Certain things in your vehicle may stop functioning properly after the Subaru car’s battery change. You, therefore, need to be ready to undertake a Subaru reset after battery change.
The process of Subaru battery replacement deprives the Subaru car’s computer of electric current for some time. Hence, the information that was in the car’s computer memory gets lost.
However, the reset is aimed at restoring the information that got lost while you were changing the battery.
The end objective is to get the car to function just as well as it was functioning before the battery change.
Subaru Reset After Battery Change: Easy but Effective 05 Steps
There are 5 key steps that you need to follow in the process of resetting your Subaru after the battery change.
Step 1: Establishing what needs to be reset
Establishing what needs to be reset is fairly easy. You only need to turn your car on. Then check the dashboard for any inaccurate warning lights.
Further, try to operate various features that rely on the car’s computer, to see if they are functioning as they should.
In that regard, you can check whether the power window control system is working as it should.
Step 2: Checking all the connections
Also, check whether the lighting system is working as it should. Further, check whether the preset selections on your car’s radio are alright. You could also check the car’s air conditioning.
If all of these things are working as they should, it would mean that the battery change didn’t affect the car’s computer, after all. In that case, there wouldn’t be a need for a reset.
It could be that the battery change was done so swiftly that the current that was circulating in the car’s computer hadn’t been lost by the time the new battery took over.
Or it could be that there is a power backup gizmo in the car’s computer system.
That is what could explain the situation where, after the battery change, you find that everything is still working as it should: meaning that no reset is necessary.
Otherwise, if any of those things are not working as they should, you need to note them down. Then embark on the actual reset.
Step 3: Allowing things that can reset automatically to do so
The car is able to detect and automatically reset certain things as you operate it/use it on a day-to-day basis.
With regard to such things (including the engine air/fuel mixture settings, gear shift positions, and so on), all you need to do is bid your time.
As you continue using the car, it will auto-detect and make the necessary settings by itself.
Step 4: Inputting new settings that have to be entered manually
Some of the settings will be fairly easy to enter manually. For instance, the radio frequency selections are straightforward to enter.
Others, like odometer readings, will entail accessing the memory chip and making changes on a computer.
There are also those that will entail accessing the fuse box, identifying the fuses for the features you are interested in, removing and reinserting them.
If the problem you were seeing is one of the inaccurate error codes, you need to focus on clearing those. That may be a question of turning the vehicle on and off three times.
Or it may be a question of using an OBD scanner to clear the error codes.
Step 5: Checking how well the new settings work
This will entail turning the car on, then focusing on the dashboard to see if everything is now working as it should. So, for instance, you check to ensure that the error codes are cleared.
Then you raise/lower the power windows, to see if they are now functioning properly. You also check the radio pre-selections, to ensure that they are now alright.
And you drive the vehicle about for a while, to ensure that the elements of the computer that control the engine are also working properly.
You can of course avoid this whole hassle by ensuring that you never allow your vehicle’s computer to be entirely deprived of current during a batter change.
One way to do so is through the use of a power backup gizmo or memory saver while changing the battery.
Another alternative is where you use another battery and jumper cables during the battery change. Such car computer memory preservation measures are worthwhile.
They are worthwhile because some of the faults that may arise during a battery change may be expensive or even impossible to deal with later.
6 Major Problems after Changing the Subaru Car Battery
Some of the specific problems that may arise after changing the Subaru car battery include:
01. Power windows not going up/down
The mechanism that allows for control of power windows depends on the car’s computer.
When the said computer is deprived of current during a battery change, this mechanism gets messed up. The end result is a situation where control of the power windows becomes impossible.
Thankfully, after installing the new battery and allowing for some time, this problem may resolve by itself.
Otherwise, you may need to access the fuse-box, identify the node that is responsible for the power window, remove it then plug it back in to see whether this resolves the issue.
02. Fuel economy panel turning blank
This would therefore mean that you are unable to see how much fuel the car is using per unit distance. You may not even be able to see whether the tank is full or empty.
Often, all you need to do is check on the lower left side of the steering wheel, where you will find the info switch.
Then you can try to toggle that switch, in order to get the fuel economy panel working again.
03. Loss of radio preselects
It is almost guaranteed that radio preselects will get lost due to the battery change.
But yours is only to do an auto-search or enter the preferred frequencies, then save them in order to get back your preferred radio stations.
04. Wipers not working
Sometimes, Subaru battery change will cause wipers to stop functioning. Thankfully, this is one of those issues that often resolve themselves after several minutes following the battery change.
If it doesn’t resolve, you may need to access the car’s fuse box, identify the wipers’ node, remove it then plug it back in to see whether it resolves the issue.
05. Tire pressure units change from PSI to kPA
This is another common problem that arises as a result of the Subaru battery change.
The way to resolve it is typically by just going to dashboard preferences, and changing back to PSI (if that is what you prefer).
06. Inaccurate error codes
These may include the likes of ABS error codes, brake lights, VDC, and so on. One way to try resolving this is by turning the vehicle on and off three times.
