SG central locking driver’s actuator

El_Freddo

El_Freddo

Forum Member
Joined
Aug 11, 2008
Messages
2,399
Location
Bridgewater, Vic
Car Year
1988, 1990
Car Model
EJ22'd L series; Targa Brumby
Transmission
Locking FT4wd 5spd Manual, 4.111:1 diff w 1.59:1 low range & front OBX LSD ;)
G’day all,

On our new to us Foz - aka “The Yak”, the driver’s door will not open or lock the central locking system when using the key. Our fobs are dead and we’re not looking at those atm. The key use is the issue.

To open the whole car you need to open the driver’s door with the key, then use the central locking button to open all the doors.

To lock the car it’s the reverse process, except we can close the driver’s door by holding the door handle open it will be locked when closed (after using the central locking to lock all doors).

Our central locking system will lock and unlock the driver’s door via the interior button on the door.

What we want is to unlock and lock all doors with the key from the driver’s door.

My questions are:
- is this standard or do I have an issue?
- if this is not normal, what’s the fix?

It’s frustrating and could potentially result in the car having a locked driver’s door while the rest remain unlocked.

It would be nice to use the key to unlock the door and have passengers able to open their doors as you do after unlocking the car with the key.

Any insight or help would be great! I have everything out but can’t see any issues. And the actuator in the driver’s door is only a two wire unit. I thought there would be more for this unit to tell the rest of the system to lock or unlock too.

Thanks in advance!

Cheers

Bennie
 
@Kevin - if that’s standard it’s such a backwards step! Every other vehicle I know of unlocks and locks all doors with a change of state on the driver’s door.

My sister’s Gen3 (‘00 model) will open all locked doors with the use of her key via the driver’s door. And that’s an older vehicle to the SG!

So to open all doors with the key I will need to add a secondary central locking system. That seems very wrong in a factory fitted vehicle!!

I’ll see if I can chase down another SG owner and compare notes in person. I’m not convinced this is the factory way of opening only the driver’s door - I could understand it if all doors locked with the driver’s door locking via the key, now that would make sense!

Cheers

Bennie
 
Kevin is correct, same in all my SGs

You can use the lock button on the inside switch panel and then the key to lock the drivers door. Reverse for opening.
 
El_Freddo said:
My sister’s Gen3 (‘00 model) will open all locked doors with the use of her key via the driver’s door. And that’s an older vehicle to the SG!
Click to expand...
Ditto the SVX.
I guess Subaru has 'improved' things..!

El_Freddo said:
I’m not convinced this is the factory way of opening only the driver’s door
Click to expand...
Mine is the same as Kevin and SquireSquire's. Which I just found out. Never noticed it before. Obviously don't use the key to open it often, because it took a bit of wiggling to get it unlocked (and locked. then unlocked again to check. then locked again. then unlocked again just to make sure...)
:)
 
El_Freddo said:
@Kevin - if that’s standard it’s such a backwards step! Every other vehicle I know of unlocks and locks all doors with a change of state on the driver’s door.
Click to expand...

Safety issue, Bennie. Means that the car can be unlocked for the driver without letting rats and snakes in the other doors.

BTW, use the key to lock the driver's door. Your method is the only way I know of locking the key in your car ... :(.
 
Thanks for the replies guys. So that’s a dead end.

At least I know how to pull the door apart now!

@Kevin, our NP Pajero (also currently in pieces while I add dash cams and reverse camera and cleaning out the remains of the PO’s adventures) does what I would expect the foz to do - driver’s door key lock will unlock and lock the whole car.

FRUSTRATING!

Thanks again. Awesome car but this is annoying to live with. Good thing it’s not my car.

Cheers

Bennie
 
Ben Up North said:
Meh. Get the remotes working. ;)
Click to expand...

How do you do that without a working remote? Everything I’ve seen online about doing it requires one working remote!

I don’t think a trip to a dealer would be worth it on a $300 car... if there’s no other options I could always make an inquiry at our local service centre and see what they say.

Cheers

Bennie
 
Bennie, depends on what the issue is. Change the batteries and self program them (this is if the fobs are built into the key itself)
 
@Ratbag There's a process, a quick google should bring it up,

Off Memory, its get in the car and close doors. Lock the doors, then turn the key from off to ACC 10 times in a row quickly. Always has worked for me when reprogramming keys. Just note the US programming is slightly different to AUDM
 
I’ve read that there’s a set of plugs in the side kick panel that you connect. The use an existing key fob to lock the doors, then do the same with the new fob. Repeat the same process with the unlock function. Unplug the plugs and replace the kick panel.

