Fix Police Lights / Siren Issues in FiveM
If your police lights are in the wrong position, invisible, or behaving incorrectly, the issue is almost always related to a Siren ID conflict.
Each vehicle uses a unique Siren ID that controls how emergency lights behave. If two vehicles share the same ID, it causes glitches like broken light placement or missing sirens.
Why This Happens
FiveM does not prevent duplicate Siren IDs. When multiple vehicles use the same ID, the game mixes their configurations.
This results in:
- Lights appearing in the wrong position
- Invisible sirens
- Broken lighting patterns
Step-by-Step Fix
1. Open carcols.meta
Go into your vehicle resource folder and navigate to:
data/carcols.meta
Search for the Sirens section. At the top, you will see something like this:
<Sirens>
<Item>
<id value="11111111"/>
Change this ID to a random unused number. Use 6 to 9 digits.
Example:
<id value="83927461"/>
2. Copy the New ID
Copy the exact number you just created. You will need it in the next file.
3. Open carvariations.meta
Navigate to:
data/carvariations.meta
Search for this line:
<sirenSettings value="456423452" />
4. Replace the ID
Replace the value with the same ID you used in carcols.meta.
<sirenSettings value="83927461" />
5. Save Both Files
Make sure both files are saved correctly before restarting your server.
6. Restart Your Server
Restart your server or run:
refresh
ensure your_vehicle
7. Test In-Game
Spawn the vehicle and check if the lights are now correctly positioned and working.
If It Still Doesn't Work
- Try another random ID
- Make sure no other vehicle uses the same ID
- Double-check both files use the exact same number
Best Practices
- Use unique Siren IDs for every custom vehicle
- Keep a list of used IDs for your server
- Avoid reusing IDs across different packs
Conclusion
The Siren ID bug is one of the most common FiveM issues, but also one of the easiest to fix. Once you understand how IDs work, you can resolve lighting problems in under 2 minutes.
