Subaru Key Fob Battery Replacement (+Keyless Entry Trick)

How to replace the battery in most Subaru keyless entry key fobs! It's mostly straightforward, but it's important to use a small flathead screwdriver instead of the key you pull out of the remote.
Typically, the Subaru models with these remote key fobs will check the battery level when you start up and/or shut down the car and alert you to a battery issue. You will want to replace the keyless remote battery soon when you first see that alert so you don't have to use the trick at the end of this video. Just in case, though, it's definitely a good trick to know!
CR2032 battery available here: amzn.to/3jQieqG *
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[@prettygneissproductions]

Going down to the dealership would have taken my whole day, as I’m in a flareup and having massive energy/pain problems. My car is my freedom. So while I’m glad to know it wouldn’t just die on me if the battery did, your very clear video gave me more than just great instructions-it gave me autonomy, agency, and the rest of my day to use!

[@CarsSimplified]

It always makes me happy to hear that a video of mine has improved someone's life in some way. Thanks! I hope you feel better soon as well.

[@clintmonroe9143]

I feel you whatever you’re struggling through. I pray you get you health back and continue to enjoy the freedom you car provides for you

[@hayleyandersen2957]

Thank you so much for this video. My dad passed away from COVID early March before I had gotten my license and couldn't be here to teach me basic things about my car. Great video and tips.

[@CarsSimplified]

Sorry for your loss! I've got a lot of videos on basics and I'm always open to suggestions! Thanks!

[@faithmartineau5735]

Seriously, thank you so much! I watched a different tutorial video first, and almost destroyed my fob using the key to open it. Your explanation showed what I was doing wrong, and also that a flathead screwdriver would work better. I was able to change out the battery no problem! I go to the dealership for *everything* because I don't know anything about cars. So, just wanted to let you know how much this how-to video is appreciated. 🙂

[@CarsSimplified]

Thanks! I am glad this video is helping people and I appreciate you taking the time to let me know it worked well for you!

[@vitaminc9853]

Same here, I almost destroy my fob using the key to open it (wrong tutorial). Your video helps lots!

[@dorothymoses7851]

Thank you!, Just finished changing the battery. It feels good to be able to do something for myself. So glad you posted this easy to follow video for someone like me.

[@jamiefenner9443]

VERY CLEAR - you showed how to hold it and why, how to pry and why, and bingo! I just watched two other videos that basically were short cuts to breaking my key It is worth noting that the press-down button is spring loaded with a tiny spring like you find in retractable biros, when I follow your instructions to lever the plain side of the key upwards, I do not risk that spring falling out. Which is exactly what happened when I followed another video about this task Keep up the good work

[@ksmithderm]

Perfect! Genius. I wish KZbin had a way for me to give this guy a tip, I'd give him $10.

[@bansheeraz]

There is a thanks button which allows you to tip/donate to this guys channel

[@SubaruWRXStiYamahaR6-AllGone]

@@bansheeraz it's the thought that counts

[@johnramey5519]

I wouldnt because he takes 10 minutes to exaplin a1 minute fix

[@Timewaits4no1]

​@@johnramey5519Oh, I guess he didn't teach you something for free at the speed you wanted. Also, the vid is less than 3min long

[@johnramey5519]

@@Timewaits4no1 i was a pissed off college kid when i made that comment hahahaha

[@neighborm]

Excellent. The "hard" parts for me were seeing how to lift the cover and then how to remove the existing battery. Of course, I accidentally set off the car alarm - twice. The instructions and the video were very clear. Really pleased. Thank you.

[@ginnymiller2448]

Thank you for this video. Watching somebody do it is a lot easier than trying to follow the directions in the owners manual. Subaru kept nagging for a new key fob battery and it was driving me nuts.

[@patronstarcraft]

Easy to follow instructions, no risk of damage. Thank you kindly.

[@WinS392]

Great video. Getting these guys open is a little more challenging than other cars I've owned.

[@annesorrentino405]

Excellent! Thank you for the VERY clear explanation, video and bonus tip to start the car if the battery gets too low!

[@nice-guy-gaming]

Thanks!!!! This was so helpful and saved a time-consuming visit to the dealership.

[@CarsSimplified]

I'm glad it helped! That's definitely the sort of experience I like hearing about!

[@jeffreysilverstein8157]

A short clear and easy to folow video. First class

[@SecretlySentient]

Thanks man! Saved a trip to the dealership

[@KameTrick]

Just thought I'd check in and see what you were up to. Straightforward and to the point, nice!

[@CarsSimplified]

Well howdy, thanks for stopping by and for the kind words!

