Tech Tips January 2020 (TIPS0120)

TECH TIPS JANUARY 2020

TECHNICAL INFORMATION TIPS

01 QMR OF THE MONTH

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

Patrick's winning QMR outlined his successful diagnosis and repair of a 2018 Outback 2.5i Limited which presented with an unusual customer concern of the door locks locking and unlocking on their own while driving. Although unable to confirm the condition as described by the customer, he did verify being able to lock the doors with the door switches but not unlock them. Patrick started his diagnosis by confirming the remote keyless entry feature operated normally, both lock and unlock. Next, he connected the SSM and brought up the BIU PID data. While monitoring the Manual Unlock Switch Input PID, Patrick noticed it was not switching and always showed as ON. His next step was to remove both front door panels and disconnect the lock switches one at a time while monitoring the PID in hopes of seeing it switch from ON to OFF The PID data remained ON so, he began to inspect the instrument panel harness above the BIU by wiggling it in different areas while continuing to look for the PID to change. Eventually, Patrick was successful and after a thorough inspection, isolated a point where the harness had been contacting the steel frame of the passenger airbag module. He noticed the harness tape was chafed and upon closer inspection, found the insulation of the brown unlock request wire had been punctured, shorting the signal to ground. After repairing the damaged wire and adding some additional protection to the harness, normal door lock system operation was restored. Patrick's QMR contained a thorough description of his diagnostic procedure accompanied by quality photos and multiple videos.

In appreciation for going the extra mile and sharing his experience with us, Patrick will be receiving the following from his Field Service Engineer.

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

• Anthony Quintana  from Ramsey Subaru  in Ramsey, NJ
• David Callender  from Roy Robinson Subaru  in Tulalip, WA
• Matthew Brady  from Subaru of Wichita  in Wichita, KS
• Raymond Anderson  from Premier Subaru Watertown  in Watertown, CT

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!

01 QMR OF THE MONTH AWARD PRESENTATION

As part of our "enhanced" QMR of the Month recognition program, we include a photo (whenever available) of the recipient's award presentation in TIPS. The winner selected from QMR of the Month submissions received during November 2019 was Patrick Abramovitch, a Technician from Subaru of Port Richey in Port Richey, FL.

Patrick is shown after being presented with his $500.00 Snap-On Gift Card by SOA Field Service Engineer, Jeff Sharkey. Subaru of Port Richey's Service Manager, Brian Skelton is shown to Patrick's left. Congratulations and THANK YOU to our November 2019 QMR of the Month Award recipient!

01 HINTS FOR SEARCHING SEPARATE PUBLICATIONS WITH ONLINE REFERENCE

Many Technicians call Tech Line because they are having difficulty locating certain publications required for effective diagnosis. Most of these problems occur from Technicians having trouble searching the Online Reference section of STIS. Here are some useful hints to improve the efficacy of the Online Reference search.

Finding the correct Accessory Installation Guide may consume too much time for some as they are only published in the first model year of the body style for the vehicle. Instead of searching every year or trying to remember which model year the vehicle was introduced, the fastest way to find the required installation guide is to check the Accessory Installation Guide box and enter the part number from the accessory package in the keyword search field.

When diagnosing immobilizer system concerns and steps to perform after immobilizer system components are replaced, the Service Manual states to use the Registration Manual for Immobilizer. This manual is available for all models equipped with Immobilizer systems. To access this manual, check the box labeled Other/Miscellaneous then click the search button.

Once this search is complete, the displayed results will look like the image below. Under Other/Miscellaneous, there are several useful documents including the Registration Manuals for Immobilizer, TechTIPS Article Locator index and Instruction Manuals for various pieces of diagnostic equipment.

The results can be narrowed by using the Filter field. Typing "imm" into the filter removes all search hits irrelevant to the immobilizer system.

Owner Manuals for vehicles dating back to 2000MY are available in.pdf format. Service Manuals are also available as.pdf files for many models dating back to 1991MY.

These files may take some time to download but, will open faster if they are saved to the computer. To save the Owner or Service Manual, simply click the save icon to store the file locally. When the manual is needed again, it will load much faster if you open the file from the computer rather than downloading from an internet browser.

The TechTIPS Locator Index is an extremely useful tool. It is updated every three months with the article titles and the month/year in which the article was published. The index is located under the Other/Miscellaneous Publication Type.

Technical Service Bulletins can also be searched with the Model Year/Carline/Trim fields left blank. Simply check the publication type box for Technical Service Bulletins and enter a Keyword.

Sometimes, there will be no results even if the search fields are left blank and only the Publication Type is selected. This is likely because the user has been logged out of Subarunet for inactivity. Close the STIS tab, return to the Subarunet home page and click the refresh icon on the internet browser. Then, log in and repeat the search.

Important information can be found in several different Publication Types. Using Online Reference to search effectively will help to ensure Technicians have all the information they need to make a quick and efficient repair. The images and examples outlined here only cover some of the Publication Types but may be applied to all.

Other important Publication Types to note, and use:

• Owner Manuals for all models - Owner Manuals - Keeping copies of the Owner Manual for each vehicle type that is serviced often saved to the hard drive of the computer can clear up many questions regarding user error or system limitations/functions.
• Registration Manuals for Immobilizer - Other/Miscellaneous - Used to program immobilizer components, reference this guide when replacing DCMs, ECMs, etc. to check for additional required steps following replacement of modules.
• TechTIPS Article Locator Index - Other Miscellaneous - The best way to search for previous articles.
• Intermediate Fuel Injection - Technician Reference Booklet - Evaporative Emissions Systems diagnostic information. All TRBs are available via.pdf with color photos.
• Harman Technical Support Guide - Troubleshooting Guides - Harman 3.0 Audio Unit features, update information, troubleshooting. Also available for Fujitsu/Denso Ten, Kenwood, Panasonic, and Clarion audio units.
• Remote Engine Start Systems Troubleshooting Guide (many years/models available) -Troubleshooting Guide - Used to repair and diagnose RES systems, RES fob programming, runtime selection.

