your Ford Transit this may be caused by a faulty door latch, if you have a ‘door ajar’ light on the dashboard then this is almost certainly the case, these latches can often get stuck.

Faulty latches are very common – you may need to have a latch replaced although you should first try lubricating it with something like WD-40.

If it’s not related to the door sensor/latch then it could be caused by a damaged wire.

A lot of mysterious beeps and electrical issues can be traced back to damaged wire(s) in the boot between the body and the driver’s door.

It could also be related to a faulty door ajar switch.

The beeping could also be caused by a burnt-out SRS lamp as previously mentioned.

Ford Transit Beeping When Door Open

If your Ford Transit beeps when a door is open this can be caused by a faulty headlight switch, a faulty ignition switch or damaged wires. Since the headlights being on, or the key being in the ignition will cause the chime to sound, one of these switches may have a loose connection or be faulty.

It is normal to hear beeping when the driver door is open if you have done any of the following:

Left you lights on and the driver door is open
Left your key in the ignition and the driver door is open

If you are experiencing a beep or a ding noise and you have not done any of the above, then it might be caused by a certain blue wire.

Remove the steering column shrouds
You will see a blue wire that enters the key switch assembly itself
This wire is responsible for causing the ‘ding’ noise for leaving the key in the ignition
It grounds the wire when the key is inserted thus shutting off the alarm
If the wire comes loose it will never ground out
So the ding will activate when ever the door is open, key or no key.
You can use a small zip tie to make sure its kept firmly in place.
This shouldn’t take more than 15-20 minutes.

Other Possible Causes of Beeps

Passenger Seatbelt

In some instances weight on the passenger seat from a bag, groceries or even your pet pooch can cause the seatbelt chime to go off, in which case you can try fastening the passenger seat belt.

Blown Bulb

Checking for things like a blown headlight or burnt-out brake light bulb is also a good idea.

Fluids

Low fluid levels may also trigger a warning beep, so its worth checking things like windshield washer etc.

Faulty sensors

There could also be a faulty sensor that indicates when a door is not closed or that a seatbelt isn’t connected when it should be.

MyKey

You can set a speed limit for your vehicle.

Warning messages appear in the information display and a tone / beep sounds if your vehicle reaches the set speed.

You cannot override the set speed when using a MyKey.

Navigation assist on maps is designed to beep.

You may also be interested in our article: Ford Transit Tune-Up & Maintenance Costs (Complete Guide)

Bluetooth Connection

You will hear beeps when your phone gets connected to the Infotainment system via Bluetooth connection.

Low Tire Pressure

Another common reason for the Ford Transit to beep is due to insufficient tire pressure.

This is detected by the TPMS (tire pressure monitoring system). For most Ford Transits, you’ll want 30 – 35 psi for the best balance of comfort, traction, fuel economy, and load-bearing capabilities.

The Transit is fitted with a low-pressure tire light, and so if it hasn’t turned on there might be an issue with the light itself.

Do not drive your Ford van until all tires have the correct air pressure.

Cross-Traffic Alert Indicator

When the system detects an approaching vehicle a tone sounds, the indicator illuminates in the relevant exterior mirror and arrows appear in the information display to show which side the approaching vehicle is coming from.

Related: 9 Best & Worst Ford Transit Cargo Van Years (Facts & Stats)

Low Fuel Level Audible Warning

A warning tone sounds and a message appears in the information display when the distance to empty reaches 50 mi (80 km). A warning tone sounds and a message appears in the information display again at the following distance to empty parameters:

20 mi (40 km)
10 mi (20 km)
0 mi (0 km)

Parking Brake Audible Warning

Sounds when the parking brake is on and your vehicle is moving. If the warning tone continues after you have released the parking brake, this
indicates a malfunction.

Have your vehicle checked as soon as possible.

Smoke Alarm

Some owners have fitted a smoke alarm to their Transit – in which case the smoke alarm will beep once the batteries are low.

Parking Aids (If Equipped): False Alerts

The sensing system warns you of obstacles within a certain range of your vehicle. The system turns on when you shift into reverse.

Accessories that block the detection zone of the system may create false alerts.

Keep the sensors free from snow, ice and large accumulations of dirt.

If your vehicle sustains damage leaving the sensors misaligned, this may cause inaccurate measurements or false alerts.

If your Transit sustains damage to the fascia or bumper and you leave it bent or misaligned, the sensing zone may be altered causing inaccurate measurement of obstacles or false alerts.

Certain add-on devices installed around the bumper or fascia may create false alerts, such as: