Procedure for the Outback -- I tried 5 times before it works, so be patient: First, note that the Outback's Rear-Lock Button is a little plastic bump at the back on the right side near the edge (right of the Lift-Gate button). Since the following procedure is time-critical, it's a good idea to tape-mark the button so you don't waste time fumbling. Preparation 1. Open driver door, turn door latch forward to close all doors. 2. Close door, and within 5 seconds: walk to the back, press and hold Lock-button (on fob) down while pressing down the Rear-Lock-button for more than 5 seconds. A chirp will sound. 3. Press the Unlock-button (on Fob) to stop the Chirp. PIN Registration (write down your 5-digit PIN code on paper to avoid confusion) 1. Press the Rear-Lock-button 3 times. 2. After the Buzzer-ding, enter a PIN-digit by pressing on the Rear-Lock-button the number of times represented by the digit--Not sure if zero means no button pressing. 3. Repeat #2 four more times to enter all 5 digits in the desired sequence. 4. Within 30” after the intermittent-buzzing starts, repeat steps 1, 2, 3 again to confirm the code Testing PIN-code access 1. Close all doors 2. Wrap access fob in aluminum foil and keep it in your pocket 3. Enter PIN-code on the Rear-Lock-button 4. Verify if the driver door can be opened. Using the PIN-code access: 1. Wrap access fob in aluminum foil and hide it in car 2. Close all doors with the door latch button 3. Walk away. 4. On coming back, enter your registered 5-digit PIN-code on the Rear-Lock-button. 5. Open door, get the access fob and unwrap the aluminum foil. I have PIN-access just in case the fob is accidentally left inside the locked car. I don't trust it enough to routinely/intentionally lock the fob inside the car :)
Thanks for making this video. I have a 2016 WRX and the owner manual kept showing that I had to use the "Trunk UNLOCK" button on the keyfob and not the actual button at the trunk. After viewing this video I was able to program the PIN on my car. I like this method better than using the driver door method. This is helpful for when I go surfing since I'll be able to leave the keyfob in the trunk.
Morey Brown Agreed. You would think they would be able to integrate a feature like this into the infotainment system. At least to program and even to disable the proximity on the FOB when you want to use it.
Planet Subaru....seems like the directions and video is clear. I can't even get past the disabling the proximity / smart key lock/ unlock feature. Which seems like three easy steps. 1. Open Door. 2. Move lock forward. 3. Hold down Lock and Trunk button for 5 seconds / wait for beep. Mine doesn't beep. How could I be getting this wrong?
Rokyan, it's a little tricky to program. Took us a few tries to figure it out. It's hard to troubleshoot via youtube comment. I suggest you bring it back to your dealer to have them show you how to do it. For example, at Planet Subaru, we have product experts who specialize in various technologies and can show our buyers how to use all the features.
.. when I asked my dealership they rolled their eyes like "oh no, not that ..". One support person flat out said she recommends NOT doing it. Another finally got it set w/ the help of the manual and 1/2 hour of attempts. Worked a while, something got reset, code no longer worked, now I can't get it re-programmed. Back to dealership.
Thanks for this video, I just got a used 2015 Outback and this was helpful. I don't know if I'll do the PIN programming but I do want to disable the proximity opening. I suppose some people might like that feature, I prefer a car that only unlocks when I explicitly tell it. Maybe I'll change my mind now that I have the option but I doubt it.
hello can not disable proximity access nor install pin on my subaru legacy 2017/limited.Combination of buttons on key fob not working.Any suggestion why?
I dislike fobs on principle. Is there a wallet-size device (say, like a credit card) one can use in lieu of a fob? or a chipped (slim) key? Keyless entry sounds interesting, but only if I can put something on my keychain (small) or in my wallet (smaller).
It's a nice feature i suppose.. Seems quite a lot of steps just to be able to not bring your key with you... Think they should rethink this, or maybe take a page out of fords book and have a key pad on the door or something..
This video is not correct! When programming the pin code, do NOT hit the lock button one more time! Once the chirping starts hit the UNLOCK button and MOVE the fob away from the car and then input your code AND it needs to inputted TWICE - also omitted from the video. Second, you cannot disable the FOB until you have programmed the car! The video erroneously shows first shows disabling followed by inputting the pin code. Thank goodness for the Subaru forum. Please correct this video or take it down.
Gina, good catch. We added an annotation to the video about the lock/unlock button (he clicked the unlock button but said "lock."). Planet Subaru customers receive help on programming when they take delivery. For those who bought elsewhere, we encourage them to visit their selling dealer so they don't have to stand in their driveway getting frustrated!
Off topic question.....is there anyway to make the security indicator light stop blinking? I know that new cars on the lot don't blink, and I'm thinking the salesman would have to do something to make it start blinking. Maybe there is a way to undo that?
