The remote start feature on Subaru Outback has many benefits. You can start your vehicle in advance when the weather is too hot or cold outside. The system turns on the air conditioning or heating, making inside cabin temperature more tolerable when you get to your vehicle.
Before you start your Outback remotely, ensure that the vehicle is parked in a well ventilated area. Starting your vehicle in an enclosed space, like a closed garage, introduces risk of carbon monoxide poisoning.
You can remotely start your Subaru Outback by following these simple steps:
The vehicle remains secured when you have remotely started the engine. A valid key must be inside your vehicle to switch the ignition on and drive your vehicle.
If the engine turns over but does not start (or starts and stalls) the remote engine start system on Outback will power off and then attempt to start the engine 3 additional times. The system will not attempt to restart the engine if it determines a vehicle malfunction is preventing starting. If the engine does not start after 3 additional attempts, the remote engine start request will be aborted.
Subaru Outback vehicles equipped with remote start system may come with Remote Engine Starter Transceiver which can also be used to remotely start the engine.
The remote engine start system on Outback is activated by pressing the fob button on your remote engine starter transceiver (fob) twice within 3 seconds.
If the fob is within operating range of the system and the start request is received, the following will occur.
The system will check certain safety preconditions before starting, and if all conditions are met, the engine will start within 5 seconds.
If the fob is not within range (the user is too far away from the vehicle), the fob will indicate two long flashes without beeping.
After your Outback engine starts, the following will occur.
While the engine is idling via the remote engine start system, the following will occur.
There are two methods to remotely shut off Subaru Outback’s engine.
Method 1 (Key Fob): Press and hold the LOCK button on the key fob for three seconds. The engine stops and the doors remain locked.
Method 2 (Remote Engine Starter Fob): Press and hold the fob button for at least 2 seconds to stop the engine. The fob will flash and beep three times, indicating the engine has stopped. If the stop request is not received (for example, if the user is too far away from the vehicle), the fob will continue to flash once every 3 seconds.
If your Subaru Outback is equipped with keyless access with push-button start system, you can enter and drive your vehicle without restarting the engine, otherwise the engine will turn off when you open any door on the vehicle.
Note: If Outback’s doors are unlocked manually using the key, the vehicle’s alarm system will trigger (if the alarm system is armed prior to activating the remote engine start system) and the engine will turn off. An alarm trigger may also occur if the vehicle is opened by the remote keyless entry transmitter within a few seconds immediately following remote engine start shutdown.
When you remotely start the engine of your Outback, it will run for 15 minutes and then shut off automatically. When this happens, you can perform another remote start procedure which will run the engine for another 5 minutes. The maximum engine running time allowed is 20 minutes, after that you need to turn the ignition on and off from inside the vehicle before you can use remote starter again.
For safety and security reasons, the remote engine start system on Subaru Outback will prevent starting or stop the engine if running, and sound the horn twice if any of the following conditions is detected. In addition, the fob (Remote Engine Starter Transceiver) will flash and beep 3 times.
If the system detects any door (including the rear gate) open during operation, it will prevent starting or stop the engine, and sound the horn and flash side marker lights, tail lights, and parking lights 6 times on your Outback.
In addition to the items above, if the vehicle’s engine management system determines there is a safety risk due to a vehicle-related problem, the vehicle will power down and the horn will sound 3 times.
If the engine on your Outback does not start when you perform the remote starting procedure, it can be due to a number of reasons:
Note: Remote engine start feature is not available on Subaru models with manual transmission.
Select your desired engine runtime and climate settings and then press Save Settings and Start button.
