Tech Tips July 2017 (TIPS 0717)

TECH TIPS JULY 2017

TECHNICAL SERVICE BULLETIN

01 APPLICATION CHART FOR IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM

09 FUEL TANK CANNOT BE FILLED

The Techline continues to receive calls from Technicians regarding Customer concerns that fuel cannot be added to the vehicle and/or DTCs P1449, P1443. In regards to being unable to fill the fuel tank, the first step in diagnosis is conducting a Customer interview for further details which could aid in a quick diagnosis. Example questions could include:

• Does this condition occur at multiple fuel stations?
• If yes, then how much fuel can be added before the pump shuts off?

After the Customer interview, use this information to duplicate the concern. If duplicated, you can use the following process to isolate the fault. The example vehicle below is a 2014 Subaru Outback with a Customer complaint of fuel can only be added for 2 seconds before the pump shuts off. Figure 1  is an excerpt from the 2014 Outback Service Manual Mechanism and Function section describing the on-board refueling vapor recovery system or ORVR. When adding fuel to the vehicle, fuel tank pressure rises and the fuel vapors must be vented into the canister. If fuel vapors cannot be vented to the canister, excessive pressure occurs and the fuel filler gun will shut down to prevent fuel from spilling out of the filler tube.

Once the issue is verified at a fuel station and it is confirmed there are no issues with the fuel filler gun, return to the retailer and raise the vehicle for an inspection. Figure 2  is an exploded view of the fuel tank and partial EVAP system, along with the related hose routing. One suggestion would be to use this diagram to confirm hose routing. There have been reported cases of drain tubes being routed incorrectly after body shop repairs. Thoroughly review the vehicle history for any previous repairs that could affect this system.

Inspect all components for damage or clogging that could prevent fuel vapors from being sent to the canister.

1. Verify the hoses/tubes are not kinked, clogged, or deformed in any way. Blockages in the drain tubes could cause DTCs such as P1449. Examples of clogs in drain tubes would be a spider nest or web. To properly clean this, do not use compressed air as you will need to devise a solution to physically push the blockage out of the tube. Compressed air will typically not remove blockages sufficiently.
2. Verify the drain filter is not blocked or clogged with foreign debris.
3. Verify the fuel filler hose is not blocked or clogged with foreign objects. There have been previously reported cases of fuel filler hoses collapsing internally which cannot be seen by a visual inspection of the exterior hose surface. Removal is necessary to ensure the hose has not collapsed. Refer to the December 2014 TechTIPS for further information. 

If your visual inspection yields no faults with blocks or clogs in the EVAP system, disconnect the drain tube from the fuel tank (item 10) then attempt to fill the vehicle with fuel.

• If fuel can be added with drain tube (item 10) disconnected, then there is a blocked or clogged component in the EVAP system. Inspect these components further to isolate the obstruction.
• If fuel cannot be added with the EVAP system disconnected and there are no obstructions in the fuel filler tube or filler hose (item 21), be suspect of a stuck vent valve in the fuel tank.

10 A/C DIAGNOSIS

The Techline continues to receive calls from Technicians who are missing the basics when performing air conditioning repairs. Start by confirming the concern and obtain vent temperatures if the concern is an A/C performance issue. If the condition is intermittent, check for any trouble codes in the A/C control module. If the SSM does not have communication capabilities, look to the Service Manual for a possible control head diagnostic mode. If there are no codes, next step should be checking the system pressures. (This does not mean evacuation and recharge.) The Service Manual covers high and low pressure scenarios. If calling the Techline for assistance, fill out the A/C pre-call worksheet for a basic reference.

Below is an example from a 2016 Outback.

15 COMBINATION METER REPLACEMENT

Did you know your Parts Manager can now order certain combination meters with the already mileage programmed? This has been available for several months now. More information is accessible by selecting the parts operations tab in Subarunet under "Parts Operations" and then "Combi Meter Order Request." Below are the models that support this service.

• BRZ - 2013 and newer
• Crosstrek - 2013 and newer
• Forester - 2012 and newer
• Impreza - 2012 to 2016
• Legacy - 2010 and newer
• Outback - 2010 and newer
• Tribeca - 2008 and newer
• WRX/STI - 2012 and newer

TECH TIPS GREATEST TIPS 

For this version of TechTIPS Greatest Tips, we have decided to use Bluetooth Operation and Diagnosis. The Techline uses this Tip to assist Technicians daily. Remember to check phone compatibility before attempting to diagnose a Bluetooth concern. May 2017 TechTIPS has step by step instructions on checking phone compatibility. 

15 BLUETOOTH OPERATION AND DIAGNOSIS

The Techline has been experiencing high call volume on Bluetooth concerns. Some of the concerns can be handled by following a basic diagnostic approach. If additional diagnostics are needed after following this approach, the Bluetooth pre-call worksheet should always be filled out and available at the time of the call to the Techline. This form is found on Subarunet in the Service/Forms area.

In the event you receive a Bluetooth concern from a customer, always ask them (whenever reasonably possible) to demonstrate the condition using their phone. If it is a phone-related concern, you may have difficulty duplicating it with another phone. Phone-related concerns should be addressed by referring the customer to their cellular provider for assistance.

The basic diagnostic approach should be:

1. Verify the customers concern. 
2. Check the phone for compatibility. (Subaru.com-For owners-Bluetooth compatibility) If not compatible, advise the customer of this and verify operation with a compatible phone and display if necessary. 
3. Pair another compatible phone. 

   Is the concern still present? (If not, this is likely a phone-related concern) 

In the event the concern is still present, here is some information you should be aware of:

Bluetooth is a wireless technology built for exchanging data over short distances, in this case between the phone and the audio unit. In the event you have a pairing concern, pairing another phone to diagnose which side the Bluetooth failure is on is the recommended approach. If you have a cellular concern (dropped calls), always remember the audio unit has no cellular connection and the phone is responsible for holding the call. While verifying the concern, when the call drops, see if the call is still live on the phone. If so, this could be an concern with the connection between the phone and the audio unit. Pair another phone and see if it has the same concern. If so, the concern is more likely with the audio unit however, other factors may apply. If the call has been dropped from the phone, this is likely a phone/cellular concern. For this case, advise the customer to contact their cellular provider for assistance. Please note, the displayed bars of cellular connection only indicate the available network strength and not reflective of the actual voice or data volume that network is carrying. Just because you have 5 bars doesn't mean you can't have a call drop occasionally or a slow data connection.

Another point to keep in mind is, if the phone has experienced a recent operating system update (os or ios), the phone may need to be restarted to correct for the pairing condition. Most users leave their phones on 24/7. While not required in every case, many times just turning the phone OFF and then ON again may resolve a spotty Bluetooth pairing concern. In some cases after a system update, the customer may also need to delete the phone from the head unit and pair the phone to it again in addition to restarting the phone to resolve the intermittent or dropping pairing condition.

If you have a voice command concern, remember, if the customer has chosen the option to download their phonebook, this will happen every key cycle. While this is happening, the voice commands may not be available until the download process completes. The time needed to download contacts will be much longer. Thousands of contacts can require several minutes (not seconds) to download.