Can you simply disable the proximity sensor and use a metal manual key via the door? This would allow you to take the metal key with you while swimming or whatever....
How do you disable the motion lockout on the nav system? When on the highway, you can not look for anything - have to use my phone's Google Maps - kinda defeats the purpose! The voice navigation is completely useless on the road, and nearly so standing still.
Yeah, it's annoying and there's no way we know to disable it, which is frustrating when you have have a passenger available to operate it safely. However, too many people just can't help themselves...seems like every day we see somebody next to us on the highway going 65mph texting and driving. Even if only 1% of people would abuse the privilege, Subaru sells 600,000 cars a year nowadays...do the math...
I have a 2015 Outback and have been doing the keyless entry for 7 years now for when I go surfing and leave my fob in the car. It’s worked great up until a couple weeks ago. Now when I haven’t driven my car for say a day and I try to start it, somehow the proximity feature on the fob is somehow automatically disabled and I can’t start my car. But I never manually disabled in the first place so I have no idea how that happened. It’s really buggy. Does anyone know how to reset the electrical system? Maybe that’ll fix it. Thanks.
Have you replaced the remote battery recently? Also, no promises, but when all else fails you can disconnect the car battery for an hour and try again after reconnecting. Otherwise, it sounds like a tricky problem to diagnose.
Part of the Keyless Access System, it's optional only on Limited models...you can get it in a package with navigation and moonroof or a package with navigation, moonroof, and Eyesight.
Update. I got it to work. I didn't do anything different but take the key out of the fob and put it back in. It then worked....not sure why but it works now. Happy.
Ford has been doing this since the 90's - i'm pleasantly surprised to see another manufacturer finally add this feature, but i have to admit this one button number input is terrible. I'm currently a ford owner and I use the keypad unlock all the time, i love it - quick, easy and like you said in the video, very handy to lock everything in your car. Subaru should have put on a regular keypad instead of having to press the button 8 times to represent the number 8, etc - it's much slower - not to mention the button is all the way at the trunk instead of the driver door. Thank you though for posting how this works, i'm very interested in the new outback's and you guys are the first to show this feature in action.
Bradley, yeah, Ford's system was pretty nifty if not very aesthetically appealing. While you don't get the Ford keypad, Subaru added this feature with essentially no cost (it's just a programming solution within the power lock system) so it's basically free. It's good in a pinch.
The video is not very clear when it comes to programing the Outback, you do NOT need to disable the proximity feature. The button used to program the pin is located just to the right of the button used to open the lift gate this is the button you use to perform the procedure along with the key fob, once I figured this out it was very easy! I recommend writing down a 5 digit # and refer to it when you are programing the code it will help you keep track of what step you are on when you are putting in the number you will need to enter the code a second time to confirm the correct code hope this helps
I don't see myself ever using that PIN feature. I've never been in a situation where I couldn't bring my keys somewhere. I'd rather carry the key, so that when I'm back at the car, I just open the door and drive off, instead of tapping on the keypad like I'm doing Morse code.
This information might be correct for Legacy, but this is a wrong information for Outback. You guys should check before posted on youtube and don't be giving out wrong informations. Outback has two buttons, one to open rear gate and other one for PIN code.
why couldn't this be programmed through the infotainment system and requires all this confused procedure?things are supposed to getting easier and not complicated as the years pass by..but in anyways this is a great feature...really helps a lot..
Planet Subaru If I may interject. I recently bought a 2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R with Eyesight. The infotainment settings does allow you to change the operation of the locks. For example you can change unlocking ALL of the doors by using the driver side handle. So it's incorrect to say that the infotainment system is not tied into the locking system. However I still really appreciate the video and Planet Subaru's effort to educate Subaru owners and prospective buyers.
+mav vasilas I love the car. The build quality is fantastic. The quality of interior materials is great. I truly believe that this is the best vehicle I've ever owned. Ride is extremely quiet. We had a fairly substantial winter, here in Maryland, and I always felt confident and secure because of how the AWD system handled the snow.
Procedure for the Outback -- I tried 5 times before it works, so be patient:
First, note that the Outback's Rear-Lock Button is a little plastic bump at the back on the right side near the edge (right of the Lift-Gate button). Since the following procedure is time-critical, it's a good idea to tape-mark the button so you don't waste time fumbling.
Preparation
1. Open driver door, turn door latch forward to close all doors.
2. Close door, and within 5 seconds: walk to the back, press and hold Lock-button (on fob) down while pressing down the Rear-Lock-button for more than 5 seconds. A chirp will sound.
3. Press the Unlock-button (on Fob) to stop the Chirp.
PIN Registration (write down your 5-digit PIN code on paper to avoid confusion)
1. Press the Rear-Lock-button 3 times.
2. After the Buzzer-ding, enter a PIN-digit by pressing on the Rear-Lock-button the number of times represented by the digit--Not sure if zero means no button pressing.
