Tech Tips July 2019 (TIPS0719)

TECH TIPS JULY 2019

TECHNICAL INFORMATION TIPS

QMR OF THE MONTH

We are pleased to announce this month's Winner of QMR of the Month:

Our winning QMR for this month outlined an extremely complex diagnosis which led to the repair of a 2019 Outback 2.5i with a repeat concern of intermittent trouble with the remote keyless entry system operation. In addition, the lock/unlock switches on the doors would also not operate at times. Jacob's initial observation after verifying the condition described the combination meter display only showing the driver's door ajar, regardless of which other doors were open. He proceeded to dig into the related wiring diagrams and accessed another like vehicle to use for comparison testing. Jacob's report described an exceptional number of wiring checks. Each test included specific connector and pin location information along with concise results for each documented in his report. Similar results were provided from his "test vehicle" for comparison as needed. Jacob's persistence paid off as his testing eventually led to a faulty BIU which had an intermittent internal open circuit. Isolating this root cause was no easy task. Jacob's QMR was accompanied by an extensive collection of videos documenting the condition occurring, his extensive testing and the eventual result.

In appreciation for going the extra mile and sharing his experience with us, Jacob will receive the following from his Field Service Engineer:

The other Regional winners selected from QMRs submitted during April 2019 were:

• Kjell McDaniel  from McCurley Integrity Subaru  in Pasco, WA
• Oscar Perla  from Mid-Hudson Subaru  in Wappinger's Falls, NY
• Craig Kibbe  from Suburban Subaru  in Vernon, CT
• Seth Bamford  from C&S Subaru  in Waterloo, IA

Any Subaru Technician can participate in the QMR of the Month program. See the February 2013 and January 2016 issues of Tech TIPS for full details. You just might see your name and photo in a future issue of Tech TIPS!

QMR OF THE MONTH AWARD PRESENTATIONS

As part of our "enhanced" QMR of the Month recognition program, we will be including a photo (whenever available) of the recipient's award presentation in TIPS. The winner selected from QMR of the Month submissions received during May 2019 was Jacob Boyd, a Technician from Farrish Subaru in Fairfax, VA.

Jacob is shown being presented with his $500.00 Snap-On Gift Card by SOA District Parts and Service Manager, Beth Kuhn. Shop Foreman Pete Silan is to Jacob's right and Service Director Mike Graziano is shown to Beth's left. Congratulations and THANK YOU to our May 2019 QMR of the Month Award recipient!

G TYPE, H TYPE, AND I TYPE IMMOBILIZER REGISTRATION

The new 2020MY Legacy and Outback are equipped with three new types of Immobilizer system. These new systems will be labeled G Type, H Type, and I Type. Please be aware, these systems require SSM connection to SBR servers to gain access. Server access requires an authentication key. The authentication key is not yet available but will be included in a future immobilizer Technical Service Bulletin. This TSB will be updated every six months with current authentication keys.

IMPORTANT BATTERY SENSOR PROCEDURES - 2019MY CROSSTREK PLUG-IN HYBRID (PHEV) MODEL

The new 2019MY Crosstrek PHEV is equipped with a new-style battery sensor connecting the negative (-) battery cable to the negative battery post. In the past, the recommended procedure has been to disconnect the negative cable from the battery sensor leaving the sensor attached to the battery post. This new-style sensor requires the negative cable to stay attached and the cable/sensor "assembly" be removed from the battery post as shown below.

VERY CRITICAL: Never over-tighten  the 10mm hex nut at the battery terminal connection beyond the torque specification of 6 Nm (4.4 ft. lbs./53 inch-pounds).

TECH TIPS GREATEST TIPS 

This series features TechTIPS articles frequently referred to by Techline. This month's feature is for melting plastic from May 2013 

MELTING PLASTIC PARTS

Have you had a customer come into your dealership and report they have plastic parts on their car that look like they are melting? The customer may be correct but this kind of damage, is not a defect with their car's plastic exterior parts. During the warmer months, the sun's ultraviolet rays are stronger than at other times. If their vehicle is parked near a house or building which utilizes "Low-E" glass windows, sunlight reflection from this type of glass can actually direct enough heat to damage plastic parts. "Low-E" energy-saving glass has widespread uses, from office buildings to residential windows. Basically, it reflects the sun's UV rays in the summer and helps retain heat inside during the colder months. Here's an illustration of how Low-E glass works.

Under the right conditions, the heat from this concentrated sunlight reflection as shown on the left can reach up to near 180 degrees. That kind of concentrated temperature is more than hot enough to damage residential vinyl siding and in some cases, plastic car parts.

The photo to the right shows an example of a sunlight-damaged Subaru door mirror.

With springtime already here and summer on the way, you may experience these kinds of customer concerns at any time. Keep in mind that damage caused by this kind of sunlight reflection is not a defect, and therefore it is not a matter for warranty.

FALSE ERROR MESSAGE DISPLAYED WHEN SCANNING 2019MY IMPREZA SEDAN WITH SSM4

When attempting to identify the 2019MY Impreza sedan with SSM4, the following error message is displayed. This will not affect the SSM functionality, simply click "OK" to proceed.

2019MY Impreza Sedan is the only known vehicle that will display this message in error. This concern will be corrected with the October 2019 SSM software update. To identify which version is installed simply check the date on the SSM boot window. The photo below shows SSM version from April 2019.

HARMAN AUDIO UNIT PHONEBOOK CONTACT LIMITS

Cellular phones today have the capacity to store much more information for each contact than ever before. Each contact may carry an image, email address, home address, company information, multiple phone numbers, etc. This means each contact file can vary in size. When a phonebook is only partially downloaded to a Harman audio unit, it is possible the memory for contacts may be at capacity. Harman audio units can store around 2, 000 individual contacts. This number can be exceeded if each contact has a small file size, similarly if the file sizes are large the unit will hold less than 2, 000 contacts.

2015 TO CURRENT WRX/STI POPPING SOUND AFTER INSTALLING ACCESSORY SUBWOOFER

After installing the accessory subwoofer kit H630SFJ301  a popping sound from the speakers may be heard when the head unit powers on. The sound is particularly noticeable when the ignition is turned on, but the engine is not started. This popping sound is a normal characteristic of the audio system and no attempt to repair it should be made.

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MSA5M2024A	Owner Manual	2020 Ascent SUBARU STARLINK...	1-Jul-19
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TIPS0619-SE	TechTIPS NewsLetter	QMR of the Month Trip Special...	28-Jun-19
F541SAN000	Accessory Installation Guide	2020 Outback and Legacy Moonro...	27-Jun-19
WUA-86R	Subaru Product/Campaign Bulletin	Harman Kardon Head Unit Reprog...	27-Jun-19
02-163-16R	Technical Service Bulletin	Inspection and Repair Procedur...	27-Jun-19
15-211-17R	Technical Service Bulletin	Reprogramming File Availabilit...	26-Jun-19
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