Want to save up money by learning how to program Subaru key FOB on your own? We’ve got you covered. Every car owner needs to confront the fact that a key FOB plays a massive role in their day-to-day.
Security is a significant concern that we all need to be aware of, whether it be setting up a key for your vehicle or any other protection.
Here, we’ll explain everything you need to know about keys and how you can program a keyless remote without a scan tool and with one.
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How To Program Subaru Key FOB
What Is a Subaru Key FOB?
A key FOB is a simple device that unlocks and locks your vehicle by pressing a simple button.
These types of keys are super helpful nowadays to remotely set up your vehicle.
In practice, the keyless remote works by using antennas that can be found around your Subaru car.
For the key to work, it needs to be within a certain distance of the desired antenna. Otherwise, it won’t work.
Some of the built-in antennas can be found on both the passenger’s side and the driver’s side.
It can also be found on the back of the vehicle for the rear hatch.
One of the most noticeable features of using a key FOB is that you can also lock and unlock your vehicle’s doors.
Also, Subaru’s new cars allow you to turn off the lights when you lock the car, which is cool to have.
Overall, the Subaru key FOB is an essential and practical key that any Subaru owner needs.
Why You Should Program A Key FOB
Any car owner needs a way to protect their property.
Car thieves have gotten better throughout the years and have found some tricky ways to gain physical access to your vehicle.
Thus, it raises the need for a comfortable way to increase security measures.
Fortunately, protecting your vehicle has gotten a lot easier and more efficient.
With and more companies taking more measures to step up their security levels, we see more sophisticated ways to protect your vehicle each year.
A key FOB is pretty much the backbone of security for any Subaru vehicle out there.
With its modern and sophisticated tools such as a lock button, unlock button, a panic button, and a LED indicator to understand what the key is doing.
Those features are an essential part of your vehicle. Without it, you’d spend more time doing those tasks.
All of that makes programming a key FOB an essential task.
DIY Guide: How To Program a Subaru Key FOB Without a Scan Tool
Setting up a new Subaru key can make a world of difference when locking your vehicle.
However, if you don’t have a scan tool to program it on your own, don’t worry. We’ve got the perfect solution.
Here, we’ll walk you through the steps you need to follow to set up your new key without using a scan tool.
What You Will Need
We’re going to keep it simple by only using a few tools for this job.
- A new key FOB—you can get a new key for the vehicle on either Amazon or eBay.
- A razor—you need to open up the keyless remote as there is a code inside that you need to write down.
- A flathead screwdriver—if you can’t open the key FOB, you might need a screwdriver to get inside.
Have it Cut
If you already got a key for your vehicle, you might have to cut the key for it to fit inside the ignition.
It needs to match the original. Otherwise, it won’t work.
We suggest hitting up a locksmith. Locksmiths know their stuff, so it’s best to get in touch with them for this kind of job.
Open It Up
First and foremost, you need to open up the key FOB. For this, you want to grab your razor and run it along the line of your key.
By doing this, you’ll gain access to the inside of the key. If you can’t get it off with a razor, you might want to use a flathead screwdriver to get in-between.
Once you’ve taken it off, you should see a string of numbers. You want to write down the first set of numbers.
Set Up The Key FOB
After opening the key, you want to sit on the driver’s seat. So, open the door and then close it.
Now grab your key and put it inside the ignition. Here, you want to turn it to the on position ten times.
When you’ve turned the key ten times, you should hear a chime sound coming from the cluster.
When you hear that sound, go ahead and open and close the door. Yet again, you should be able to hear the chime sound.
And so, the countdown begins. Here, you only have 45 seconds to enter the numbers you previously wrote down.
To insert the numbers into the computer, you have to use the lock and unlock buttons on the driver’s side.
Say, for instance, the first number of your string is four; you must press the lock button four times for the number to be recognized by the vehicle.
To move to the next number, you have to press the unlock button.
From there, please open the door and then close it. Next, take off the key, and then proceed to open the door and then close it.
After nearly five seconds, your new programmed key should be working.
And that’s all there is to it. If you’d like to watch a video on this topic, we suggest checking this video out:
How to program Subaru keyless entry keyfob without using a scan tool. – YouTube
DIY Guide: How To Program A Subaru Key FOB With a Scan Tool
Feel like setting up a key FOB without a scan tool is too much pain, and would rather use a scan tool? If so, we got your back.
