In this video I have a look at a Subaru Impreza that came in with a customer complaint that you could not remove the key from the ignition. A little bit of logic, a past experience helps us diagnose this one pretty quick. -Enjoy!
Part II: https://youtu.be/uRKFd9qFDGw
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Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. South Main Auto Repair assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. South Main Auto Repair recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained
Part II: https://youtu.be/uRKFd9qFDGw
If an SMA Video has helped you out please consider giving using "Patreon" to help support us. The videos take real time to create and pull us away from real work that pays our bills. CLICK HERE: https://www.patreon.com/southmainauto
CHECK OUT OUR "SMA SWAG" STORE! Go on Teespring and get your very own SMA merch!
https://teespring.com/stores/the-sma-store
If you don't like Patreon feel free to use the "PayPal Me" link: https://www.paypal.me/SouthMainAuto
The South Main Auto Amazon Store:
https://www.amazon.com/shop/southmainautorepairavoca
AES Wave Automotive Diagnostic Tools: https://www.aeswave.com/cart.php?m=affiliate_go&affiliateID=2525b91fc8e906e8215984074c9d9e8f&go=https://www.aeswave.com/Miscellaneous-p9347.html
Thank you for all the continuing support!
--Eric & Vanessa O.
Feel like sending some swag to SMA because you love the videos but don't know where to send it?
Just ship it here:
South Main Auto Repair
47 S. Main St
PO Box 471
Avoca, NY 14809
Disclaimer:
Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, it cannot guarantee against unauthorized modifications of this information, or improper use of this information. South Main Auto Repair assumes no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. South Main Auto Repair recommends safe practices when working with power tools, automotive lifts, lifting tools, jack stands, electrical equipment, blunt instruments, chemicals, lubricants, or any other tools or equipment seen or implied in this video. Due to factors beyond the control of South Main Auto Repair, no information contained in this video shall create any express or implied warranty or guarantee of any particular result. Any injury, damage or loss that may result from improper use of these tools, equipment, or the information contained
Mine was intermittent too. I cleaned the micro switch with isopropyl alcohol. It works fine since.
Rare Footage use of multimeter!
I had the problem on our 2017 Legacy. I called the dealer to see what it would cost to fix. He looked up the VIN and told me Subaru had extended the warranty for this problem. TRY THIS FIRST. They did the repair for no charge!!!
This was very helpful thank you very much ❣️
It’s a Subaru , leave the key in the ignition.
Subaru is extending their warranty on this issue as of October 2021. They'll now fix it within 8 years of the model year.
What about the Bugeye's? I've seen 4 different vids and they're all for the 3rd Gen (2012 & newer) either equipped with a manual or with paddle shifters. Mine is just a normal Impreza Outback Sport 2.5 auto. I don't have much spare time since I work 6 12's on the railroad on top of being my Mom's full time caregiver. I need to know if this is applicable to my model before I tear into it.
I had this problem the other day and I thought it might be this, but turned out it was because I straightened the wheels after parking and when I shut off it engaged the ignition lock and the wheel put tension on the ignition barrel. Wheel wouldn't turn with the car off and key wouldn't come out. Turned the ignition on and turned the wheel left and right and shut it back off and key came right out.
This happened to me, ended up being a “shift plate” dealership said “the car doesn’t recognize it’s in park”
Love seeing your Daughter in the background following in your footsteps fixing the car behind you :).
What a hassle to get a key out of the ignition. All you had to do was turn the steering wheel left until it stops and remove the key. DUH!
Just move the steering wheel a little bit and it will come right out.
You are the best. It is a difficult repair. You are much better off doing the 2 screw steering column disconnect of plug connected going to the ignition . Even if you have Thieving East Hills Subaru charge you $700 to do the repair you risk having your car damaged just to install the same garbage micro swith that failed in the first place. Subaru should have been forced to have a recall on this but they paid off some government official to look the other way.
LWR short for lower.
Theres also a wire you can unplug by the ingnition thatll fix the whole issue.
I was more or less thinking the reason it wouldn't "break" again is because the e-brake was engaged.