Another approach may be to use a scanner to clear the codes. So you connect the scanner to your vehicle’s OBD, then clear the codes one by one.
Subaru Battery Replacement Costs for all Popular Subaru Car Models
The amount of money you need to spend in replacing your Subaru battery depends mostly on the model.
- Subaru Outback: For the Subaru Outback, a replacement battery is likely to cost between $400 and $700. So this is the type of money you need for both buying the battery and having it fitted onto your car the right way.
- Subaru Forester: A Subaru Forester replacement battery is in the same range as that for Outback: between $400 and $700.
- Subaru Crosstrek: For a Subaru Crosstrek, the replacement battery is likely to be in the $500 to $700 range – purchase and installation.
- Subaru WRX: For Subaru WRX, the amount of money with which you can start looking for a replacement battery with is in the $500 to $750 range.
- Subaru Legacy: Subaru Legacy batteries seem to be more pocket-friendly. The price range for them is between $45 and $250.
- Subaru BRZ: The replacement batteries for Subaru BRZ are in the same range as those for Outback and Foresters – mostly between $400 and $700.
- Subaru Ascent: Like those for the Subaru Legacy, Subaru Ascent batteries are quite pocket-friendly: with the price range being between $45 and $250.
- Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid: In a Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, the battery is much bigger, hence much costlier. Therefore the cost can be in the $1,000 to $6,000 range. But once you have the battery in place, you would only need to be charging it to power your car (thus saving money you would have spent on the so-called fossil fuels).
FAQs You Must Face Subaru Reset After Battery Change
How often to replace the Subaru battery?
The frequency with which you need to replace the Subaru battery depends on several factors. It depends on how much use the battery is put to, how well it is cared for, and of course its quality.
Experience shows that on average, Subaru owners find themselves needing to replace their cars’ batteries every 3 to 5 years.
Therefore by the time your Subaru hits its third birthday, you should already have started to think of things like battery replacement.
But if you are lucky, it could push for two more years – right up to year 5, before you find that you absolutely have to replace the battery.
Does the Subaru warranty cover the battery?
Yes, the Subaru warranty does cover the battery – although there are limitations on what it covers.
So you generally find that the only things that you can easily get warranty coverage for are those that are strict as a result of manufacturing defects.
This applies both to the original batteries that come with the Subaru cars as well as the Subaru replacement batteries.
But with regard to the replacement batteries, it is important to appreciate that the warranty only comes into play if they are genuine authorized replacement batteries.
For those cheaper batteries (that, however, are not genuine authorized replacement batteries for Subaru), there may not be any sort of warranty of coverage.
How do I change my Subaru battery?
There are four key steps in the process of changing the Subaru battery. The first step is of course to open the car’s hood. The second step is to spot the battery.
Moreover, the third step is to spot the battery terminals, then shake some baking soda onto them. After that, you allow the baking soda to remain on the terminals for a while.
The fourth step is to use a wrench to loosen the bolts on the terminals. Start with the negative, then turn on the positive.
Thereafter, you remove the old battery, place the new battery into the spot and restore the terminals. You may then need to reset things in the car’s computer that got lost in the course of the battery change.
When should a Subaru battery be replaced?
The short answer is that you need to replace the Subaru battery once it stops functioning as it should.
The biggest sign that you need to replace your Subaru battery is if it stops holding a charge well. This may manifest by the engine becoming slow to start.
It may also manifest by connectors that are corroded. Or your car may start having electrical problems – a common example being that of dim lights.
Or you may notice that the battery has become misshapen…
How much does Subaru battery cost?
It can be as little as $45 and as much as $800 (or even more if the vehicle is a hybrid, meaning that the battery is an engine power source).
Besides the cost of the battery itself, you also have to factor in what you pay the mechanic for replacing it. That is unless you have the skills to do the battery replacement properly.
How do you disconnect Subaru battery?
The first step is to ensure that you turn the vehicle’s ignition off. The second step is to open the hood and identify the battery.
You need to start by removing the negative connector. So you loosen its nut, then remove it. Thereafter you can proceed to remove the positive connector.
So you loosen its nut as well, then remove it. Once the connectors are out, you will be free to actually remove the battery.
Why is it that my Subaru battery keeps on dying?
It could be on account of connections that are either corroded or loose. Or it could be due to extreme weather.
Yet another possible reason for your Subaru battery to keep on dying is electrical drains. It could also be something to do with charging problems.
How do you reprogram Subaru ECU?
You start by using a vehicle interface cable to link the ECU to the OBD2 scanner. Then you turn the ignition on.
Thereafter you open the ProECU program, detect the vehicle, access its ECU, and proceed to reprogram it as per your needs.
Verdict
Discovering that certain features have stopped working well following your Subaru battery replacement can be terrifying.
Thankfully, most of the things that change following the battery change are capable of being reset. Many of them will reset automatically, as you continue operating the vehicle.
Others are settings that you will need to enter manually. All in all, chances are that the Subaru car will have re-attained its former functionality within just a few hours/days.
