How do I use the valet key?

Let me see if I've got this right.

You're OK with turning your keys over to a bunch of minimum wage (or working for tips only) low-lifes that will look at the paperwork in your glove box to find your address so they know where to go to do the burglary (or worse) using the duplicate house key they made while you were dining, drinking and dancing?

Why don't you save some time and just go ahead and file the Victim Who Brought it on Herself form with the local cops right now....

Get one of these:

Personally I find prying apart the ends of a keyring and sliding off the car key is easy enough for those few times when needed, like when I take the car into the shop or dealer. In fact, I moved away from a rigid key ring to using:

It's flexible so my keys are more comfortable in my pocket. You unscrew the connector; however, the key hole may be too small for the larger (outer) connector so put the car key on last so it slides off the little (inner) connector rather than have to slide off a whole bunch of keys.

We don't know what year of car you have, just some Outback. If you have a separate keyring fob remote, you don't want to give that to them. You use the fob to disable the alarm (aka valet mode) and then hand them just the key. Upon returning to your vehicle, you use the remote again but to reenable the alarm (aka disable valet mode).

If you have a newer model that has the remote built onto the key then you're stuck giving them all the remoted controls to your vehicle in which case it doesn't really matter if you disable the alarm or not as they have your remote to turn off the alarm should it go off.

Just don't hand them over ALL your keys. Give them just the car key (and without the remote if it is a separate fob -- but if it is then disable the alarm before leaving your car with them).

Don't expect some car jockey to know the ins and outs of every vehicle they park. Disabling the alarm is merely so they don't set it off and it goes indefinitely beeping in the car lot causing them problems and nuisancing everyone around. Yep, your alarm will be disabled. That's all valet mode means: disable the alarm.

This is like leaving to go on a vacation while you have someone come in during that time to feed your pets. Rather than give the code to the caregiver (which means you'll have to change it upon your return), you disable the alarm while on vacation so the caregiver doesn't set it off, get flustered over how to turn off the noise, have the cops show up, and irritate your neighbors.

Don't ask me why the car manufacturers called it valet mode instead of just alarm disable. I think valet mode harkens from the old days when you had 2 keys: one for everything (doors, trunk, and glove box) and another that only did doors (no truck or glove box access but you had to make sure to lock them before handing off your car).

2013. Have things changed in recent years?

Separate from what? My normal Outback key has buttons to push to lock and unlock the car. I think some Subaru models have additional remote features, but mine doesn't.

So I have to go through the procedure to disable the alarm before the valet key will go into the ignition?

Patty

My friend's car has two key fobs. A regular one and another that limits the power to 500HP. That's the one you give to your wife. You can also put the car into valet mode by punching in a code on to the dash screen. This rest ricts the power even more and disables first gear. I'm still waiting for hi m to give me a ride in that damn car!

This whole thing is weird. I carry the valet key in my wallet in case I lose my keys but if I'm reading correctly you have to set the car in valet mode to get the valet key to work which if you need the master key to set in valet mode, it sounds like carrying the valet key in case you lose the master key is useless.

Patty doesn't have a valet key. She has a secondary remoted key: it has the door lock/open buttons so it has a battery, circuitry, and a chip.

A true valet key doesn't have any of that. It's just a flat key (but might have a thick head). So with the key that Patty has, she doesn't have to disable the alarm. Her "valet" key has the remote buttons that will unlock the door and let them open without setting off the alarm.

A true valet key lets you start the car, drive the car, and open/lock the car door *manually*. That's all the valet need. However, disabling the alarm means it won't go off if you happen to use your remoted key to lock the doors and then give the non-remoted (valet) key to the valet. If the doors were locked using the remoted key, open the doors with a non-remoted key means the alarm goes off. Then the one using the non-remoted key has to start the car to shut up the alarm.

Note that some cars do not enable the alarm by just pressing the Lock button once on the remoted key. It may take 2 presses of the Lock button to both electronically throw the lock mechanism and then enable the alarm. Alternatively, use the key, any key, manually to lock the door(s). That will throw the lock mechanism but not engage the alarm.

