my rear hatch has gotten into an odd state.

all the button does is beep 3 times, no matter if it's open or closed.

you can close it (slow and painful), and it'll latch.

you can hold the button down long enough to unlatch, and slowly raise it.

but the normal 'open' and 'close' mechanism (what with it's varied brief touch here and long press there) just makes it beep 3 times.

i found somewhere online that it can be reset. but differing instructions. short the battery? press lock/unlock on the doors some long number of time? some other weirdness?

to make it stranger, when this first happened a few days ago the battery died. i don't know if it was partly dead when i tried to close the hatch, or whatever state it's in killed the battery. after getting a jump the battery has held its charge just fine.

but i needed to borrow jumper cables--i keep them with the spare tire. wouldn't have wanted to get that out w/o being able to open the hatch! (battery wasn't charged enough to even unlatch.)

Search forum for an existing thread. You may find your answer! Three beeps may be related to something blocking the obstacle sensors or a sensor malfunction.

 

Seems to me this is covered off in the owner's manual (perhaps section 2 and 9) but I don't have it in front of me.

The reason I am responding is concerning your speculation about "shorting the battery" as a diagnostic method. Risky business that. A full short of a car battery could well blow someone's head off. I don't want to hear about that in the evening news.

 

Seems to me this is covered off in the owner's manual (perhaps section 2 and 9) but I don't have it in front of me.

The reason I am responding is concerning your speculation about "shorting the battery" as a diagnostic method. Risky business that. A full short of a car battery could well blow someone's head off. I don't want to hear about that in the evening news.

Make sure that you unlock ALL the doors. That did the trick for me.

 

All the doors have to be unlocked for mine to work.

 

my rear hatch has gotten into an odd state.

all the button does is beep 3 times, no matter if it's open or closed.

you can close it (slow and painful), and it'll latch.

you can hold the button down long enough to unlatch, and slowly raise it.

but the normal 'open' and 'close' mechanism (what with it's varied brief touch here and long press there) just makes it beep 3 times.

i found somewhere online that it can be reset. but differing instructions. short the battery? press lock/unlock on the doors some long number of time? some other weirdness?

to make it stranger, when this first happened a few days ago the battery died. i don't know if it was partly dead when i tried to close the hatch, or whatever state it's in killed the battery. after getting a jump the battery has held its charge just fine.

but i needed to borrow jumper cables--i keep them with the spare tire. wouldn't have wanted to get that out w/o being able to open the hatch! (battery wasn't charged enough to even unlatch.)

I suddenly have the rear hatch problem with my 2017 Outback. I had the hatch open and tried to close it with the inside button and got 3beeps an no closure.
My fobs wouldn’t close it either. Luckily the open hatch cleared my garage door as I backed out. (yes, I’m a woman and couldn’t close it manually because I’m too short (and yes I know there’s a way to make it only partially open). I stopped at my neighbor’s and got him up to come close it. I’ve had other electrical problems, dead battery which I replaced, fobs not working, random times it won’t start so have to wait or put fob next to start place. Doors that won’t open. The key inside fob is too hard to get out. I had to call AAA. Etc.

 

I had an issue similar to this the first month of having my car. Powergate. No battery issues.

Scenario: I opened the gate normally. Went to close it via gate button and it triple beeped. Tried to close it via driver's side button, 3beep. Keyfob, 3beep. Unlocked all doors and tried again, 3beep. I did this enough that my neighbor came out thinking it was someone's car alarm. I forced it closed via pushing against its will. It latched. I was able to open it again as normal with the fob. Again it wouldn't close.

Did an agoogle and read something (that I can't find now) that the latch was trapped, or something. With the gate open, they said to use a pen or something to push the door latch closed and open again. This seemed to get it to work normally from then on. I pushed the gate button and it closed. I was able to open/close it multiple times after that with any method.

Haven't had anything similar happen since. Not sure what happened but glad it fixed itself.

 

I had an issue similar to this the first month of having my car. Powergate. No battery issues.