With a scan tool, you don’t have to manually use the door lock switch to enter the serial number. That said, here are the steps for this simple job:
What You Will Need
Here is what you need to set up a Subaru key FOB:
- A laptop—for the scan tool to work, you need a working laptop. It does not matter what type of laptop you have. As long as you can run Windows, you’re good to go.
- A scan tool—you’re going to need a scan tool to connect your laptop to your vehicle.
- A butter knife or a flathead screwdriver—to open up the key, you need anything small enough to get in-between the key.
Download Subaru SSM III
The only software you need to program your key is the Subaru Select Monitor software.
That’ll allow you to set up the key without pressing the lock and unlock buttons.
Once you’ve downloaded the software, you need to install it and then create a shortcut on your desktop.
Set Up The Scan Tool
After you’ve downloaded the program, you want to configure the scan tool.
For this, you want to hop in the vehicle and then go underneath your car’s steering wheel.
Here, you should see a port. That is where you want to plug it in.
The other side of the USB cable must be connected to your laptop. After that, your PC should pick it up.
Open It Up
Subaru key FOB programming instructions: there is a serial number inside the keyless remote.
That set of numbers will tell the computer that there is a specific key you want to use for your vehicle.
If you turn the key around, you should see a slot across the keyless remote.
Every key is different, so you want to check around until you see that little slot.
Once you’ve found the slot, you want to grab a butter knife and put it inside the slot.
When you’re inside, twist the knife around until you can crack it open.
Program The Key
Here, you want to turn the ignition on. From there, you want to open up the software.
After that, find the option called “integ unit mode.” When you click on it, a window might pop up saying that an error has occurred.
When that happens, you want to click on “ok.”
You should now see a different window with a bunch of options. The only option you care about is the Keyless ID registration.
When you’ve clicked that option, another window should pop up with an input field.
There, you need to enter the serial number of your key. After that, click “ok.”
After entering the ID for your key, you should see a window with the following text: “ID registration completed.”
When you see that text, click on “Cancel,” and then go back to the main menu.
You must now turn the ignition off and then get the key out of the ignition. Your keyless remote should work now.
Subaru Key FOB Cost: What You Need To Know
Programming a simple key can be quite expensive. The average Subaru key FOB replacement cost is about $160 all the way up to $300.
While the keyless remote is priced at $35. If you’re on a budget, you’re clearly better off doing this process on your own.
To program a key on your own, you have to cut the new key FOB to fit inside the ignition.
While the average price for this type of job is quite hard to estimate, you might spend $10 to match the original one.
There is also a self-service key copy at Walmart, which you can use. And it’s also a lot cheaper.
There is another way to program a key, but this one requires a scan tool, and it’s more expensive than the other one.
The average price for a diagnostic tool is about $250.
Subaru makes it very clear that you should not do this process independently and that only authorized dealers can program a new key FOB for your vehicle.
This is not true at all. All you need is a new keyless remote for this job. It barely takes any time, and you don’t need a scan tool for this job.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here, we’ve gathered the most common results about Subaru keys.
Can you reprogram Subaru key FOB?
Yes, you don’t need to take the key to the dealer. You don’t need special tools either for this job. All you need is the new key you want to program.
How do you use a Subaru key FOB?
To open the rear hatch, you need to press the back hatch button.
To unlock your vehicle’s doors, you need to press the middle button, which is the one with the Subaru symbol.
If you want to lock the doors again, you need to press the button with the padlock.
How do I get a replacement key for my Subaru?
There are two ways to get a new key for your Subaru. You could either go to the local dealer or get one from Amazon and set it up on your own.
What happens if a key FOB dies while driving?
If the battery of your keyless FOB were to die, you could press the emergency key release button, which you can find on the back of the key FOB.
After pressing it, you should get your emergency key.
Conclusion
The main thing you have to keep in mind when learning how to program Subaru key FOB is that you have to get used to continually pressing both the lock and unlock buttons on your vehicle.
Those buttons are pretty much like a keyboard as they will allow you to set up the key FOB.
After you get that out of the way, you should be able to program your new key FOB on your own.
For this simple job, you need 5-8 minutes at most, which is a considerably short amount of time considering all the money you save up just by doing this process by yourself.
Does this work the keyless Subies too? Thanks