Ignition Key Lock / Radio Antenna / Door Chime Issue

Greetings everyone, I've been trying to figure out an issue on my 98 Legacy Outback with the help of friends, forums, you name it.

 

The issue is mostly that I intermittently can't remove the key from the ignition. There doesn't seem to be a rhyme, reason, or pattern why. Well, there's a reason I'm sure, I just haven't found it yet.

 

Occasionally, when turning the car off, the key won't turn counter-clockwise all the way. During the episode of not being able to remove the key, the door chime dings but sounds scratchy and sick and the door ajar / seatbelt display is dim. After a short while, you can hear the pin release and I can finish turning the key and remove it. The door chime is loud and solid as is the display. Oh, and the radio antenna doesn't go up or down anymore.

 

Here's what I've tried:

The steering wheel turns freely and is not locked or holding the column.

It happens when the brake pedal is depressed or free.

All the fuses are good under the dash and under the hood.

The problem persist with the steering column in any angle.

The interlock safety switch / neutral safety switch works well and is not gummed up or dirty. It's pretty clean and tests ok with a meter.

The solenoid for the shift release works well and appropriately.

I replaced the shift lock electronic console, but it didn't change the issue.

I can occasionally remove the key when the car is in drive, reverse, etc... But not all the time.

I've had the ignition tumbler replaced and the problem persists equally pre and post replacement.

The door open switch works / tests fine and the interior lights are on when the door is open and do not flicker when the issue is present.

Hazards and horn work, as do all other electronic devices.

Battery good, alternator good.

No critters.

I have disconnected the antenna, still persists.

Wet or dry, no change.

 

The radio in the car is an aftermarket but it was there when we bought it two years ago and the problem wasn't present. There's a commercial pigtail connecting the radio to the harness.

 

I did notice remnants of a car starter or alarm that had been installed and removed at some point. There are wire clips on some of the harness wires but nothing is attached to them.

 

I'm at a loss and ready to disable the solenoid to the ignition key pin release.

 

Any thoughts? I greatly appreciate any help....

May not be the best answer but my car does most of the things yours is doing and I just ignore it because trying to figure it out means you'd be chasing mostly harmless electrical gremlins on a 20 year old car.

That's true, but still, it would be great to know why, be able to fix, and not have to leave my keys in the car when it acts up. I'm more partial to the why than anything else.

The wiring diagrams in the Factory Service Manual break things out by function pretty nice. Without that reference, I don't see you figuring this out. With it you can trace things a little at a time if you have a decent understanding of DC circuit operation.

 

The car didn't get dropped here by aliens so you can abolutely figure it out. But it can take a huge amount of labor to solve wiring, especially when it is a once in a while problem.

 

I had a problem on a notSubaru that I had to let go for a few months while it went from a couple times, to sometimes, to all the time. Then I could use a factory manual to check ever connector, every wire run, every module starting at the +battery until I found a wire that the copper had fatigued to an open inside the insulation with no visible sign on the surface. Months of waiting, days of finding the reference material, a couple hours of testing, only a couple times of car won't run when I need it.

Thank you doublechaz~ there are a number of connectors that no longer hold wiring for presumably a starter or alarm that has been since removed. Perhaps the strands in those wires are changing the voltage or amperes if some of them are broken.

 

I was able to download wiring diagrams here, so that's a place to start. I'm not looking too forward to soldering those connections, but if that's what it takes....

If some of that no longer present stuff was spliced into existing wires with crimp type inline splices, I'd start there. Those crimps could have sliced through the original wires.

So, I tested the antenna, the motor doesn't work. Just going to hook up the antenna wire and not reconnect the motor.

 

Also... I found a 10amp fuse where there should have been a 15 amp fuse!

 

I soldered all the wires that had a crimp connecter. There were six or so. Most of them had several broken strands~ those things are terrible.

 

Let's see how it goes now....

Update: so, it has been a little over a week since changing the fuse and soldering the wires where the crimp connections were located.

 

The door chime still sounds terrible and the dash seatbelt indicator matches the door chime wonkyness, but (knock on wood) the key issue has not recurred again.

 

I've driven with a variety of accessories on and off, day/night, heat/cold, dry/rain, short spurts and long drives... The one thing I haven't done is taken it through a car wash.

 

Is there a module that controls the chime and display that could be going bad?

 

Otherwise, here's hoping!

Perhaps the chime itself is broken in a way that drains so much power the light can't stay lit. I don't know.

Oh that's a good idea... I'll have to test the chime. I'll post an update.

Still no problems with the ignition key....

 

Here's a video of how the door chime usually sounds~ I recorded the segment with the door closed / open, key in, then out and back in. There's a little delay in the chime from when the key goes in or the door open. It's the best sounding yet.

 

Here's one of it sounding poorly...

 

 

And there's no wiring to the seatbelt where the buckle goes into the holder by the corner of the seat. Maybe there's a mechanism where the belt rolls up in the B post?

I replaced the seatbelt timer module and that definitely fixes the seatbelt chime issue. I can now move around the post of the driver's side door switch and hear changes the tone of the chime. I swapped out other door switches and it's the same. SO, I'm thinking those need replacing, as the wiring to the switch looks pretty good. I'll have to test the continuity of the wiring. I do t have the diagram in front of me. The continuity of the switch is a little questionable. I say that because it changes a little when static and open. When closed, it's 1. Or, I could just call it the character of the car.