Scenario: I opened the gate normally. Went to close it via gate button and it triple beeped. Tried to close it via driver's side button, 3beep. Keyfob, 3beep. Unlocked all doors and tried again, 3beep. I did this enough that my neighbor came out thinking it was someone's car alarm. I forced it closed via pushing against its will. It latched. I was able to open it again as normal with the fob. Again it wouldn't close.

Did an agoogle and read something (that I can't find now) that the latch was trapped, or something. With the gate open, they said to use a pen or something to push the door latch closed and open again. This seemed to get it to work normally from then on. I pushed the gate button and it closed. I was able to open/close it multiple times after that with any method.

Haven't had anything similar happen since. Not sure what happened but glad it fixed itself.

This just worked for me, gate was stuck opened. Everythink else in car worked. Gate would not close, just beeped 3 times regardless if: tried to close gate from button on gate, from button on dash. Tried, both with car on and car off. Tied both after toggling all door locks on and off. After I head this, I went to the latch, used the ignition key. lightly moved the mechanism, it engaged and continued a slight movement itself. closed hatch, weird, I have to hit close hatch button, it would go down 8ish inches and stop and I have to repeat that procedure multiple times to get it closed. Turned off call, got out. Locked and armed alarm. Unlocked and hatch is working like there was never an issue!

 

If it is actually malfunctioning this is what the manual says although a trip to the dealer is most likely the best solution.

If the power rear gate senses a malfunction, an electronic chirp will sound and the rear gate will stop opening or closing. In order for the rear gate to open and close automatically, carry out the following operation. If the rear gate does not open and close automatically after carrying out this operation, we recommend that you have the vehicle checked at a SUBARU dealer.

When the rear gate is closed:

1. Press and hold the rear gate opener button. If the rear gate does not open, perform the procedure described in “Rear gate (Outback) – if the rear gate cannot be opened” F9-20.

2. Gently close the rear gate by hand until it reaches the half-shut position.

3. Operate the power rear gate to confirm it is recovered.

And section F9-20 says:

In the event that you cannot open the rear gate by pressing the rear gate opener button (all models) or using the power rear gate (if equipped), you can open it from inside the cargo area.

1. Remove the access cover at the bottom-center of the rear gate trim using flat-head screwdriver.

2. Locate the rear gate lock release lever behind the rear gate trim panel.

3. Turn the lever to the right position using a flat-head screwdriver or a similar tool. Then the rear gate will open.

 

If it is actually malfunctioning this is what the manual says although a trip to the dealer is most likely the best solution.

If the power rear gate senses a malfunction, an electronic chirp will sound and the rear gate will stop opening or closing. In order for the rear gate to open and close automatically, carry out the following operation. If the rear gate does not open and close automatically after carrying out this operation, we recommend that you have the vehicle checked at a SUBARU dealer.

When the rear gate is closed:

1. Press and hold the rear gate opener button. If the rear gate does not open, perform the procedure described in “Rear gate (Outback) – if the rear gate cannot be opened” F9-20.

2. Gently close the rear gate by hand until it reaches the half-shut position.

3. Operate the power rear gate to confirm it is recovered.

And section F9-20 says:

In the event that you cannot open the rear gate by pressing the rear gate opener button (all models) or using the power rear gate (if equipped), you can open it from inside the cargo area.

1. Remove the access cover at the bottom-center of the rear gate trim using flat-head screwdriver.

2. Locate the rear gate lock release lever behind the rear gate trim panel.

3. Turn the lever to the right position using a flat-head screwdriver or a similar tool. Then the rear gate will open.

In other words become a mechanic.

 

Way too complicated. Push the rear cover back and make sure the pull is out of the way.

Laughing at Oneself and with others is Good for the Soul

 

Heard that Subaru in Canada was aware of the tailgate motor problem, if you have warranty they should replace it, if not question SOA and get a goodwill coverage.


