Turning off a Subaru security alarm

[C. Brunner]

I just had to tell this story...

I left my 2003 OBW (H6-3.0) at the local Subaru shop yesterday
afternoon for the cruise control recall and a couple of other, trivial
things. They were really busy, the parking lot was almost full, and
it was near closing time, so I locked the car before I left. (I didn't
know if they would take the time.) I gave them a key, of course.

This morning, I got a call from the shop. They claimed I'd locked the
car with the remote (true), but I'd left them the valet key so they
couldn't move the car (false). They said when they opened the door,
the alarm sounded and the starter was disabled. It's a 60-mile drive
from here and a time-zone difference, so they just wanted me to know
I'd have to drive over there and unlock the car before they could
start working on it.

What's funny about this story is:
1) They just assumed that, because the key I gave them didn't include
a remote fob, it must be a valet key.
2) They didn't know how to turn off the security alarm in a Subaru.
(Put the key in the ignition and turn it on-and-off three times.)

I told the service rep we'd left a *regular* (duplicate) key, and she
protested that the key did not work--using it triggered the alarm and
disabled the starter. I told her we use that key all the time, and it
works fine (except it *does* trigger the alarm if I've locked the car
with the remote). She argued that the key did not work--it would not
start the car. I asked her if she had tried turning the alarm off
before starting the car, and she didn't know what I was talking about.
I had to explain it *twice*--"while alarm is sounding, put key in
ignition, turn it on then off three times...and then the car will
start"-- before she agreed to try it. She said the mechanic hadn't
said anything about that.

Of course, this is the same place where, 3 years ago, the same Subaru
mechanic *insisted* that the climate control buttons on my '98 OBW did
not have lights behind them. He said the buttons were solid, black
plastic and weren't designed to be lighted. (We all know about that
one!).

C. Brunner

 

[GTT]

Of course, this is the same place where, 3 years ago, the same Subaru
mechanic *insisted* that the climate control buttons on my '98 OBW did
not have lights behind them. He said the buttons were solid, black
plastic and weren't designed to be lighted. (We all know about that
one!).

C. Brunner

I suspect that is the same guy who has been telling everyone that their
faulty climate control system is operating per Subaru design. Some places
need to have their 'dealership' lifted, in my opinion.

 

[jeff]

I agree with some dealerships needed to be lifted.

I had a lose tensioner bolt on my australian delivered 1993 gx liberty,
so loose that it would rattle when backing off the throttle, so not
knowing what this rattle was, I took it in for a service and they
claimed it was the exhaust heatshields and charged me for tightening the
heatshields

not long after, i noticed the same noise and called a mate with a 93 GT
Legacy, he managed to spot the problem in about 2 minutes.


sad when heatshields were never loose and had never been touched

I could have lost a belt :/

they also tightened all the nuts on my wheels much tighter than the
desired 45nm, i couldn't get them off even with an extension, it only
suceeded in moving the car backwards, a mate and his old man tried aswell.


i wrote a letter detailing everything and documented and the service
rep, read it a few times and groaned and said bring the car in tomorrow
morning and we'll adjust these things while you wait. it'll take 10 mins.

i went in and they had my car for 45 minutes, mechanic came out and said
in a loud voice infront of everyone OH, THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT
and handed the keys to the service rep who gave me a blank stare.

truely sickened that this happened at a subaru dealership.

 

[jeff]

they also put the oil cap on so tight I had to use multigrips to remove
it with more than 45nm of torque :/

they must have gone crazy with a rattle gun.