"Except I can't figure out how to use it; it won't go in the ignition."

I starting to wonder if Patty got a key that isn't for her car. The non-remoted (valet) key should fit into the ignition switch.

Those all go into the ignition switch and also the door locks for manual operation of the vehicle. It may not fit into the glove box lock. It may also not work for the hatchback door (but then in an Outlook there is no separate trunk space).

I do have a spare real key, but in this thread, I'm asking about what according to the owner's manual is called the valet key.

No, there are NO buttons whatsoever on the valet key.

Is it possible that the dealer gave me the wrong key? That seems very unlikely given that my car was brand new and, as far as I recall, all of the keys came together, along with some ID tags.

Yes, that's exactly what I received: two little metal tags, a key with a gray top and no buttons, and two keys with black tops and buttons.

According to the owner's manual, the valet key will NOT work with the glove compartment or rear hatch.

Patty

Just WHO are you citing? Yes, my nym is VanguardLH but what you show within angle brackets is NOT what I gave as my e-mail address! Either change your NNTP client (trn) to just show the nym (username) from the From header without the e-mail address or have it show nym and not corrupt the identity (nym+email). Would you like me to cite you as Paddi Cakes ?

I hate those fake valet keys. They don't have a full metal head, just a tang onto which the fat plastic head attaches. I wanted to carry it as a spare in my wallet but when I removed the fat plastic head what I was left with was a guillotined key (it's metal head looked chopped off). While the guillotined key was usable, I'd have to use a pliers to grab onto the stub to turn the key.

Valet *mode* (disabling the alarm) can only be toggled using the remoted keys (the ones with battery and buttons). If you forget to disable the alarm before handing over your car, the valet will have to start your car to stop the alarm after they use the valet key to manually open the door to get inside. You use the remoted key to disable the alarm before handing over the valet key to the valet.

The valet *key* operates the manual car door locks and the ignition switch. It won't work on the glove box lock (if you locked it using a primary/remoted key). It might not work on the hatchback door lock; however, that area in an Outback is not a separate trunk. Not usable on the rear door is really only viable for a vehicle with a sedan (and whose back seats don't fold down).

Valet *mode* refers to the alarm. Valet *key* refers to which locks in which that key will work.

The valet key you got with your new car should fit the manual car door locks (perhaps not the rear hatchback door) and the ignition switch. If the valet key doesn't work in those locks then you got the wrong key.

Yep, that's what my 2013 owner's manual says, too.

I think you're right. Time to call the Subie dealership...

Patty

To quote the owner's manual for the 2017 Outback "The valet key fits only the ignition switch and door locks. You can keep the glove box locked when you leave your vehicle and valet key at a parking facility."

If you find that the 'valet' key you have won't fit and operate the ignition (and door lock) then it seems likely that you were given the wrong key. If I read the manual correctly, 'valet mode' pertains only to the security system and should have nothing to do with the key fitting or not fitting.

After writing my comment last night, I went into the garage and tried my key. It fit and turned on all accessories. I did not try to start the car as garage door was closed but now I know it would work.

The valet keys apparently do have a chip in them without controls as when I bought the car I told the saleslady that I might file down the bulky fob to fit my wallet better but she said it I did it would ruin the chip.

As per Frank's reply, he said the dealer told him even the valet key has the proximity chip. That means the valet key will insert into the ignition switch but the chip must work to start the car. Could be the chip is coded wrong or inoperable. When the OP said the valet key wouldn't work to use the car, I had thought it meant the key wouldn't fit into the ignition switch's slot. It might fit but the chip has to work. Since the primary/remoted key works which also has a switch, the matching coils in the ignition switch are working (that power the chip in the key that has coils to which EMF is induced to power the chip).

Seems something the OP needs to address with the dealer to get the chip in the valet key correctly coded or have it replaced (should be warranteed). I haven't looked into how the chips get programmed but I'm sure an online search will discover that procedure.