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and today... it just worked! it seems to have reset it self.

as i noted above, manually closing and opening it worked just fine--it could latch and unlatch, so long as the battery wasn't dead. it just refused to go up or down. yes i tried doing it from fully open/closed/partly open/closed positions.

and yeah i didn't mean 'short the battery' so much as 'disconnect the battery and short the +/- leads'. supposedly that resets a number of systems in the car.

my fear was indeed that a sensor suddenly stopped working. but hey, it reset itself so no problem.

i didn't really want to take the trim apart to open the hatch, but it's good reminder that it would be possible if necessary, just like the Parking lock on the transmission is. but I seem to recall the parking brake override is destructive.

 

and today... it just worked! it seems to have reset it self.

as i noted above, manually closing and opening it worked just fine--it could latch and unlatch, so long as the battery wasn't dead. it just refused to go up or down. yes i tried doing it from fully open/closed/partly open/closed positions.

and yeah i didn't mean 'short the battery' so much as 'disconnect the battery and short the +/- leads'. supposedly that resets a number of systems in the car.

my fear was indeed that a sensor suddenly stopped working. but hey, it reset itself so no problem.

i didn't really want to take the trim apart to open the hatch, but it's good reminder that it would be possible if necessary, just like the Parking lock on the transmission is. but I seem to recall the parking brake override is destructive.

I disconnected and reconnected the battery and it didn't fix the problem. Called the dealer and they said to disconnect for 10-15 mins then reconnect. Did that and it WORKED!! Previously the power gate and locking latch stopped working. A luggage strap blocked the latch and that may have been the problem.

 

Thanks to BOXR6. The F9-20 instructions worked perfectly. I took off the small hatch, opened the gate manually since it wouldn't open manually from the outside of the car and BINGO!, not only did it open, but it must have reset something since it works fine now. The battery had gone dead while I was playing around with the electronics on day 1 and I'm suspecting that might have been the issue.

 

this worked for me



This happened to me yesterday. I went to the dealership to get my rear brake pads replaced (which is near impossible to DIY). When I got home the rear lift gate would not open; the button on the key fob and the button under the steering wheel would only cause the gate to beep 3 times. Same thing with the button on the lift gate itself. Resetting memory height did nothing.

Working solution: climbed into the trunk from a side door, pryed open the middle panel right above the locking mechanism, and manually push the door open, then closed it. Confirming that this must have reset something because after a few seconds, both the fob, lift gate button and button near the steering wheel all function properly now.

 

My frfiend just had this same problem with he rear powr gate on his 2017 Outback. Rhe rear liftgate open button would not work (3 beeps), nor would the button under the left side of the steering wheel (also 3 beeps). There was also an issue with the car beeping for a minute or 2 when it was put into drive, and there were some dash indicator lights that were illuminated. We stopped at a Subaru dealer and were told it needed a reset procedure to be performed (which they did at no charge). The procedure was described as follows:

With the car off...Remove both battery cables from the battery and hold the cables together for about 10 seconds.

Reconnect the battery cables.

Put the car into accessory mode (do not start it) and wait for a minute or two until any beeping, etc. has stopped.

Without starting the car, turn it off.

Put the car back into accessory mode (do not start it). The various electronic computers and sensors should begin to communicate and there will be some beeping, dash lights flashing, etc. as the car resets. When all has stopped, turn the car off again.

Now you should be able to start the car and everything should be reset.

Hope this helps someone out there.

 

My frfiend just had this same problem with he rear powr gate on his 2017 Outback. Rhe rear liftgate open button would not work (3 beeps), nor would the button under the left side of the steering wheel (also 3 beeps). There was also an issue with the car beeping for a minute or 2 when it was put into drive, and there were some dash indicator lights that were illuminated. We stopped at a Subaru dealer and were told it needed a reset procedure to be performed (which they did at no charge). The procedure was described as follows:

With the car off...Remove both battery cables from the battery and hold the cables together for about 10 seconds.

Reconnect the battery cables.

Put the car into accessory mode (do not start it) and wait for a minute or two until any beeping, etc. has stopped.

Without starting the car, turn it off.