[@garyf5131]

Great video. One of the best of this type - short, direct and to the point with all the essentials covered. Only suggestion I have is to use a small fine bristle brush (like a 1" paintbrush or similar) to clean out the fob while it is apart. The video makes reference to the dust and crud that accumulates but does not offer this obvious suggestion for cleaning... Otherwise - kudos for a great production here!

[@australianworkplacetrainin3163]

That last tip is excellent, thank you very much.

[@michaelman957]

Thank you! This helped me help my mother

[@zerosuperher0]

Thanks! Saved me $7 a pop!

[@EdGreenberg]

Worked like a champ. Thanks. One more point. Don't buy your CR2032 from the Dollar Tree. My previous "new" battery lasted two months. Got a nice Energizer in there now. We'll see.

[@Zombiedollies]

Thank you. I just changed my battery myself. I’m sure the dealership would’ve got me good. And the tip at the end is great!

[@wrxpilot]

Excellent. Worked perfectly, thank you!!

[@reticentzealot8210]

Thank you for posting! Your outtake also cracked me up 😅

[@FeeWolf86]

Thanks! Very helpful, especially starting it without the battery!

[@robertcochran7103]

Thank you for posting this.

[@rosalindtan6968]

LOL I set off the alarm before I saw your warning.... hahahahaha......

[@Go1US1Marines]

Nice touch - dog barking in the background at the end. Thanks.

[@HatariSamaki]

This is perfect - very concise. Thank you.

[@hujowany]

Great vid. Short, sweet, and to the point.

[@labellavida2581]

Thank you! Your video is very well explained.

[@jossse217]

I just grabbed my spare key fob cause I was too lazy to change the battery 😂😂 but thank you this was helpful

[@CarsSimplified]

Haha I did the same thing; I think using the other key fob gave me another three months of putting off the battery change until they both needed replacing. Thanks!

[@jossse217]

@@CarsSimplified makes sense cause I have a 17 Subaru first owner and everything battery lasted 5 years I give the spare one two more months lol

[@jossse217]

@@CarsSimplified update now the spare one is marking low battery key access so now I’m forced to change both batteries lmao

[@laurasappington4879]

Thank you so much! So helpful.

[@air4334]

same with me.....I did it myself...What GLORY !!!!!!! THANKS :)))

[@bigglyguy8429]

Perfect. My wife thinks i'm smart, I didn't brick her car, all is good. Thanks!

[@clintmonroe9143]

Outtake section. Haha Genius

[@juliewise2914]

Worked perfectly, thank you!

[@CarolynKCastiglia]

Thank you! This was so helpful.

[@valexand8377]

Thank you.

[@theNecksLevel]

Lol not the dog barking at your car alarm 😂

[@Hoyerlift101]

Good shit. Thanks for the vid!!

[@Bea-Alfonso]

Thank you. Very helpful video!

[@cfg7777]

Thank you

[@markjenesse8901]

Thank you!!! 🤗

[@emergentcausality]

Thanks!

[@CarsSimplified]

Thank you!

[@texasraised1100]

Great video! Thank you

[@Kreepshow96]

Awesome video! Well done.

[@schubaru8217]

you rock. thank you:)

[@bethmcardle3769]

Where EXACTLY do you put the screw driver? Been working on this for 30 min 😢

[@billgarcia9363]

Thanks so much!

[@euromazing1]

Thanks.

[@aescobar32]

Gracias!

[@audreystorer5935]

I’m trying to get my key out and it won’t budge.. the button will push down but the actual key won’t come out. Any suggestions?

[@audreystorer5935]

Nevermind, I just had to do some twisting. It came out without a problem after that!

[@samerj]

I used the key to pry open the case and broke the metal thing with a spring inside. Its the push down part. I knowwwwww he said dont do it. But i did it :( 😂 i have 2 remotes and compared them side by side and they look the same. The broken side is hard to press the spring. Dont know why. It looks all intact. Anyway both remotes replaced the battery. One had a key with a lock the other can fall out at any time.

[@karenrose7]

i got my key back together and it works but i ended up with a silicone part which fell out when i opened it and i don't know what to do with it! there's a comment at 1:48 of the video that refers to a silicone thing but it's cut off so i don't know what it is saying. do i need to put it back in? the first key i replaced the battery for did not have that siicone piece.

[@ninablanco2645]

Thank you so much! Your video helped me a lot. I was planning to go to the dealership to change the access key battery when I saw your video. Perfect explanation and you used care to change it. 🙏

[@williambenson8641]

Yeah at the dealership they are 5:95 and an investment of my time and gas $$… from Amazon Prime, under $4 (Energizer brand) and shipped free (in this case 4 days but I wasn’t desperate).

