Let’s face it; car brands come out with new models at crazy speeds and, unless we have our whole lives invested in cars, we wouldn’t be able to keep up. Having an older model does not automatically mean your car is inferior to the newcomers. These hidden features you can unlock will prove why:
Chime Mute
Are you one of those who prefer to keep their phone on silent mode perhaps because you want to be freer from distractions? And, do you wish to do the same for your other gadgets? You’re in luck because you can also mute your GD Chassis for when you lock or unlock the car.
It’s as simple as pressing and holding both the lock and unlock buttons of your car key for at least two seconds. If you miss the sound at some point, you can put it back on using the same method. This trick applies only to the GD chassis series from 2002 to 2007.
The lock and unlock chimes of VA chassis models can also be deactivated, but this is done with a slightly different procedure, and you need to stay in your car, particularly the driver’s seat, when doing this. After making sure all doors are closed, press and hold your car key’s unlock button. While still pressing the unlock button, insert the key to the ignition five times and do this within ten seconds. After that, you have to check if the setting has been activated by going out of your car and checking if the car chimes and the signal lights blink three times.
You can also disable your seat belt chime but, before doing so, make sure your car’s engine is turned on. Then, take your seat belt’s metal latch, press down the buckle’s red button, and graze the latch onto the metal portion of the buckle’s clicker twenty times within thirty seconds of starting your car. This mute mode lasts for as long as the battery’s lifecycle.
On the other hand, you can set it to mute temporarily, as in, within one ignition, by performing the same motion only three times. This trick applies for the GD chassis series 2002 to 2007, the GR chassis 2008 to 2014, and VA chassis models going back to 2005 versions.
4WD-Only Mode
Applicable only for four-speed electronic automatic transmission models, this trick will come in handy if you flat a tire and it so happened that this tire was bought off of the aftermarket and, of course, you would want the least damage to your transmission and axles. What you need to do is stick a fuse into one of the empty spots in the fuse box situated under the car’s hood. If you’re hesitant to make such a modification in your car, you can always have a Subaru repair shop do it for you. With this, you can make the car drive only front-wheel, disabling the rear axles.
Wink Mode
The wink mode activates either of your headlines to flash in a blinking manner. You need to go halfway between the low and high beam settings in your left lever control. Go on, greet your friend from behind the wheel using that cool feature. Still, this and the 4WD-only trick are available only in GD chassis 2002 to 2007 models.
Radio Audio Customization
For GR chassis 2008 to 2014 models, you can set your radio to either of the following modes:
- Sedan. The sedan mode is activated by pressing and holding buttons 1 and 2 of your radio and pressing the audio knob twice. This setting produces normal volumes.
- Wagon. The wagon mode is activated in the same manner but with buttons 1 and 3. This setting offers a volume that is a notch higher than the sedan mode does.
- Loud. You can tweak your car’s radio to emit a louder sound and richer bass by switching it to its loud mode. Still using the same method, press buttons 1 and 6 instead.
- Through. The through mode could be described as a combination of the other three modes, and this can be activated by pressing and holding buttons 1 and 4 of your radio and still pressing the audio knob twice right after.
Welcome Lights
Ever just wished your headlights shone longer than pressing your car unlocked? If your Subaru is a VA chassis one, whether it’s the latest model or if it’s as old as a 2015 one, you have welcome light in it that’s waiting for you to tap it on. This can be activated by setting your headlights to their auto mode and then quickly press lock and unlock on your remote key.
The light stays on for thirty seconds after unlocking your car, but the time can be prolonged according to your preference. For this, you will have to have your headlights configured by your dealer. Overall, welcome lights help you see better when you approach your car for a night ride or when you have to load things into it, or the other way around.
So that was a rundown of easter eggs you can crack in your old Subaru car. We hope it helps you see your car in a new light and love it as much as the first day it became yours.
