A few days ago, I talked to my colleague about Nissan Armanda. For sure, this 4×4 SUV is more than just a vehicle as it doesn’t stop in rain, mud, or snow. But my friend suddenly asked me, “Why does Nissan Armada honk three times?” I smiled first, then described the reasons for honking. So, for my readers, I will discuss it today.
The Rear Door Alert (RDA) is the primary reason the vehicle honks three times. It reminds you to check the back seat upon exiting your SUV. Well, there are more reasons, like the Speed Alert feature, third-row seats, lane departure warning, and a key fob left in the vehicle. Sometimes, you may hear those beeps while leaving the vehicle with the engine running.
Do not worry! You can temporarily turn the honking system off if you do not like it. However, this blog will teach you all the reasons with their details. I suggest you continue reading it till you find the exact answer.
About Nissan Armada & Its Honking Mechanism
I guess you already know that this vehicle is a renowned model from Nissan. From its release in the market, people lauded its robust performance, luxurious interiors, and advanced features. Hopefully, you would have also loved these features.
Among all those features, the alert system of Nissan Armada holds a significant place. It can converse with the driver regarding various statuses promptly (source). Thus, the honking alarm is part of the alert system. Even if it honks more than three times, it warns the driver about something he needs to be warned about.
Now, let me discuss the mechanism. The honking alarm works as a system warning or security alert. If it beeps three times, it may refer to leaving the car with the engine running or leaving the door open (source). There are many more things that I will share in the rest part of the blog.
Common Reasons for Three Honks in Nissan Armada
As I already mentioned, honks warn the driver about the vehicle’s instant condition. If you hear your Armada beeping, consider these beeps not random. Different situations can trigger them. Also, they can signify other conditions depending on the context.
The Rear Door Alert (RDA) System
On July 10, 2020, some news was published online that mentioned the RDA system is available in 12 Nissan models (source). It proves how significant this feature is!
However, Nissan of Duncan says it is a safety system or feature of Nissan vehicles. When you park it and turn it off, it alerts you about something left in the back seat (of Armada). You may consider it anything like food, toys, pets, kids, etc.
What to Do:
If you have forgotten to pick them up with you while coming out of the SUV, you will hear three beeps upon exit. Anyway, you can disable RDA temporarily to stop Armada from honking.
There is another way- permanently turning off the feature. You can do it from the menu on the driver’s cluster display. In another way, some models have an RDA switch for easy turn on and off. Please check this discussion thread about turning off the RDA system properly.
The Speed Alert Feature
Another excellent feature of the Nissan Armada is the Speed Alert feature. It allows you to set a speed threshold on the MyNISSAN App or MyNISSAN Owner Portal. Also, you can receive an alert if the vehicle exceeds the established threshold (source).
You will usually be notified by email, text, or push notifications. Also, you may get in-vehicle messages when the speed parameters are exceeded. Surprisingly, you will hear Armada honks besides getting those messages.
What to Do:
As you set a speed threshold, you must have decided to remain within the limits. So, to prevent your Nissan Armada from honking, try to stay within the set speed. Otherwise, the NissanConnect Services app or MyNISSAN Owner Portal are there for this purpose. You can turn on or off the Speed Alert setting on these things.
The Easy-Fill Tire Alert System
Surely, it’s another convenient feature to help the driver quickly and conveniently fill the tires to the correct pressures every time. But they will not need any handheld pressure device or look up the correct tire pressure numbers (source).
This system allows underinflated tires to be filled to the advised pressure in about half the time than using a traditional tire gauge (source). It works when you park the vehicle in a safe location first. Then, you apply the parking brake and leave the ignition on while the engine is turned off.
You will hear the honks when the predetermined tire pressure is reached while filling the tires (source). Now, the question is how many times you will hear the honks. Good, “if you put too much air in the tires, the SUV will honk and turn signals will flash three times…”(source). It indicates that you need to reduce the air pressure inside the tires.
What to Do:
In this case, the honks are beneficial for you! It works as the meter when you should stop pushing air inside the tires. With those three honks, you can fill the tire correctly, not under-inflated or over-inflated.
However, this alert system is not a substitute for regular tire pressure checks. You may need to use a tire pressure gauge if the system fails to work (source).
The Lane Departure Warning (LDW)
The Lane Departure Warning (LDW) alerts the driver with an audible and visual alert if the vehicle drifts off its lane without signaling (source). In simple words, when you drive off-lane, the system will trigger the honks, particularly if you cross the lane markings without signaling (source).
What to Do:
If you remain in the specific lane, you will not hear the three honks (very soft beeps in this case). However, you can turn the feature off permanently. For this, hold down the LDW button for a couple of seconds. You may also check the owner’s manual or contact a qualified professional to diagnose the issue.
Role of the Key Fob
Let me clarify– there is no direct connection between the key fob and the three honks in Armada. But it can be a reason.
For instance, I have found a Reddit post where he said that his 2021 Armada with no mods horn sounds twice or thrice when he leaves the vehicle (source). He got a reply about honking that it happens when the driver goes the keys in the car and locks the door from the outside.
Then again, if your key fob battery is low, Armada’s alert system will notify you by honking three times. It serves as an effective reminder for the owner to replace the key fob battery (source). Another example is if you use key fob to lock or unlock the vehicle, it may cause three honks as a form of confirmation.
What to Do:
Again, these three honks for the key fob are a warning to low battery or leaving the fob inside the car. So, you need to do two things: replace the battery of the key fob and take the fob outside after locking the vehicle.
Other Reasons for 3x Honking in Nissan Armada
Besides the above reasons, you can still hear beeps from Armada. These reasons can be third-row seats, a door that is ajar while driving and a faulty door latch (source).
What to Do:
You can get many tutorial videos on YouTube regarding third-row seats in Armada. Just search for “third-row seats Armada” on the web and see the functions.
In the case of a half-opened door, you can open it or close it fully to avoid hearing the honks. Then, replace the door latch if you find it a faulty one. If the horn is not working, it could be due to a blown fuse (source).
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why does your Armada honk at you?
- The Rear Door Alert (RDA) is the reason to get honks from Nissan Armada. It warns you if you have left something in the back seat, like groceries, pets, kids, etc.
- Why does the Nissan Armada honk six times?
- If your vehicle is off-lane or you leave it without opening the rear door to retrieve any item, put it at the back seat. It is actually the function of the RDA system.
- How to stop an Armada from beeping?
- You can use the MyNISSAN App or MyNISSAN Owner Portal to stop beeping. Please check the vehicle’s user manual or search the web to use the app.
Conclusion
Are you still thinking about “Why does my Nissan Armada honk three times?” I guess you are not! After all, I have spent time discussing the possible reasons for this issue in this blog. In short, the RDA system is the main reason (well, a safety feature) to let you hear beeps.
Besides RDA, there are other reasons, like I said, the Speed alert, Easy-fill Tire alert, and LDW. In this blog, you have also learned about the tasks you must do after hearing the honks. I hope there will be no problem following my suggestions.
And thanks a lot for visiting this blog. Have a nice Nissan day!
