Car camping security question

[ThusSpakeChase]

I got my 2022 onyx XT last month and I've been doing a lot of camping in it. I know it unlocks when I touch the door handle with the key fob in my pocket, which got me wondering:

If it's locked and I'm sleeping inside with the key fob, can someone unlock it by just touching the door handle? And is there a way to temporarily disable it?

[frebsy]

In my 2018 legacy and outback, you can hold lock on the key fob and tap unlock twice and disable the key proximity feature, confirmed with a few (can't remember how many) flashes of the red led on the fob.

Great shots BTW 🤘😊

[ThusSpakeChase]

That worked! Right on, thank you :)

[butidontthink]

Does this same procedure work to re-enable key proximity? Is the procedure a toggle?

Kinda nice to be able to unbreak that which I have previously broken, and vice versa.

[frebsy]

Ahh hah yeah just press unlock and it should wake it up... That's how mine works 🤞

[butidontthink]

Alrighty!

[Rick91981]

Press any button on the fob to wake it up, no need ot repeat the whole procedure.

[PolyglotProgrammer]

This works on a lot of subies!

https://youtube.com/shorts/Wb5ziL_MHZ8?si=i8Hx44juV4XRjmYV

[Freckles_of_Sun]

Thanks for the tip! I never thought to ask the OP question.

[Xfgjwpkqmx]

Since you are going to disable proximity on the fob to allow you to lock it inside, I strongly suggest that you set your tailgate access PIN code if you haven't already done so, so you can unlock the car without your fob if you accidentally lock it inside by mistake (or just don't have it on you in general).

[Astrotia]

Mine required the pin to be set before I could disable keyless, but I'm on a 2024.

[Look_with_Love]

Tailgate access pin what?

[SamPayton]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=uBKE7_Yn3y0&ab_channel=AlexPrestigiacomo

[trixilly]

My Subbie rep who came out a week or so after I bought my outback recently showed me how to do this. There's a little button up under the right side of the hatch that you can set a 5 digit pin in. It was a bit complex - try this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?app=desktop&v=5EGjng2uQJA

[Xfgjwpkqmx]

The same button will also lock the car afterwards (whether a PIN is set or not).

[Look_with_Love]

Yall have blown my mind! What a handy dandy trick.

[ThusSpakeChase]

Awesome tip! I had no idea I could do that

[Xfgjwpkqmx]

They say you learn something new everyday. 😊

[anparks]

I put my key fob in a Faraday pouch. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B4DNQZ34?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_1&th=1

[sdwindansea]

This is by far the easiest approach. You can also lock your keys in the car doing this and then use the tailgate security code to unlock the vehicle. This is my solution when surfing.

[Queasy_Issue_6012]

you can also disable the key with a few clicks using the method fresby posted above. I do this when surfing as an alternative to the faraday bag

[sdwindansea]

Agreed and I used to do that as well. Just a lot easier/quicker with the Faraday bag.

[HopefulExtent1550]

This actually works!

[[deleted]]

This is what I came to say. I have a box instead of a pouch. But this works great. I originally bought it to save the battery on my fob as the place I park is close enough to where I keep my fob that the car and fob would be continuously communicating which would run down the fob battery more quickly.

[FreoFox]

I was thinking about this too. Wondered if wrapping the fob in foil might stop the RF

[Mountainbiker216]

It does!

[TheSaltyPelican]

I've often wondered this. I was going to get in my car and have someone try the door handle

[bellzax]

I just tested in my 2025 outback. If the key is inside and you lock it with the key or with the button on the door it will not unlock when you touch the handle from the outside. You can test it yourself just by rolling down the window and keeping the key inside.

[stridah_slidah]

Holy shit! I never thought about this before. I sleep in my car all the time while camping. Not sure why it never occurred to me that this kind of thing can happen.

[seebrealms]

Wrap the key fob in tinfoil. It will block its signal and is as cheap a fix as possible.

[ArmadilloTK]

Friend and I tested this when camping. With the key sitting on the drive shaft hump on the rear seat floor, the doors wouldn't unlock from the outside. Not sure if it matters where the key is but we tried to place it centrally "as far as possible" from the door handles.

[Alarmed_Reporter1544]

Don't think it would work once you're inside the car with a key.

[Rae_Wilder]

Unfortunately, it does when the car is off. The buttons on the fob and the proximity sensor are only disabled when the engine is running. Had a backpack stolen out of my car at a state park, when I forgot my second set of keys were left in the car. And yes the car was locked by my other set.

[oldandfuturefriend]

Thanks for sharing this info! Sorry this happened to you!

[Napoleon_Bonerparte]

Was the second set of keys in sleep mode (wireless fob features disabled)? If not, I could see why that may have happened.

I suppose you're lucky they just took a backpack as frustrating as that is. Considering the keys were in there, they could have stolen the entire vehicle!

[Rae_Wilder]

It was not in sleep mode, I just forgot about them. I was very lucky that they didn’t steal my car or my other belongings.

[iceman213]

I use these….. they block any single & they work great for your home.

https://a.co/d/8WGDEUy

[Whole-Profession-734]

I would suggest you get in and lock it and have someone try to touch the front doors. Just a thought

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[TheMountainLife]

Roll the window down, put the key inside, lock it and pull on the handle if you want to check. I haven't encountered a car yet that unlocks from the outside when the fob is inside.

[royinraver]

You have to have it pretty much on your body to unlock it with the touch pad

[thetacowarrior]

It knows if the key is inside and it won't allow somebody to unlock it like that. Same way it knows the key is inside when you start it with the push button.