[@chessmaster685]

Thanks a lot !

[@CL-ue9bu]

Thank you so much!!! My daughter was told the dealership had to do it, and it would have to be reprogrammed..... For $400!! I found your video and she was able to do it herself. ❤️. Thank you, truly.

[@robertcochran7103]

Probably the dealership employee did not understand that a battery replacement is all that is needed. I replace batteries each year to make sure the device is always powered.

[@sirsteadyeddie3478]

Thank you so much for this video! Well shot, clearly worded and the bonus tip was perfect

[@sewsweetbear4761]

Total Awesomeness! I was able to replace the battery in less than 5 minutes! And thanks for the short, straight to the point video!

[@satingley]

Thanks so much. Clear and easy. Nobody ever explained how to start the car etc when the battery in fob fails. One thing to add would be info on how you can use the key in the fob in an emergency to open the locked car.

[@billlaird7332]

WARNING - WARNING - WARNING FOB battery is brand sensitive. When I got the warning message that the FOB battery was low, I thankfully found this video. Following the excellent instructions I removed the old battery and replaced it with a new one I had, still in the packaging. It didn't work. I tried another one and it still didn't work. I noticed the one I removed was a Panasonic brand and examining the battery noticed the back, or negative side of the battery was almost smooth with a very light stippling pattern. The two batteries I tried that didn't work were off brands (probably made in China), and had a very aggressive stippling pattern on the back, or negative side. I searched around and found a new, still in the package Energizer brand CR2032. Examining that one I noticed the back, or negative side, I found it completely smooth, with no visible stippling pattern. That one worked. It expect that the safest course of action would be to replace an old battery with a new one of the same brand you are replacing. Or, at least replace it with a well known, major brand and make sure the back, or negative side of the battery is smooth, or almost so with no aggressive stippling.

[@lwm2374]

I had the same experience! I ordered Duracell batteries online from Amazon and they will not fit in there, they are too thick.

[@jonathanlezondra1490]

Great video! Much simpler than I thought it would be. This is the 2nd keyfob of my Legacy that I had to replace the battery. Before "discovering" your video, I watched another video from a user where he uses the key to open up the keyfob. Big mistake! I managed to open the keyfob but a spring flew off! Your video is very simple, direct and easy to follow. Hats off to you! Thanks so much!

[@TheRunningotter]

HUGELY helpful -- thank you for such clear instructions. I had been putting off changing the battery for several days but your video gave me the confidence to just get it done.

[@CarsSimplified]

Thank you, that's great to hear!

[@MelanieInMiami]

Excellent video. Clear and easy to understand without wasting any time. Exactly what I needed, and I loved the tip at the end. Getting stranded because the fob battery died has been a worry. I also didn't know there was an actual key hidden in the fob. 😄

[@JL-ge5pt]

Sir, you are a born teacher and you give information not directly related to replacing the battery. If I hadn't heard the bit about NOT pressing the tiny white button behind the battery, I'd have never known that the a**hole with the blaring car alarm was me. Many thanks.

[@CarsSimplified]

Thanks for the kind words, and I'm glad the video helped out so well!

[@ScrewFlanders]

💯 😆

[@sup.im.angelina]

LMAO. Thank God I wasn't the only one who made the alarm go off

[@deborahm.newyork2729]

😂🤣🤣😂

[@jennycomia477]

Thank you! It was super easy. But I did set off the alarm while putting the new battery on, but I had the second key handy to turn it off 😆

[@crissignori7482]

Great video .... Straight to the point. I had a spare CR2032 battery so I got this done in no time at all. Thank you

[@gwenp3450]

I knew it had to be simple! Thank you :) The bonus info was also very useful.

[@janeenbates9799]

Thank you so much! I changed 2 fob batteries thanks to your great explanation...also appreciated the info for starting without a battery in an emergency situation :-)

[@ellaellaey]

very clear cut and helpful. thank you so much :)

[@mikaelafox6106]

Aaaah…so that’s how you discovered it can set off the alarm. 😁 Just joking. Great video though, no joke. I think I need to replace my fob battery. My car hasn’t suggested it but the fob doesn’t seem to have a good range for locking the car.

[@speakinofmegan]

you're an absolute legend! thank you so much for this video tutorial! appreciate it!

[@CarsSimplified]

Thanks for the kind words!

