If it were me I would try every sequence in turn and ensure that I am sat in the drivers seat with all doors and boot/bonnet closed. Sometimes its a case of trying different variables and seeing if the outcome changes Please let us know how you get on with it all

Hi, my 2006 Forester is totally immobilsed. Been off road for a couple of months, and was turning it over until the very cold snap a few weeks ago, battery died. It needs to go for MOT but will move on to my property and SORN (not an issue). Car is immobilised but I can gain entry by key. Central locking does not work remotely by fob. Ive put a brand new car battery in. The car was completely without power for a few weeks. New batteries in both original fobs. Windows and lights work. On insertion of key in ignition, indicators flash rapidly and alarm will trigger after 30 seconds, can only turn off alarm by turning off ignition. I have original silver key code stickers. The code might have been changed by previous owner - I had no need to use before battery change. I believe the alarm is a Thatcham sigma system with the multifunction keypad and i have original Subaru paperwork including ECU serial no. Its a second vehicle bought because of memories of another Forester years before and has generally been reliable, and body is in great condition as is interior but probably not worth a lot, and nothing in current state so I just need to understand costs to balance whether it is economically viable to fix this issue before I start other work - and how to/what do I do next? Local-ish auto locksmith doesnt want to touch Subaru and another wont give any estimate before arrival. Im in a town with no nearby Subaru specialist. Can you advise how to reset keyfobs/code to immobiliser and alarm / solve the problem? Thanks in advance.

It a pretty simple circuit in terms of modern auto electrics,, you either got electrical pulse at the lock when activated or you haven't . If you have then it tailgate latch side issue, if you haven't it fuse/wiring/relay/module/button related . 5 minutes with a multimeter and a basic scan tool should give enough data narrow down area to investigate further ... Latch actuator and button are quite common failures on these . This the problem with all this electrical crap on modern vehicles, mechanical principles of boot release/opening far better, lasts pretty much forever, less parts thus less environmental impact & if did get an issue it generally easier/cheaper visual inspection and adjustment/repair . Move onto something like a Tesla which rammed full of pointless low quality electronics and software and purposefully engineered barriers for diag/repair options and the drama and cost is literally insane ... Point here is buy vehicles with a lot of thought and take a lot more thought on how you spend money trying get repairs ... Don't assume newer is less maintenance and hassle as in my workshop reality is newer it is the more goes wrong and the more ballache and more cost to resolve it ...

My first thought would be wiring from the car coming through to the tailgate which is encased in a rubber gaitor. What tends to happen is when the tailgate is opened and closed it bends the wires to the point that they break. If this has occurred it is difficult sometimes to see it where it is located but you can also test for continuity with a multimeter. Also, if some wiring shorted out then possibly check all the fuses to see if any have popped. Also, check for all earth points leading to and from the tailgate for corrosion.

I would start with removing the bonnet switch, cleaning and examining it - test with a multimeter that there is continuity when opened/closed and also the connections for dirt, corrosion, etc. If all else fails then bypassing will work, but not sure how many thieves would pop the bonnet which they still have to enter the car to release so its not a major thing in reality.