Put the car back into accessory mode (do not start it). The various electronic computers and sensors should begin to communicate and there will be some beeping, dash lights flashing, etc. as the car resets. When all has stopped, turn the car off again.

Now you should be able to start the car and everything should be reset.

Hope this helps someone out there.

My OEM battery ran out of juice while waiting for wife and died. Got a jump from a passing motorist and then the back hatch started chiming ect. Charged battery up once home and did the above and all is well... So thanks for the post...

 

Posting in case someone else runs into this. Same as others, after my battery died my tailgate just beeped and refused to open. I was able to do the manual override that others referenced from p. 9-20 of the manual, but after that the buttons still didn't work, and the beeps were gone.

On p. 9-22 though it talks about how to reset it if it bumped something and disabled itself, which was the mode I'd ended up in now. I manually opened it the entire way. Then manually closed it about half way. Then held down the close button on the gate for several seconds. At that point it closed super slowly on its own. After that it is all better and works exactly like it should.

 

It's amazing to find out what is in the Owner's manual, especially when you read it.

Laughing at Oneself and with Others is Good for the Soul [emoji847]

 

There are times when I press the remote open don the dash board it won't open, especially when the ignition is on but the engine is not running. I tried the manual but hard to find anything about this. Also when this happens the remote open nor the button on the gate work. Seems like I need to turn everything off, get out of the car, walk away and then the button on the door works.

This is often a problem when the driver is in the car waiting for someone (like at an airport) and wants to open the rear gate for other passengers to put stuff in the back.

This seems like an odd bug/feature and I can't find any documentation on it.

 

Next time this happens, try hit the "unlock" button on the driver's door, then try the button next to the steering wheel again. Depending on how you have the central lock/unlock set (if you have MY2018, as I think that's the first year they added the auto-locking), you can end up in situations where the hatch isn't unlocked even when you think it should be.

On mine, as delivered, it was set to unlock the doors upon driver's door open. However, if I had multiple passengers in the car, and the front door passenger opened their door BEFORE I opened mine, it would let them open their door, and let me open my door, but would not trigger to unlock the back doors/hatch. For some reason the two front doors, the inner door handle will overrride the lock, but not the back doors.

I changed the setting to unlock when I put it into park. This helped, as it would unlock all the doors earlier. I then found that when I would come home with a passenger and cargo in the car, I could cause a similar issue. I stop in the driveway to let the passenger out. If they open their door before I put the vehicle in park (and it unlocks everything automatically), then when I pull into the garage and get out, it won't open the hatch without me manually unlocking.

May or may not be your issue, but it's a free and easy check to see...

 

I have had this happen many times and am not yet satisfied that I know the right sequence to open it. For me it is always opening that is the problem. Today I pulled up to the curb to pick someone up and attempted to press the button inside the car. It was running and in drive. Beep Beep Beep. So I put it in park and tried again beep beep beep. I locked and unlocked the doors several times using the door lock and unlock beep beep F-ing beep. May friend is staring at me as if my car is a turd as I frantically try all this again. Nothing. I turn the car engine off and it opens on the first attempt.


I really wish I knew the secret to this stupid electric hatch.

 

Hi rotts4u, same exact thing happens to me and when i pick up people they look at me like "are you going to open the trunk?". I have to turn off the car and then it will open. This problem started after my battery died in the cold and had to replace it. This came along with other problems (like remote start won't work or when you get home, park the car turn it off as soon as you open the door I get the beeping as if i left something on).
Did u find a solution? Do you have any of the other problems i described?
Thank you!

 

I had the same problem with my 2017 Outback 3.6R. I had to climb into the cargo area, remove the cover just above the lock (in the center below the window) Once that was done you will see a green and red lever. Just press it down with a screw driver, then all is well in the world.

 

I used to have that problem a lot but for some reason it has done it one time in the past three months. I have no idea how it healed itself?

 

I have found that my mat slides too far back and obstructs the latch. Simple solution just push the mat forward all is good. If you ever have trouble and it will not open try the valet key.

