Subaru Idle Relearn Procedure

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-----I assume no liability for property damage or injury incurred as a result of any of the information contained in this video. I recommend 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 my control, 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 in this video is the sole responsibility of the user and not myself.-----

[MrSubaru]

This procedure is for 2005+ Subarus with the drive-by-wire, electronic, throttle body.

[kayaktote]

You saved my @$$! Had MAJOR shoulder surgery Wednesday. Saturday wife calls from the road. 2007 Forester died. Told her to get a jump, have Autozone put in new battery so she did. As she drove away, car died again. Autozone said the alternator was bad. She got it home and I found out, on my own, the alternator can be changed with one hand. Car still died. MAF spotless. Found this video. Followed it to the letter and the car runs like a champ! You have no idea how thankful I am. You really helped me out in a time of need. Thank you again.

[djmcwill]

1. turn off all lights and accessories (no A/C, lights, blower, radio, etc.)

2. disconnect battery for 30 min
(now is opportunity to clean terminals, check ground, clean throttle body)

3. re-connect battery

4. turn key to ON position for 15 seconds (throttle body has a chance to go through a check sweep during this period; do not let engine turn over)

5. start car and let it idle without any load (no A/C, lights, blower, radio, etc.)

6. leave engine running for 10 minutes, never loading, never touching accelerator

7. turn off engine and leave key in off position at least 20 seconds

8. turn key back to the ON position for 15 seconds without starting engine

9. start engine and leave idling for 5 minutes without loading or touching accelerator

10. turn off engine and wait 20 seconds before restarting

DONE! Test drive!

[diriazi]

Hi Mr. Subaru, I'm so grateful for this video. I'm a 60 yr old woman. I really need to watch all your videos because I own a couple of Subaru's since they are so perfect for driving in the mountains where there is snow and where I live. I have a 2016 Subaru Forester and I noticed at a cold start it would have these popping noises as it would warm up for a few minutes and those popping noises got worse. I found a very very dirty air filter and I replaced it with a new one. I did disconnect the battery when I did that. Not sure why but I did. Just the negative post. So the popping noise went away but started to come back as I drove it and now at idle, at a stop sign, the rpm's would drop so bad the car wanted to die. The car has 130, 000 miles and the first thing I thought of was, well since the MAF sensor is where the air filter is, maybe the MAF sensor needs to be cleaned. So your videos popped up when I was looking for anything Subaru Idle issues on Youtube. I saw the one about the throttle body and also this one "Idle Relearn" so I thought "Don't touch anything. Do the relearn first. So I followed it and completed it per your instructions and it fixed it. I was so happy. Thank you so much. I never even knew there was such a thing as an idle relearn. You are a great teacher. Thank you so much. Diana

[titojosh]

Took me all of 15 minutes plus a test drive and now my 06 OB XT is smooth as silk. Had previously cleaned the sticky throttle body without the relearn, thanks for uncovering the last piece of the puzzle!

[carlossince]

This fixed my 2008 forester, it now purs like a kitten. 2 years dealing with this and i fixed it in 20 minutes, thank you! My engins would shake horribly since i bought it. Changed the motor mounts and it didnt do much but this was the answer.

[ynuklif]

Your channel is a terrific resource for Subaru owners! This video is a very useful detailed tutorial, and essential viewing for anyone who wants to save money by changing their own battery! One other procedure needed after disconnecting battery in many Subaru models is to relearn the power window settings, which also get messed up. The steps for this can be found in your owner's manual.

[Veritas_mens]

Finally, a definitive relearn procedure with step by step instructions, and proof of concept right in front of our eyes. Thanks mate, I really needed something like is, as when I'm heading home after a drive and I let the car cruise to allow the turbo to cool, I find the revs dropping and the car starts to stutter until I hit the accelerator. Just gotta give the throttle body a clean and give this procedure a try, Much appreciated and a new sub.

[kenatwood]

Like all these other folks, this procedure worked, amazingly enough. I cleaned my battery cables a couple weeks ago and when I put them back on I couldn't get the car to idle. It died every time. I thought it might be crud in the gas tank but that didn't work. I finally consulted Google and found this video. I thought, no way can it be this simple. Well it is. I have a 2005 Forester and on the test drive I was damned excited. Thank you for taking the time to make this video. I'll pass it on to my friends who own Subaru's.

[EricEwers]

Thank you so much! Like many others here, I also changed out my spark plugs and experienced rough idling at a standstill, even stalled a couple times. This fixed it completely; it has better throttle response and runs so smooth now! 2007 Subaru Legacy.

[russellthomson]

Wow, this really worked !! I had my doubts. Car was slow off the mark at stop signs and would idle rough after reving. All fixed. So much better now. I think the garage guys don't know or can't be bothered to reset the idle. Definitely recommend you do this even if you think your Subaru is fine. Thanks MrSubaru1387 !!

[FordTaurusSHO]

I’ve had an idle problem with my 09 Forester for a while now. It wants to die when I’m driving and put the clutch in. Cleaned the throttle body and did this relearn procedure. FINALLY cured the problem, thanks!

[ourrandomlife]

Worked perfectly! You're my first go-to for anything Subaru and you've saved me hundreds and hundreds vs. dealer charges. Thank you so much!

[grandpadean]

Pulled the battery from the brides 2007 outback to change spark plugs . It idled poorly when I finished the job so I googled and found your video. Christmas day 2020 I did the idle relearn . The car idles and drives great. THANK YOU for making the videos keep them coming we are going to own this car for a long time

[jayharbeston]

Had my oil changed at the Subaru dealer yesterday, and Dealer says I need to clean my injectors (They wanted $170 to clean injectors) as it was running rough at idle( around 600 rpm). I followed this procedure, and idle with A/C on is now stable at abour 750 rpm with AC on, and NOT a rough idle! This is on a 2015 Crosstrek with ~35K miles. I knew something was fishy since the idle speed was so low with A/C on. Searching here turned up this procedure, so thank you for documenting this!

[unklekurlu]

Did this on my 2006 SG forester. Didn't fix everything but it cleaned up the idle enough to diagnose #3 injector is bad. Thankyou for a straightforward tutorial 🤙🏽

[KellyAvery]

I had to do this on my daughters' '05 Outback. Somebody (probably me) left the dome light on and ran the battery down. To make matters worse, in the process of checking the air filter I pulled the air boot part way off the air box so when we jumped it, it ran like crap. Did the training procedure 3 times before I got it right. Should be a pro at it now! As always, thanks for the video.

[zelba]

Fixed the old lady's Subaru today using this video as a guide, much appreciated! 🚙

[davidclarke]

Had my 2019 outback serviced by the dealer and it was very unhappy about idling even dropping to almost stalling and the car wobbling side to side. Unwilling to go back to them ( I made sure they had changed the oil and filters before leaving) I looked this up and now she is perfect. Thank You.

[downinthedungeon]

Like some of the other commenters, I was skeptical about this. My 2006 Forester idled a little rough, died a couple times. Purrs like a kitten now. Thanks for posting!