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My 2016 Outback refused to start. Help?

6K views 19 replies 13 participants last post by  Rogier 
#1 ·
Something odd happened yesterday. Had my Outback, with push-button start, parked, with me inside, waiting for a restaurant takeout order. I had turned off the car completely but within a minute decided to roll down the windows a bit, so: with my foot OFF the brake, I pressed the start-stop button twice. This turns on the electrical system but not the engine. A/C was off, as was the head unit.

After 10 minutes, I went inside he restaurant to pick up the order, then got ready to drive away. I pressed the start-stop button to turn OFF the car, then put my foot on the brake and pressed the same button to start the car.

Hmm. The starter engine turned over, I heard the engine come on, the RPMs revved in the normal fashion — and after about two, three seconds, the engine shut itself off.

Did it again. Same results. Four, five times in a row: engine comes on, shuts off.

I called the dealership to talk to the service manager and when I got her on the phone (after maybe four minutes), I told her what was happening and went through the same sequence again — except that now, of course, the engine started, albeit with a slight hesitancy.

The service manager could not explain the miss-starts, and neither can I. I am inclined to blame the battery, which is notoriously weak for a largish vehicle like the 5th-gen Outback...but if I had nearly drained the battery by sitting there with the power on for 10-12 minutes, why would the engine actually start and then immediately shut down? Why, after multiple failed attempts, would the car finally start for real after four, five minutes' pause?

Ideas? Thank you!
 
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#3 ·
Immobilizer?

On page 3-29 of the Owners Manual, there's a reference to a similar sequence in relation to the Immobilizer system "Security" light :

For models with “keyless access with
push-button start system”

. . . .
Immediately after the driver’s door is
opened or closed when all of the following
conditions are met.
– The push-button ignition switch is in
the “ON” or “ACC” position.
– The access key is outside the
vehicle.
– The engine is not running.
– In the event that an unauthorized
key is used (for example, the key is
unregistered or the ID code does not
match), the power is not switched to
“ON” and the security indicator light
continues blinking.


My suspicion is that leaving the car with the ignition On and taking the keyless fob with you triggered a theft-prevention routine. Returning to the car with the fob then required repeating the off-start routine several times to clear the immobilizer.

I wonder if you try the exact same sequence of events, does the same thing happen, suggesting it's a particular function and not something random or a fault.

The battery wasn't run down if each time you tried to start the engine, it started and ran normally for several seconds, but then turned off. That's typical of the immobilizer.
 
#5 ·
Had something similar happen

About three weeks ago a similar thing happened to us. We have a 2015 2.5 Limited. After about a 120 mile drive we got to our destination and parked. Turned the car off, got out, locked it and went about our business. I know it was fully off and neither fob was left in the car.

We returned about 20 to 30 minutes later. The car started right up, RPM went to idle but then died. It happened two more times. The fourth time I kept my foot on the accelerator for 10 or 15 seconds to keep the RPM up. When I lifted my foot it stayed running and we've had no problem since.

I'll mention it the next time I go to the dealer. I doubt if they can do anything unless there have been other similar incidents and they know what is causing it. At least I'll be on record.
 
G
#7 ·
About three weeks ago a similar thing happened to us. We have a 2015 2.5 Limited. After about a 120 mile drive we got to our destination and parked. Turned the car off, got out, locked it and went about our business. I know it was fully off and neither fob was left in the car.

We returned about 20 to 30 minutes later. The car started right up, RPM went to idle but then died. It happened two more times. The fourth time I kept my foot on the accelerator for 10 or 15 seconds to keep the RPM up. When I lifted my foot it stayed running and we've had no problem since.

I'll mention it the next time I go to the dealer. I doubt if they can do anything unless there have been other similar incidents and they know what is causing it. At least I'll be on record.
The car stores fault codes. Take it to the dealer and have them look at and document them.
 
#9 ·
This was the same issue I had with my BMW. It would start and then die. Happened with my X3 and then most frequently my 330. Both were traced down to a bad battery.

Guess when a car starts it draws a ton to power all of the systems. Probably why short trips will kill batteries too.

Im not sure what the threshold for Subaru's are but I know on BMWs the alternator doesn't go on full charge until it's nearly warmed up.
 
#12 ·
No dice. The fuse box connector that the dealer had surmised was the culprit was in fact clean and firmly seated. The Outback was returned to me without anything having been done to it, because neither the dealer nor I were able to replicate the problem.

I did get a free car wash out of it. Ha.

Waiting to hear back (on Monday) about any fault codes that may have been pulled.
 
#13 ·
I had a similar problem back in January

"Last night I parked my car waiting to meet someone, turned off the car and put it in accessory, and listened to the radio for about 15-20 min. When I went to start it, I'd hit the start button, car would start, engine would rev up slightly like normal(maybe 1000rpm?) before settling on idle, but instead of idling, it would fall of and die. Did this multiple times over a 20 minute span. In this time, I called STARLINK to get a tow truck coming, turned off the car and tried restarting, and eventually on a whim decided to try using my remote start. Got out, locked the doors, and hit the remote start. It started, and stayed running. Open the door, died(like normal), hit the start button and it stayed running. Drove home, and shut it off, started right back up no problem. No more problems. Took it to Subaru first thing this morning and told them about the problem, they couldn't get it to do it.

I'm guessing it was a security problem, or something related to a sensor. "

Someone said it may have been because of my wife having her key with her as well, that there may be a "power struggle" between the keys
 
#18 ·
Someone said it may have been because of my wife having her key with her as well, that there may be a "power struggle" between the keys
You and I had exactly the same thing happen, but in my case the second key certainly wasn't a factor, as there was only one key in or around the car. Key number two was on its hook, at home, 120 miles away...
 
#14 ·
Two observations on the cases reported above. It appears that after at least three tries, the engine will start and run normally. Also, in one case, going out, locking the car, and then using the remote start also seemed to correct the problem.

Suggestion: When it again starts, runs a few seconds, and then stops, do not try to start it again. Instead, turn the ignition off and use the fob to lock and then unlock the doors. If it's the security/immobilizer that's the source of the problem, using the fob to lock and unlock might clear the security lock-out.
 
#20 ·
I'm sorta glad I had this problem, because I'm getting a new (better) remote starter out of the whole deal. The dealer is saying that that's the most likely culprit. Don't know if that's correct, but dang, I'll take it.

That's because my 2016 OB has the limited-range remote starter that has no separate fob and no two-way communication. You have to be within about 30-35 feet of the car for the remote to work, and that's next to useless in many situations.

The dealer is going to put a newer-model starter in the car next week, one with two-way communication and a small fob and range of a few hundred feet. No charge to me. I had just such a remote starter in my 2014 OB and that is the one thing that I liked a lot better about that (slightly) older car.

Hopefully, of course, the new remote starter will also "fix" the issue I had that started this thread.
 
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