Hi all! being new to subaru, but having always lusted after 1 i recently bought a 2003 forester xt, automatic, nice clean example and i'm very happy with her..........apart from 1 small issue, sometimes and only sometimes (maybe 2-3 times in a fortnight) she fails to start, all ignition lights come on but nothing, no turning over no nothing, sometimes the hazards will flash and the horn will sound, but removing the key, pressing the button on fob clears this and a few quick turns of the key and she eventually fires into life, i notice the car has a keypad and the code was in the book, which works, as i tried it, but even inputting the car will not allow the car to start, anyone had a similar problem?? or have any idea of what it may be? any advice would greatly appreciated  :D

It may be that you are waiting longer than the allowed 30 secs between unlocking the car and starting it. The immobiliser kicks in at this point, hence seeming dead.

To overcome this (if you take more than 30 secs and it seems dead), just turn they key to the on position, press button on key fob once to override the immobiliser, then turn to ignition position to fire her up as normal.

Job done [emoji6]

Took me a few days to realise this too, so your not alone mate

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Yeah, cheers for the reply, unfortunately it doesn't appear to make a difference to whether she starts up or not, generally i manage to start her within the permitted 30 seconds, if not then i press the button on the fob, to override the imobilizer, however, if she's having 1 of her 'fits' then she just won't start, only thing that appears to work is key on/off several times or lock/unlock then try again! gets the blood boiling when she's playing up!! 

hmmmm, that souds like an imobilizer antenna fault i'v had heard of on the Kia Sorento forum as i had a Sorento at some point in my life, now this is only guessing on my side,

 

david is spot on as that's how the cat1 alarm works, it took me also a couple times and then reading the alarm booklet.

 

anyway, do you have any other keys on your keyring?

immobiizer antenna fault? where might i find that? there are other keys on the keyring, maybe 5-6 but just house keys etc, I have another fob that came with the car, but it doesn't seem to work, infact both fobs have only 1 button, do you think these are original fobs or cheap copies, i have my doubts... <_<

My fobs only have 1 button so probably genuine ones

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yep, yep, that's correct, only one button open/close

@OP; do you have any doc about the alarm with the car?

 

keys can be re-programmed to work, this is written in the alarm manual

 

the antenna is integrated in the ring around the ignition key house. now i really don't know if this is your issue as i have no experience with Subaru. when i had my Sorento there were some bad antenna batches causing these problems you describe and replacing them sorted it.

 

if needed i can scan my alarm manual so you can try to re-program both keys but you WILL need the code what the alarm installer worte on a piece of paper.

what about the batteries of both keys?

ah yeah thats the key, unfortunately this morning i went shopping in town,when i returned to the car it point blank refuses to start, nothing, fob appears to be worikng, doing everything its meant to do, just car wont start!! damn thing!!! 

My 05 xt does exactly the same, when I bought it I was told you have to press the button on the key whilst turning it ??? If I dont the alarm goes off. Also my key only unlocks and locks the car if I put the key next to the windscreen, even with new batteries, any ideas??

the only hng i can think off the top of my head, reciever antenna inside the car?

 

i will have search to see where it's located.

i did had a search in the service manual but cannot really find info about the remote key antenna location. the only thng i did find is the immobilizer antenna what  sits around the keycylinder.

 

in my previous vehicle, Kia Sorento, i could find a small antenna visual when the radio head was removed.

 

the keyless module is located behind the Glove Box, wurth to have a look at the connecters

Fault finally diagnosed............................a loose negative terminal on the battery................crazy, all that stress and a couple of turns of a spanner and hey ho everything is as it should be! just goes to show you don't over complicate things, sometimes its the simplest things.

good call! glad you sorted it in the end.

 

i must say that with a bit of corrosion on the bolt / nut of that battery clamp it's easy to get loose.