3. Repeat #2 four more times to enter all 5 digits in the desired sequence.
4. Within 30” after the intermittent-buzzing starts, repeat steps 1, 2, 3 again to confirm the code
Testing PIN-code access
1. Close all doors
2. Wrap access fob in aluminum foil and keep it in your pocket
3. Enter PIN-code on the Rear-Lock-button
4. Verify if the driver door can be opened.
Using the PIN-code access:
1. Wrap access fob in aluminum foil and hide it in car
2. Close all doors with the door latch button
3. Walk away.
4. On coming back, enter your registered 5-digit PIN-code on the Rear-Lock-button.
5. Open door, get the access fob and unwrap the aluminum foil.
I have PIN-access just in case the fob is accidentally left inside the locked car. I don't trust it enough to routinely/intentionally lock the fob inside the car :)
Thanks for making this video. I have a 2016 WRX and the owner manual kept showing that I had to use the "Trunk UNLOCK" button on the keyfob and not the actual button at the trunk. After viewing this video I was able to program the PIN on my car. I like this method better than using the driver door method. This is helpful for when I go surfing since I'll be able to leave the keyfob in the trunk.
Great Video. I did not known my outback has this function. It is very useful. Thank you.
Great feature. Ridiculously complex interface.
Morey Brown
Agreed. You would think they would be able to integrate a feature like this into the infotainment system. At least to program and even to disable the proximity on the FOB when you want to use it.
Planet Subaru....seems like the directions and video is clear. I can't even get past the disabling the proximity / smart key lock/ unlock feature. Which seems like three easy steps. 1. Open Door. 2. Move lock forward. 3. Hold down Lock and Trunk button for 5 seconds / wait for beep. Mine doesn't beep. How could I be getting this wrong?
Rokyan, it's a little tricky to program. Took us a few tries to figure it out. It's hard to troubleshoot via youtube comment. I suggest you bring it back to your dealer to have them show you how to do it. For example, at Planet Subaru, we have product experts who specialize in various technologies and can show our buyers how to use all the features.
.. when I asked my dealership they rolled their eyes like "oh no, not that ..". One support person flat out said she recommends NOT doing it. Another finally got it set w/ the help of the manual and 1/2 hour of attempts. Worked a while, something got reset, code no longer worked, now I can't get it re-programmed. Back to dealership.
Thanks for this video, I just got a used 2015 Outback and this was helpful. I don't know if I'll do the PIN programming but I do want to disable the proximity opening. I suppose some people might like that feature, I prefer a car that only unlocks when I explicitly tell it. Maybe I'll change my mind now that I have the option but I doubt it.
hello can not disable proximity access nor install pin on my subaru
legacy 2017/limited.Combination of buttons on key fob not working.Any
suggestion why?
I dislike fobs on principle. Is there a wallet-size device (say, like a credit card) one can use in lieu of a fob? or a chipped (slim) key? Keyless entry sounds interesting, but only if I can put something on my keychain (small) or in my wallet (smaller).
The point is to do what ever you want and have nothing on you. Including a slim card or a key set
It's a nice feature i suppose.. Seems quite a lot of steps just to be able to not bring your key with you... Think they should rethink this, or maybe take a page out of fords book and have a key pad on the door or something..
Ford trademarked it. That's why Subaru didn't do the obvious.
Yea my ford is so much better
Thank you so much for showing this! Does this work on the XV?
...Just tried it, didn't work for the XV. :(
This video is not correct! When programming the pin code, do NOT hit the lock button one more time! Once the chirping starts hit the UNLOCK button and MOVE the fob away from the car and then input your code AND it needs to inputted TWICE - also omitted from the video.
Second, you cannot disable the FOB until you have programmed the car! The video erroneously shows first shows disabling followed by inputting the pin code. Thank goodness for the Subaru forum.
Please correct this video or take it down.
Gina, good catch. We added an annotation to the video about the lock/unlock button (he clicked the unlock button but said "lock."). Planet Subaru customers receive help on programming when they take delivery. For those who bought elsewhere, we encourage them to visit their selling dealer so they don't have to stand in their driveway getting frustrated!
Off topic question.....is there anyway to make the security indicator light stop blinking? I know that new cars on the lot don't blink, and I'm thinking the salesman would have to do something to make it start blinking. Maybe there is a way to undo that?
+JP Boston82 Why would you want to?!
+Planet Subaru i have my reasons
Can you simply disable the proximity sensor and use a metal manual key via the door? This would allow you to take the metal key with you while swimming or whatever....
Yes, the little metal key insert is all it takes to open the door mechanically.
Pretty cool if it worked. I followed the book instructions and these instructions to a T. NOT WORKING. Any help?
