Lock Your Subaru for Surfing (Without the Alarm Going Off)

I was stoked when I got my Subaru. All-wheel drive meant I could off-road and explore. The hatchback trunk meant I could keep my surfboard in the car. And the trunk is at the perfect height for me to sit as I put on my wetsuit.

But, a problem I quickly discovered with my Subaru was locking it when I go surfing. See, I store my valet key in my wetsuit while I surf to ensure it doesn't get stolen from a hiding place. But, I could not figure out how to lock the entire car without the alarm going off.

You see, when I use the button on the keys or the button inside the car, the alarm goes off. So, I tried to lock each door using the manual lock on them, but the trunk remains unlocked.

When I turned to the internet for a solution, I couldn't find one. So, I spent an afternoon experimenting with the idea. And I figured it out!

Step 1: Lock the Car

Ensure all of the doors and trunk are closed, besides the driver side door. Next, use the lock button found on the driver's door (below the window control button) to lock the car. Ensure the valet key is in hand. Then, close the driver side door.

Step 2: Unlock the Front Door

Your Subaru alarm won't set for a few minutes. So, to disable it for the front door, use your valet key to unlock it. To do this, insert the key into the keyhole found on the driver side door. Once inserted, turn the key to the right - you will feel when it unlocks. Once unlocked, take the key out of the door. Then, open the door.

Step 3: Relock the Front Door

Finally, close the front door. Then, lock it using the valet key. To lock the door, use the door keyhole and turn the key to the left. Take out the key, and ensure the door is locked by pulling on the handle.

Step 4: Shred!

That's it. Secure the valet key in your wetsuit, and you're ready to rip!

To unlock your Subaru after your surf session:

- Remove the key from your wetsuit.

- Insert it into the door and twist right to unlock (I lick my key to remove salt and dry it before doing this step).

- Open the door and unlock the car using the button on the driver side door.

Comments

[persianninja]

Can you just turn off the Alarm system? I gave my 3rd extra key (the valet key) to my mom to use... But it sets off the alarm when you even use it to unlock the car door.
The steps to do that I think are:
1. close all doors
2. turn key in the ignition to the ON position
3. press and HOLD the 'door unlock' button on driver's side door,
4. open the door within 1second after doing that (remember to still be holding the button)
5. After about 10seconds, the front digital display will say something like "AL OFF" and the horn honks as well.
Here is the exact steps in a video I saw: It seems to work for me.

[snyderstudiosla]

Was thinking about ordering an additional Valet key to keep in the wetsuit so no salt in the fob... door yes, fob no. Thoughts?

[kolotour]

Hi,
On my 2012 Subaru I lock all the doors with the switch on the driver's door. Then manually unlock the driver's door with the flip switch near the handle. Exit the car and lock the driver's door with the key. Unlock it with the key when you return.

[AaronPrice]

Cool! Sounds like a similar process.