Tech Tips October 2014 (TIPS 1014)

TECH TIPS OCTOBER 2014

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN

04 ELECTRONIC POWER STEERING

Have you come across a vehicle with the complaint of the electronic power steering assist not working? Does the EPS light come on without a DTC and there is a heavy steering feel? Check to see if the battery terminals are cleaned and properly torqued. If the 10mm nut on battery terminal becomes loose, it can result in a momentary loss in power to the EPS.

07 2015 LEGACY AND OUTBACK COLD WEATHER LIGHT OPERATION

Electronic Power Steering Light 10mm Battery Terminal Nut The 2015 Legacy and Outback now include a road surface freeze warning indicator displayed in the Multi Information Display. This should not to be confused with the Multi Function Display found in the middle of the dashboard on other models. The Multi Information Display in the center of the Combination Meter will present this warning when the vehicles ambient temperature sensor reaches approximately 37° F and colder. Please note that the outside temperature indication may differ from the actual outside temperature. Also, the road surface freeze warning indication should always be treated as a guide. Customers should always be reminded to check and monitor the actual condition of the road surface anytime they are behind the wheel.

07 2015MY LEGACY & OUTBACK UNDER-HOOD MAIN FUSE BOX (M/B) INFORMATION

Inquiries have been received regarding some confusion while performing the Pre-Delivery Inspection (PDI) involving the under-hood (M/B) fuse box and its cover being used on 2015MY Legacy and Outback models. Some had questions regarding what appeared to be missing fuses. Others mentioned discrepancies between the fuse location/circuit name diagram located inside the fuse box cover and the Service Manual. Before spending any diagnostic time unnecessarily, always keep the following points in mind:

• Refer to the June, 2014 issue of TIPS for Transit Fuse Information. Relocating this fuse is the ONLY item which should need to be addressed inside the M/B during the PDI procedure.
• There is no need to install any additional fuses in the M/B other than relocating the transit fuse. For example, on 6-cylinder models, there are 3 empty fuse slots as shown in the photo below. One of these empty slots is for the Active Grille Air Shutter System which is used only on 4-cylinder models therefore, the slot is left empty.
• If a required fuse is truly missing, the circuit it controls will be inoperative and will likely become apparent while performing the operational check portion of the PDI. In some cases, the Check Engine light may also illuminate.
• A very small number of discrepancies between the fuse diagram inside the M/B cover and the Service Manual have been identified. When diagnosing an electrical concern, always refer to the applicable Wiring Diagram section of the Service Manual.

07 2015 LEGACY AND OUTBACK-KEYHOLE SHADOW FROM PROJECTOR BEAM HEADLAMPS

The SOA Technical Helpline has received a few calls recently questioning the appearance of a keyhole like shadow appearing in the projector beam headlamps of 2015 Legacy and Outback models. It should be noted that the 3.6R Limited models utilize an HID headlamp and as a result do not exhibit this condition.

The main questions have been:

• Is this condition characteristic or not? 
• Why is it there? 

The answer to the first question is simply YES  . This appearance is characteristic and there is no need to try and repair or correct it.

The second question requires a more detailed explanation. The 2015 Legacy and Outback with projector beam headlamps feature a longer and wider field of vision than the prior model year design. This design has a focal point for the projector beam that is roughly one foot in front of the headlamp lens (as shown in the drawing below). The area behind the focal point (shown in gray in the drawing below) is not illuminated. This area is what creates the keyhole like appearance. As seen in the photos below this non illuminated area only exists within the roughly 12 inch area immediately in front of the headlamp (photo 1) and that the actual usable illumination beyond that point provides full illumination with no gaps (photo 2) across the entire range of the lamp. So in a sense it could be said that the keyhole shadow is actually a key to better vision.