Our family Subaru belongs to my wife and I'm not sure what her valet key does or even whether she has one. What I can do is tell you how the valet key for my Infiniti works.

Like yours, the Infiniti valet key does not work the glove compartment or the trunk. So, when I am going to turn the car over to a valet, I put anything of value into the glove compartment or the trunk and lock them with the valet key (actually, that's not exactly how it works for the trunk, but the effect is the same).

So, when I give the valet key to the valet, he can lock or unlock the doors and he can run the car to move it around, but he can't get into the glove compartment or the trunk. That makes perfect sense to me.

I'll bet that your Subaru works exactly the same way, except that since yours has a hatchback you can't actually lock the trunk.

Is there a way to replace a battery in the valet key? If not, then I suspect there is no chip. But if the key doesn't work both doors and ignition then clearly there is something wrong with it.

The chip needs no battery. It's powered by a coil next to the ignition lock.

Prompted again to look at my keys, I can see the valet key is shaved in the front so it should not be able to lift that particular tumbler in the glove box but using it in ignition, it works so ignition lock must lack that tumbler.

I don't know if everyone knows how keyed locks work or that you can pick a lock by twisting the key hole with something smaller than the key while raking the tumblers with a small pick.

Most credit cards now have chips along with the magnetized strips. The newer readers use the chips and the older, less secure ones still use the strip.

There is no battery in the valet key. There are no buttons on the valet key. There is no remote on the valet key. All the valet key has is a chip which gets its power via a fluctuating EMF field across a couple of coils. The ignition key has the other set of coils. When the key (primary/remoted or valet) is inserted into the ignition switch, the coils in there will induce current into the key's chip coils to power the chip in the key.

The battery is only needed for the remoted keys. Those have the remote (radio) to actuate the electric controls for the door locks.

Raking doesn't work that well. Most times it will undo a pick of one pin while trying to find the break for another pin. Forget what you see in the movies. For pin locks, you use one tool to slightly turn the cylinder. That will catch the edge of the pin breaks (the "pin" is 2 pins: upper and lower of different lengths for each pin to match up with the cylinder's outer diameter to allow the cylinder to rotate). You move the pin until its break catches on the outer cylinder edge or the lock body. When you catch all pin breaks, the cylinder will rotate. Sometimes you have to feel which breaks will catch before the others.

Raking only looks good in the movies (but then the pins have already been removed so the cylinder will rotate with just a screwdriver). Raking results in moving a pin whose break you already managed to snap. Pins do NOT catch their breaks from rear to front or visa versa. You have to individually catch the break of each pin which could be any order of the pins. Raking works only with very cheap locks, especially the ones where the pin breaks have been rounded instead of square. Rounded breaks are less accurate. You need to be able to feel when the pin's break catches the cylinder edge. There is wobble in the pins (they are smaller than the hole so they will easily move). Some locks will use angled pin ends making it tougher for you to move the pin up and down to catch its break. What I have seen in the movies that can work reasonably well are the snap tools. You still need the separate tool to apply rotational pressure on the cylinder to catch the pin breaks. The snap tool slaps the pins and you try to catch their breaks on either the snap up or down (there are springs atop the pins to bring them down into the cylinder).

Round-key locks are tougher to pick. There is a tool that basically has a flexible strip for each pin. You extend the foil to move the pin to catch its break, then move onto the next pin in the circular arrangement. The round key has half circle engravings for each pin which are different heights. So you're still pushing the pins to get their break to match with the cylinder's outer diameter. With rounded key locks, you have to feel the catch on each pin break and then keep the tool aligned to maintain that break distance while working on the next pin. Some of the rounded key locks have an emergency pin lock on the backside that is easier to pick.

Pin locks are easier to pick than wafer locks. Instead of pins, a flat wafer replaces each pins. Those are the types you find in car door locks.

No, I'm not a locksmith but it was a hobby for me for awhile.