Fault with Central Locking or the Interior Monitor causing hazard lights to flash when car is locked

[djm0999]

Hi everyone, this is my first ever post, so please be gentle with me.

I have had an issue for a few weeks with my 2011 Octavia Estate 1.6 CR 4X4. When I lock the car, after a while the hazard flashers begin to blink (the alarm doesn't sound, just the lights blinking). When it happened overnight and I wasn't aware it flattened my battery. I have tried replacing the hazard flasher switch on the dashboard, the flasher unit on the engine compartment fuseboard, and the fuse for the central locking on the interior fuseboard beside the steering wheel, I have also bought and installed a new battery, none of which have cured the issue.

Last night I noticed in the Owner's Manual, under the Central Locking System topic, a reference to the 'Indicator light in the driver's door', which says:

'If the indicator light first of all flashes fast for about 2 seconds, afterwards lights up for about 30 seconds and then flashes slowly, there is a fault in the system of the central locking or the interior monitor. Visit a specialist garage to obtain assistance.'

I checked when I locked the car, and this is exactly what is happening. Also, I noticed the red triangle in the hazard light switch is pulsing / flashing (is this normal?).

I then looked at the section under 'Interior monitor and towing protection' and discovered there is a button next to the driver's seat that allows the interior monitor to be switched off when locking the car. So I have been switching this interior monitor button off before locking the car and it seems (so far!) to have prevented the hazard flashing issue.

However, I realise this is not a permanent cure.

Has anyone else had a similar issue and found a cost-effective way of fixing it permanently without having to involve a 'specialist garage'?

Rgds,

Dave.

[Guest]

Ensure all windows are closed, a cabin filter is in place and you have no critter stowaways.

 

Vacuum the grilles in the ceiling unit where the ultrasonic interior motion detector lives.

 

If you have an alarm activation without siren I would suggest having the car scanned, the alarm module may well be faulty from age related internal battery electrolyte leakage.

Edited 17 March, 2023 by MicMac

[djm0999]

Hi MicMac,

Thanks for the suggestions.

 

I have installed a new cabin filter, which I hadn't done before (courtesy of this YouTube video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12rOmisqZig ), there was a LOT of stuff embedded in the filter. Then I vacuumed the 'grilles in the ceiling unit where the ultrasonic interior motion detector lives' as you suggested, then the ceiling fabric around the grilles, and the rest of the car generally.

 

I have locked the car as I normally would, with the remote key fob, without first disabling the interior motion detector as I was doing previously. I still have the same behaviour with the Indicator light in the driver's door I described in my original post, however, it's been a couple of hours now, and the hazards haven't flashed so far. I will keep monitoring it throughout the day and will report any change.

 

Thanks again for your help.

 

Cheers,

Dave.

 

[djm0999]

Hi, Just a quick update to say it's been 11 days now, and touch wood, the issue seems to have been resolved.

 

I did have one time last week when the hazard flashers came on while I was sitting in my daughter's house and my car was parked outside. However, it was a very windy day and there is a lot of construction work going on opposite her house, consequently there are large, heavy lorries frequently thundering past her house.

 

Is it possible the strong winds and / or vibrations from the site traffic could have caused this (hopefully isolated !) occurrence?

 

Cheers,

Dave.

[Guest]

Yes.

[djm0999]

Thanks for the speedy and succinct reply.

Cheers,

Dave.

[d4m4g3]

I saw on my car (not Octavia but saw this topic) and it's weird. I locked the car, I pushed the boot button on the car to see if it locked and after a few seconds the hazard lights started.

 

I opened the car again, turned them off, locked it again. I don't have alarm fitted, so why it started to flash the lights I don't know. Hope it doesn't do it again.

[djm0999]

Maybe the car's security thinks someone is trying to break in, as the boot is locked but you were trying to open it? (just a guess).

[d4m4g3]

If I don't have an alarm is there any security or system still checking for things?

It's the first time it did this, it's weird, I mean I saw many weird things but I hope it's nothing bad, wrong, or who knows.

[djm0999]

I Googled the Skoda Scala security system and it says it has 'Anti theft alarm system with interior monitoring, backup horn and towing protection', so even if you haven't fitted an alarm yourself, it sounds like it's already built in to the car.