Collected my car back from the garage last Wednesday after it being in for 3 weeks and the battery was almost empty, there was just enough to be able to use the alarm keyfob to gain entry but absolutely zero from the ignition. I got them to use a battery booster pack to get me started and all seemed ok.

Between Wed and Fri I must have drove at least 80 miles going to work and back. Been away this weekend so car has been on driveway from Friday lunchtime until Monday 6:30am. Was leaving for work and can't even get into the car, keyfob not working, keyfob battery is fine. Decided against trying to gain manual entry for fear of the alarm going off, not good at 6:30am!

My problem is that I only have 1 key for the car and I don't know the alarm PIN code (pin console inside money tray), oh and the car is a 52 plate STI v8.

Does anyone know whether I will be able to gain entry using the keys later and be able to start with jump leads? Will the keys still work if the battery is dead? Will I have problems getting the keys re-coded if so? I guess I will need to get in touch with Subaru for a new PIN code?

Arghhh, bl00dy cars!

 

dipster

 

May I also suggest that you get a decent car battery, halfords sell a good calcium battery.HCB005 is the one.

dipster

 

Hi Dipster,

Thanks for the quick reply. I thought you needed the existing PIN code in order to change it? From what I can recall from the user manual you enter a key sequence then the exisiting code and then enter the new code twice for verification.

Thanks

Paul

 

ps. Are subaru batteries really that bad? I've read a number of threads saying that there are problems, is the Halfords HCB005 really that much better?

 

Changing the pin is easy if you have a fob.you don't need the old pin.
Yep the std batteries are bad, changed mine last summer to the halfords one and had a trouble free winter last year.

dipster

 

Any chance you could tell me the steps required to change the alarm PIN? I did think about doing this when I first got the car but from what I read in the user guide it stated I needed the existing PIN code and hence I stopped there because I didn't know it. It would be much appreciated if you could tell me how to change the PIN without the existing code

 

Check your PM m8.

dipster

 

Cheers Dave, you're a life saver! And thanks for the advice for the battery too.

Yet again ScoobyNet comes to the rescue!

 

Scoobynet at its best

Dipster

 

I got a Bosch 6DA battery from Costco for about £35.00 has 4 year warranty and the car hasn't had a problem since. The OEM white battery with the black top are crap.

Andy.