[@louiseleder1691]

Wow! Thank you so much! I watched two other videos bout this that I just couldn't figure out. Your process is simple and easy to understand! I got my key fob to open right up. And your tip at the end in case my battery goes dead is going to save me a lot of stress and worry! :)

[@scottsimpson8973]

@CarsSimplified i watched 2 videos before this, yours was by far the easiest and best. Ty

[@robertenglebright8257]

Thank you !!

[@nicoleroeder6237]

This is the most informative and simple video I've ever seen. I would pay you for this video because it's saved me paying someone else to do something I'm perfectly capable of doing myself!

[@pauldudley3821]

Thank you! Would have never figured that out, in fear of breaking the whole thing. Thanks sooo much for the video.

[@williamhager1872]

Thank you! With your instructions I did not break anything. 😃

[@SushiXBunny]

The last part is amazing. Thank you so much for this informative video!

[@roadallowance]

It's likely that the starter switch has power to look for a receiver on the fob when the fob's battery is dead. If you drive with the no-battery fob, remember that it won't start in the normal way. You can drive without the fob being recognized after it starts, but it won't start again without the fob being next to the starter button.

[@sophiek2652]

Thanks so much! I was a little worried I would get stranded with my key fob dying, but I got the battery changed, and the extra trick is reassuring too

[@lorriehess8708]

That last tip is awesome! I wondered how to start car if the battery went out.

[@mattrushing7010]

Yeah, but how do you unlock the door?

[@DJFonzi]

@@mattrushing7010 that's what the physical key is for

[@mattrushing7010]

@@DJFonzi yeah, I’m an idiot

[@DJFonzi]

@@mattrushing7010 to be fair, they don't make it all that clear.

[@DJFonzi]

Actually, I just went and checked. I was surprised to see the lock access right there on the handle. How very old-school of Subaru!

[@sw2938]

Thank you. I t worked perfectly. Great video

[@jcroteau3328]

worked perfectly! That last tip is a game changer! THANK YOU

[@kellye9129]

Thank you SO MUCH for this....especially loved the bonus tip at the end!! Now I know how to start my car if my key fob battery dies on me! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!

[@stanwakefield3172]

Just got my first dashboard warning that my Subi key fob battery was low. So I thought, can I change the battery or do I have to take it to the dealer and pay them $50 to do it? This video is just what I needed. Very well done, sir!! Clear and concise, plus the added tip in case the battery dies completely before it could be replaced. Many thanks!!

[@JCRLives]

Just replaced the battery without breaking anything because of your video. Thank you!

[@adamdesombre7480]

Thank you for the concise instructions with perfect close up photography of the key fob device. Made the battery changing operation quick and painless! Though I did set off the alarm as well…. :)

[@realmorgan3075]

Works with CR2025 batteries too but probably wont last as long. Not a problem when a 3 pack costs a dollar from the 99cent store

[@hovelfrog]

Thanks. When I first saw "access key battery low" I assumed it would be a take to the dealer and pay $250 kind of thing.

[@jenjenny79]

I've watched a few different videos on this as I forget how to do it each time the battery needs to be replace and this video is the best one I've seen. I especially like all the tips throughout the video about what not to do and the one at the end about how to start the car even if the battery has died. Excellent video! Thank you!

[@cfg7777]

I have a 22 Crosstrek. I always wondered if a message would appear if the battery got low. It turns out it does. Time to replace.

[@georgesealy4706]

Thanks. Great video. I just changed out the battery successfully. YAY!

[@flowstatenata]

thanks for that tip at the end. I seriously thought my car would die if I didn't replace the battery. I was on a long road trip when I started getting the warning and also I wonder how long I have until the battery actually dies.

[@gastude]

PERFET video!!! Able to replace my battery without any issues!

[@ishmael7431]

Very VERY helpful. It gave me the visual I needed to get the battery replaced. Thanks.

[@stephenpagliaro7063]

thanks, perfect, also appreciated the tip at the end, since my car send the batter was low while I was out and about and I worried it might die!

[@LarissaStephensArt]

Thank you so much for this video, Subaru told me it would be $400 to replace my key fob and reprogram it. But I already had this type of battery on hand, this saved me so much money. I really appreciate it.

[@nono0nopeno]

$400 ??!!!??!!! Now that is criminal

[@hovelfrog]

@@nono0nopeno I'm actually pleasantly shocked that Subaru didn't set it up so that you can't change the battery yourself and have to pay the dealer hundreds of dollars when the battery runs low. Guess I shouldn't be giving them any ideas.

[@Siper2]

Perfect! Thank you sir, took me all of 3 minutes. Much appreciated.

[@MichaelCohen-ob9nn]

Thanks for the helpful video. I especially liked the outtake - reminded me of my dog.