Great video. The microswitch contacts are internally pitted from arcing when turning on and off the solenoid which energizes the chime. Unless a spark suppression diode is added to the microswitch circuit, this issue will be a problem with Subarus forever. And it will be intermittent just like this; hard to demonstrate what is going on without a microscope!
Where can I find the documents that you were using to take apart the console and that circuit diagram?
They put a shifter on a bench at the factory then built a car around it.
Watching you struggle with the key made me so anxious 😂
I'd bet that the the connector you're probing has an intermittent contact that wasn't always making, effectively taking the microswitch out of the circuit. Nothing wrong with the microswitch itself. The probe is mechanically reinforcing the contact, eliminating the fault. Would your customer like to have a meter as a permanent addition to this vehicle?
Thoroughly enjoyed this video, Eric
Thank God I didn't need this information without you telling half an hour of stories.
Yes..my 2013 does that too..lol
How about doing something to bypass the switch? Add a piece of wire to the test point, bring the wire out, if inner switch does not work, touch added piece of wire to ground. I'm thinking, fiddle a bit more and make the bypass wire safer and more usable.
Pins not making contact in plug. Push in meter probe forces the pins to make contact.
The intermittent problems are always like in this video almost 80% of the time, And YES it SUCKS makes every Mechanic MAD❗Great content as always, You probably knocked all the dust out of the old switch it will only fail in about 12hrs after you don't replace anything 👍😎.🇺🇸🗽
TIL: Eric O is a terrible friend 🤣
Miss Marie being on her new ventures but is missed. May be one day she’ll grace the channel with her skills
Subarooooo say you mock us one too many time, now we make you look silly!
I am honestly stunned that nowhere in, around or under the console was there a single petrified french fry. I thought that was standard equipment on all cars?!
Had a Chevy Malibu or some shit that did that, just unplugged it lol
Need better lighting for these interior vids.
Hugh Hefner likes pictures too.
As a temporary fix, could i just ground out the wire until i get my replacement part? The part i need will not be in for a week and i cannot get the key out.
I had the same problem on a 03 Pontiac Grand Prix. At the back of the steering column, there is a push-type switch I simply stuck a screw to hold this switch in and problem solved
In other words….don’t try this at home. You’ll be really screwed.
YA DONE MESSED UP A ARON!!!
Your very educational and entertaining. I wish that you were close enough to work on my 2013 Outback on this Issue. The Dealership said that I must be doing something wrong lol (nope just trying to take the key out) lol. Looking forward to Video #2 as I just found this one!
If you are having this problem, please file a complaint with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration at 888-327-4236. That way, they may do a recall. Why the f@#% is this not a recall?????
Great video Mr owe . Funny too . very interesting.
We trust you, Eric!
The easiest way to fix a problem, try to diagnose it. I wish i had a dollar for every time i couldn't make a car duplicate a problem in the shop.
ive had this happen before. i was in a rental vehicle and the key wouldnt come out. it took hours to figure out a piece of shmoo had got into the front of the shifter and the bezel and wouldnt let the shifter go all the way forward. this is the shifter thats down by the knees under the radio. i havnt watched this sma video yet so maybe its the same prollem.
Thats how it always ends up when you turn the camera on and want to show it broken it works fine everytime to much meddling with things you be not meddling in @SouthMainAutoRepairLLc
Thank You so much have 2009 forester shock the shifter and was able to remove the key!
i fixed this in a caddy, the lever had to be slid over after pushing up to get into park like an upside down and backwards 'L'. there was a tiny crumb in there just in the wrong spot …i did the same ting as you drive park drive park…like wth there is nothing wrong with it, put it back together and it did it again. after a careful examination of everything i discovered it, banged it a couple times till it fell out, and it worked perfectly
Taking all the plastic trim off moved it or flexed the linkage frame just enough so that the microswitch now worked OK.
A part of the dash and shifter cover is taken off so I can push a button under the shifter which lets me release to key to take it out. I'll see what happens if I glue something to keep the button pushed in when I start the car, put it in a gear and when I turn it off. Cause I want to put the dash/shifter components back on because it looks ugly without it.
I'm sure it may be a factory button because it's right under the shifter as if you put it in park and then you can turn it off and release the key, but may be missing something to push that button when putting it in park..
It's a clunky 97 impreza outback.
Needs a new select lever theres a TSB for it