I have a 2000 Forester that had the factory security system fail years ago. But everything else still worked, so I did not worry about it. Most of what I am describing happened years ago, so hopefully I am remebering it correctly. Some time later I started having a slow drain on the battery when the car was not run for a while. I took it to the dealer, and they could not find the problem. The problem continued, but as long as I drove it frequently, or used a charger if it sat for a while, all was fine. But then one day the battery was totally dead after sitting for a couple days. This time the dealer said the problem was the security system (which was not working, but apparently still draining the battery). They said they would disconnect it and that should solve the problem. It seemed to fix it.
Fast forward to 2023. The slow drain was back. I took it to the local dealer (a different one), and they could not find the problem. When I got the vehicle back, I noticed that the security system LED was blinking when I used the keyless entry to lock the doors. It had not done that since they disconnected it years ago. I asked the dealer about it, and they were vague on what they did. I asked them if they could disconnect the security system again, but they claimed it would also deactivate the keyless entry. Although that differs from what the other dealer did (keyless entry still worked, security system LED never flashed), I did not feel like arguing with them.
Now, a few months later, the fast drain on the battery is back. I am in another city, so no taking it back to the previous dealer, and I would prefer to fix it myself this time. I'm wondering if there are 2 problems. The fast drain seems to be the security system, but I wonder if the slow drain is the keyless entry system. I'd like to learn how to disconnect both of them, preferably separately so I can try to isolate the problem, but if they must be disconnected together, so be it.
How do I disconnect the security system? How do I disconnect the keyless entry? Can I just pull some fuses? Or will I need to get into some wiring harnesses?
Does anyone know where I can download a Service Manual for a 2000 Forester that might help me figure out how to disconnect them?
Fast forward to 2023. The slow drain was back. I took it to the local dealer (a different one), and they could not find the problem. When I got the vehicle back, I noticed that the security system LED was blinking when I used the keyless entry to lock the doors. It had not done that since they disconnected it years ago. I asked the dealer about it, and they were vague on what they did. I asked them if they could disconnect the security system again, but they claimed it would also deactivate the keyless entry. Although that differs from what the other dealer did (keyless entry still worked, security system LED never flashed), I did not feel like arguing with them.
Now, a few months later, the fast drain on the battery is back. I am in another city, so no taking it back to the previous dealer, and I would prefer to fix it myself this time. I'm wondering if there are 2 problems. The fast drain seems to be the security system, but I wonder if the slow drain is the keyless entry system. I'd like to learn how to disconnect both of them, preferably separately so I can try to isolate the problem, but if they must be disconnected together, so be it.
How do I disconnect the security system? How do I disconnect the keyless entry? Can I just pull some fuses? Or will I need to get into some wiring harnesses?
Does anyone know where I can download a Service Manual for a 2000 Forester that might help me figure out how to disconnect them?