BRZ wouldn't start

[Subie]

I've only ever had similar issues when there has been another smart key in the car at the same time, e.g. a coworker's Prius key.

[Pete156]

Originally Posted by zoomzoomers

Sounds like you're having an issue with your key fob. I guess you already had your car towed to the dealership, but should this happen again try changing out the battery in your key fob. This happened to me before with my old car and I, for the life of me, couldn't figure out the issue. Then the tech at the dealership charges my key fob and poof! Like a charm. Sometimes the solutions are easy, we just don't see it. Either way good luck!

I was patient, had time to troubleshoot and provide a remedy. Both key fobs are only a few months old. The car starts and drives well now. I will be testing both key fobs to try to find out how long it takes for the car to 'forget' one of them, since I suspect that's what happened.
Thanks for your reply!

[mwemy]

this is what Toyota call holiday mode, with a smart key the signal is sent OUT from the car to detect your remote, not sitting dormant and waiting for a signal, so in that fact the battery will basically drain over time till its dead.
Toyota put a system im place to basically turn your car off when in "holiday" mode so that when u come back it will start.... to get it back into normal mode, the remote must be held onto the start button whilst being pushed to "waken" the security ecu
this function CAN be turned off using customization's at the dealer but id advise to leave it on

[BRZnut]

Originally Posted by Subforever

^ This
same procedure when key fob battery goes out

In fact you need to rest the back of the key fob (where the engraved subaru logo is) against the push star button

May be this if the battery is low. Apparently since these fobs constantly send a single (allowing the keyless entry to work) the battey in the fob can die in a year! If that happens the car will only start if you put the fob right up to the push button.

(odd thing is I opened one of my fobs up thinking that I would remove the battery from the spare fob to save it, and I did not see a battery!!!)

[sho220]

Originally Posted by Gixxersixxerman

Have you looked through the owners book to see what the flashing green light even means???

The flashing light means "you shoulda got a car that starts using a damn key". Just looked it up. Page 134, paragraph 3 of your owners manual.


j/k...that sucks.

[orthojoe]

Can someone explain to me, conceptually, how placing the fob against the starter button will activate the car if the battery in the fob is dead and not sending out a signal? Magnet?

[Otterbrawten]

Originally Posted by Honeydew

Yeah i think it happened to me twice since i got my car... i hope it's just because of the temp? But oddly enough it was on tuesday where the weather was really warm...only rainy... so i dont know what it is that is causing it...

I have had some issues with this. Randomly happens despite the weather. It's like the car isn't catching, reminds me of an old truck that you have to work at to get it to fire up, only with the FRS it only happens one time before it starts.

[fitcious]

This is a reason I would stick with a traditional insert key, twist and shout..err start.

On top of easier to fix and diagnose.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2

[atledreier]

You are aware that the clutch need to be depressed in a MT, and the brake in an AT?
Without the pedal pressed the car will first go in ACC, then ON, then cycle back to off with each press of the START button.

[dori.]

Originally Posted by atledreier

You are aware that the clutch need to be depressed in a MT, and the brake in an AT?
Without the pedal pressed the car will first go in ACC, then ON, then cycle back to off with each press of the START button.

if you read the OP, he pressed in the clutch

this happened to me twice I think. But you can just put the key in front of the button and start it

[atledreier]

Dodgy idle (clutch) switch? Diagnosis should reveal that easily.

[Porsche]

Originally Posted by Pete156

it seemed everything in the car would work except the starter. Yes I depressed the clutch.

This is not a problem, merely a puzzle most owners do not know the solution to. The BRZ is designed to work this way.

The steering wheel lock did not release.

Until the steering wheel lock is released, the electronics will not activate the starter ... and your car won't start.

You know how sometimes with a conventional key-in-the-lock system you cannot turn the ignition key to ON and START? The key will not turn. It's "jammed." It is necessary to wiggle the steering wheel to free up the pressure on the steering lock mechanism. The manner in which the car was last parked left the steering trying to turn a bit, and this puts pressure on the locking mechanism making it hard to release and difficult to turn the ignition key. It only happens occasionally. Free up the steering and then you are able to turn the key. And then you can start the car.

The same thing is happening here.

Solution: Wiggle the steering wheel left and right and press the START button. The steering lock will release with the pressure off of it; you may even hear a muted click.

Your car should then start as usual.

So why did your car start "for no reason?" Because you grabbed the steering wheel at some point and released the lock unwittingly.

Perhaps this should be included in a Sticky for tips for new owners, both for pushbutton and conventional key-start systems.

[Porsche]

Originally Posted by orthojoe

Can someone explain to me, conceptually, how placing the fob against the starter button will activate the car if the battery in the fob is dead and not sending out a signal? Magnet?

I believe the cpu can read sufficient information from the key by sheer proximity, not relying on a transmitted radio signal. It's a fail-safe mode. It's a good idea, don't you think? 'Cuz otherwise I wouldn't want one of these systems.

**************


"Progress might have been all right once, but it has gone on too long."
–Ogden Nash, US humorist & poet (1902 - 1971)

[orthojoe]

Originally Posted by Porsche

I believe the cpu can read sufficient information from the key by sheer proximity, not relying on a transmitted radio signal. It's a fail-safe mode. It's a good idea, don't you think? 'Cuz otherwise I wouldn't want one of these systems.

Assuming it works, yes, it's a great idea. I am curious to know exactly how it works, though. Particularly if it doesn't need any power to transmit/read.

It also makes me wonder for those of us that installed the red STi push button starter: Do those buttons read a dead key as well, or are we stuck?