How do you disable the motion lockout on the nav system? When on the highway, you can not look for anything - have to use my phone's Google Maps - kinda defeats the purpose! The voice navigation is completely useless on the road, and nearly so standing still.
Yeah, it's annoying and there's no way we know to disable it, which is frustrating when you have have a passenger available to operate it safely. However, too many people just can't help themselves...seems like every day we see somebody next to us on the highway going 65mph texting and driving. Even if only 1% of people would abuse the privilege, Subaru sells 600,000 cars a year nowadays...do the math...
I have a 2015 Outback and have been doing the keyless entry for 7 years now for when I go surfing and leave my fob in the car. It’s worked great up until a couple weeks ago. Now when I haven’t driven my car for say a day and I try to start it, somehow the proximity feature on the fob is somehow automatically disabled and I can’t start my car. But I never manually disabled in the first place so I have no idea how that happened. It’s really buggy. Does anyone know how to reset the electrical system? Maybe that’ll fix it. Thanks.
Have you replaced the remote battery recently? Also, no promises, but when all else fails you can disconnect the car battery for an hour and try again after reconnecting. Otherwise, it sounds like a tricky problem to diagnose.
Thanks for all the great videos! On a 2015 Outback what package would this be included in? #23?
Part of the Keyless Access System, it's optional only on Limited models...you can get it in a package with navigation and moonroof or a package with navigation, moonroof, and Eyesight.
Update. I got it to work. I didn't do anything different but take the key out of the fob and put it back in. It then worked....not sure why but it works now. Happy.
Ford has been doing this since the 90's - i'm pleasantly surprised to see another manufacturer finally add this feature, but i have to admit this one button number input is terrible. I'm currently a ford owner and I use the keypad unlock all the time, i love it - quick, easy and like you said in the video, very handy to lock everything in your car. Subaru should have put on a regular keypad instead of having to press the button 8 times to represent the number 8, etc - it's much slower - not to mention the button is all the way at the trunk instead of the driver door. Thank you though for posting how this works, i'm very interested in the new outback's and you guys are the first to show this feature in action.
Bradley, yeah, Ford's system was pretty nifty if not very aesthetically appealing. While you don't get the Ford keypad, Subaru added this feature with essentially no cost (it's just a programming solution within the power lock system) so it's basically free. It's good in a pinch.
If Ford had not trademarked the key pad, everybody would be doing it. They're just assholes about it (smart).
The video is not very clear when it comes to programing the Outback, you do NOT need to disable the proximity feature.
The button used to program the pin is located just to the right of the button used to open the lift gate this is the button you use to perform the procedure along with the key fob, once I figured this out it was very easy!
I recommend writing down a 5 digit # and refer to it when you are programing the code it will help you keep track of what step you are on when you are putting in the number you will need to enter the code a second time to confirm the correct code
hope this helps
So how can you lock the fob in the car? How do you lock it with the proximity feature enabled with the fob inside the car?
We explain that at 2:34. Alternately, if you want a hack, just wrap it in aluminum foil.
Is this the same procedure for the new 2020 outback onyx?
Find out here: www.planetsubaru.com/subaru-owners-manual.htm
I don't see myself ever using that PIN feature. I've never been in a situation where I couldn't bring my keys somewhere. I'd rather carry the key, so that when I'm back at the car, I just open the door and drive off, instead of tapping on the keypad like I'm doing Morse code.
I know its been 4 years but... if you ever go to the beach, it would be helpful.
thanks mate, that was really helpful
This information might be correct for Legacy, but this is a wrong information for Outback. You guys should check before posted on youtube and don't be giving out wrong informations. Outback has two buttons, one to open rear gate and other one for PIN code.
But how do I lock the door once the key is in there?
You lock all the doors using the master switch on the inside driver door and then close the door.
why couldn't this be programmed through the infotainment system and requires all this confused procedure?things are supposed to getting easier and not complicated as the years pass by..but in anyways this is a great feature...really helps a lot..
Planet Subaru If I may interject. I recently bought a 2015 Subaru Outback 3.6R with Eyesight. The infotainment settings does allow you to change the operation of the locks. For example you can change unlocking ALL of the doors by using the driver side handle. So it's incorrect to say that the infotainment system is not tied into the locking system. However I still really appreciate the video and Planet Subaru's effort to educate Subaru owners and prospective buyers.
Marlon Hester
i am willing to buy this car but a diesel version. what do you think of your car? apart from the engine..
+mav vasilas
I love the car. The build quality is fantastic. The quality of interior materials is great. I truly believe that this is the best vehicle I've ever owned. Ride is extremely quiet. We had a fairly substantial winter, here in Maryland, and I always felt confident and secure because of how the AWD system handled the snow.
Marlon Hester
thanx a lot!!!
2:30
This is absolutely ridiculous! The car is wonderful but to do this BS in order program the code is absurd..