That’s all I found.

Time to find a working key fob for the car.

Cheers

Bennie
 
@El_Freddo Bennie, when you have worked this out, could you document a working procedure please?

I've got four keys for mine, one is just a chipped key, and another is a plain key to open the car (will not start it). SWMBO's has just the two originals. Fortunately we have the code tags for both, so an off the shelf order if it becomes necessary.
 
@Ratbag - will do, but don’t hold your breath! I could take a while!

Cheers

Bennie
 
No worries, mate. When it works out.

These things can be tricky to get right, and even trickier to write up, as you well know.
 
I just checked my SG and noticed that my locks behave as described above. All our Subarus lock everything through the driver's door key hole except for the SG. Hmmm.

SquiresSquire said:
@Ratbag There's a process, a quick google should bring it up,

Off Memory, its get in the car and close doors. Lock the doors, then turn the key from off to ACC 10 times in a row quickly. Always has worked for me when reprogramming keys. Just note the US programming is slightly different to AUDM
Click to expand...
Reprogramming is different on the JDM, as well.
 
@El_Freddo - both my Foresters also worked in the same annoying way you described. The only positive is you can work out a sequence to lock the keys inside the car - handy if someone is flying overseas and you can pickup the car later with the second key, not that we are flying overseas much these days...
 
Programming procedure as per Santa Cruz Subaru.

I HAVE NOT verified that this works!

How to Program a Subaru Key Fob | How to Replace Key Fob Battery

Do you have an additional key fob you want to program for your Subaru? Need to replace the battery in your key fob? Santa Cruz Subaru has all the answers with our step-by-step instructions!
www.santacruzsubaru.com www.santacruzsubaru.com

Steps to Programming a Subaru Key Fob​

First, examine your key fob to determine whether it is the type that can be programmed yourself. These tend to be more of a teardrop shape whereas the modern key fobs that have to be programmed by the dealer look more like a bulging rectangle. You can also check your owner's manual to determine which type of fob you have. Then, follow the key fob programming process below.
  1. Pop the key fob case open to reveal the transmitter circuit board inside. You will see one or two series of numbers (8 digits each) on the transmitter.
  2. Write down the first 8-digit number series on a piece of paper, and keep it on hand to refer to during the programming process.
  3. Pop the key fob case back together.
  4. Sit in the driver's seat of your Subaru with all doors closed and your vehicle turned off.

Subaru key fob

The next series of steps should be followed carefully and quickly in the exact order specified for successful programming.

  1. Open the driver's side door, use the door button control to unlock all doors, then close the driver's side door.
  2. Put your key in the ignition.
  3. Turn the key so the electrical systems turn on but not the engine, then turn it back to the off position--you must do this quickly ten times in a row.
  4. After the tenth time, you should hear a chime from the instrument panel.
  5. Open and close the driver's side door again. You should hear the chime again, and your dome lights will flash in confirmation.
  6. You now have 45 seconds to program the 8-digit transmitter number into the engine computer using the lock/unlock button on the driver's side door while the chime continues.
Here's how programming the key fob transmitter number works:

  1. Locate the lock/unlock buttons in the driver's side door, right next to the window buttons.
  2. Looking at the first digit in the transmitter sequence, press the lock button the amount of times the number indicates, then press the unlock button once.
  3. Repeat for each following digit in the sequence.
  4. For example, if the transmitter number is '87654321', press the lock button 8 times, then the unlock button once, then the lock button 7 times, then the unlock button once, then the lock button 6 times, then the unlock button once, and so on until you complete the sequence.
  5. You should hear a chime coming from the outside of the vehicle in confirmation.
  6. Repeat steps 12 and 13 a second time to confirm the number sequence was entered correctly.
  7. You should hear the vehicle's locking system click in engagement.
  8. Open and close the door, then press lock or unlock on your key fob.
  9. Remove the key from the ignition, and you should hear the chime outside again.
  10. Open and close the door once more, then in about five seconds, the key fob should be working.
  11. Press the buttons on your key fob to test if the programming process was successful.
HTH.
 
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