Laughing at oneself and with others is good for the Soul![emoji2]

 

Rain & Hill

Have just found this thread, so will have to check the order of the unlocking doors. Mine seems like it's too sensitive to the pressure being pushed against. If I'm on a flat spot (regardless of amount of rain) it opens just fine using dash button, key fob or hatch button. If I'm parked on my hill facing down (very steep) and it's dry, mostly works. But the combination of on the hill and ton of rain on the door is just enough weight that it won't open no matter what I do. Has anyone else ran into it w/ the combination I'm referencing?

Also, yes, I consider it a bug that I can't pull up at the airport and let someone throw their bag in the back w/o shutting the car off!

 

Yep. Have had this. I feel like 2001 Space Odyssey (Open the hatch please .. im sorry, i can't do that .. PLEASE open the hatch .. Im sorry, Im not allowed to do that). I had that happen once; gave up (car was off). Finally just drove on, at next stop it was reset and opened. There these to be a OPEN THE **** HATCH AND I MEAN IT button or latch.

 

Went to the Encore appointment and talked to the guy about this (car is 3 weeks old). He said it's because of the anti-pinch/crush mechanism. He suggested that when I have it serviced, I ask if they can modify the sensitivity of the arms. I'm thinking about putting a shower wiper in my car so that I can wipe off the rain and maybe that will make it a little less heavy w/ the combination of the hill (est. 19% grade). Definitely need an override button!

 

Worked!

Thanks to the comments. Mine was doing the 3 beeps thing and the forum was helpful. Initially I used a screw (pen replacement) to close the lock mechanism manually at the base of the rear hatch. Couldn't reopen it so I did get out the manual to supplement - I needed to remove the panel from the inside above the latch (comes away easily with a phillips screwdriver head), then played with the moving parts until it reset/stayed opened. Then I was able to close it/open it with the automatic fob/back of hatch at base/round button from drivers seat.
Fun solving this stuff!

 

Having the same issue. Tried resetting the computer lift gate opened 1/4 of the way then stopped. Tried again with no luck. Took it to get looked at since it had to go in for the recall on the eyesight. They couldn’t figure it out they think it’s the latch causing the issues (but I doubt that after reading what everyone here said) Now though there is a battery draw happening so it’s killing the battery if it sits overnight. Just tried going through all the steps again to reset computer and lift gate. Got it to open 1/4 of away again and then nothing. Any ideas?

 

Had this happen to me today. Came home. Shut the car off. Tried to use the button to the left of the steering wheel to open the hatch, 3beeps. Opened the driver door, tried the button again, and voila, the hatch opened. Woa, very strange experiencing that.

Now I can understand some sort of anti-pinch logic preventing a close command but I cannot think of a scenario where the FOB or the button on the dash should not cause the hatch to open when in "auto mode" (when the car is in park, either engine running or not running). Yes - I do understand that the hatch opening with a person between the hatch and the garage door, or some firm structure preventing egress from the area should cause the hatch to stop when it senses resistance. OK, in either scenario - I think it should stop movement and go into manual mode...allow manual opening or closing without much resistance, then some special action on the user's part to reset the automation and get it back into "auto mode"...

 

Understand your frustration trying to decipher the Subaru logic. It’s not logical to most owners, at least here. Don’t bother, just understand the rules and make changes if you wish, and move on.

Default setting is the doors all lock at 15 mph or so. When stopped and in park and the driver opens his/her door, all doors unlock, including the hatch. Push the remote button and it opens happily.

If the driver does not open the door, all doors stay locked, including the hatch, so if you push the remote power open hatch button it will beep 3 times and refuse to open. Dumb as a post but that’s what it is. Then, either open your driver door or push the open all doors button on top of the door controls. I have had a passenger complain because they tried to open their door before I did and it wouldn’t open (although they could have pushed their door lock open, then used the handle).

That’s the way it works. You can change the setting yourself on board, or just learn the magic default procedure. I gave up and just open my door. Then everything is unlocked.


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Thanks EddieJoe. Now I understand it better.
Was always a crapshoot if the tailgate would open...beep...beep...beep