01 APPLICATION CHART FOR IMMOBILIZER SYSTEM

07 2019-20 FORESTER & 2020 LEGACY/OUTBACK DRIVER MONITORING SYSTEM (DMS), SEAT MEMORY, AND/OR MIRROR TILT INOPERATIVE

A small number of field reports have been received with a concern involving the DMS system being inoperative. In addition, the seat memory feature and mirror glass tilting was also found to be inoperative. After performing extensive electrical diagnostics, the root cause was traced to a loose harness connector located behind the lower exterior trim cover of the door mirror assembly. This condition has been found in both RH and LH mirror assemblies. After re-seating the connector and making sure it was fully locked in place, all systems returned to normal operation.

The photo sequence below is an example of the loose connector which resulted in a B2632-Mirror D Sensor Circuit Anomalous State in the LH Mirror control unit. This type of condition may create a B2632 (LH) or B2642 (RH) in the related outer mirror control module in either Forester, Legacy or Outback depending on which side mirror has the poor connection. In the case of Forester, you may find DTC U0156 for Lost Communication stored in multiple modules. In Legacy or Outback, a DTC U122E(LH) or U122F(RH) for lost communication with the related driver or passenger mirror module may also be stored.

07 REVISED ASCENT SUNROOF GLASS (LID) AND SUN SHADE INITIALIZATION PROCEDURES

There are 3 Lid and Glass initialization procedures to use depending on the repair performed:

• Lid and Sun Shade Initialization: To be used whenever either the lid or sun shade motor/module is replaced with a NEW part. This procedure restores operation of the "Auto Open/Close" and "Pinch Prevention" features.
• Lid Re-Initialization: To be used whenever the lid is removed for repair or replacement and the lid is not fully opened or closed after reassembly.
• Sun Shade Re-Initialization: To be used whenever sun shade is removed for repair or replacement and the sun shade is not fully opened or closed at reassembly.

Lid and Sun Shade Initialization:

Whenever either the lid or sun shade motor is replaced and before the Auto Open/Close and Pinch Prevention functions of the sunroof system can operate properly, the Lid and Sun Shade initialization procedure must be completed successfully.

1. Turn the ignition ON.
2. Push and HOLD  the sunroof switch to open the open position until the lid is fully opened. The lid and shade will open simultaneously. IMPORTANT: Both the lid and shade will open beyond the fully open position until they reach the mechanical lock position (positive stop) then immediately reverse (move forward) back to the fully open position and stop automatically.
   NOTE: The travel distance between the fully open and mechanical lock positions is very short, approximately one inch.
3. Release the sunroof switch to complete the procedure.
   CAUTION: If when performing this procedure, the Lid and shade stop at any point before reaching the fully open position, the motor has already been initialized.

   Use the illustration below as reference for Lid and Shade Positions.

Lid Re-Initialization Procedure:

1. Turn the ignition ON.
2. Push and release the sunroof switch to the open position repeatedly until the lid is in the fully open position.
3. Push and HOLD the sunroof switch to the open position again. After about 10 seconds, the lid will open beyond the fully open position until it reaches the mechanical lock position (positive stop) then immediately reverse (move forward) back to the fully open position and stop automatically.
   NOTE: The travel distance between the fully open and mechanical lock positions is very short, approximately one inch.
4. Release the sunroof switch to complete the procedure.

Sun Shade Re-Initialization Procedure:

1. Turn the ignition ON.
2. Push and release the sun shade switch to the open position repeatedly until it is in the fully open position.
3. Push and HOLD the sun shade switch to the open position again. After about 10 seconds, the lid will open beyond the fully open position until it reaches the mechanical lock position (positive stop) then immediately reverse (move forward) back to the fully open position.
   NOTE: The travel distance between the fully open and mechanical lock positions is very short, approximately one inch.
4. Release the sun shade switch to complete the procedure.

07 CHANGE TO LENGTH OF ECM CALIBRATION ID (CID) NUMBERS

Some Technicians have noticed while performing ECM reprogramming recently, the length of the CID number is now longer than what it has been in the past. This is not a typo. CID numbers are required by California emission code regulations. The SAE standard allows for the CID number to be up to 16-digits to prevent duplication (which is illegal). Due to the ever-rising number of ECMs applicable to OBD regulation, SBR has decided to increase the CID number from 8-digits to 11 beginning with some new 2020MY vehicles. The phase-in of the new, 11-digit CID numbers will occur over time. Be advised, there will still be some new 8-digit numbers used during this transition period.

Old/New CID examples:

• OLD CID: LT8D601A
• NEW CID: LT8F102C00G

00 STIS NEW RELEASES

ITEM CODE	ITEM TYPE	TITLE	CREATED DATE
12-279-20	Technical Service Bulletin	Outer Door Handles-Chrome Fin...	17-Jan-20
17-17-13R	Technical Service Bulletin	Event Data Recorder (EDR) Func...	17-Jan-20
12-278-20	Technical Service Bulletin	Combination Meter Visor-Light...	15-Jan-20
07-151-19R	Technical Service Bulletin	DTC B112C or B112E-Driver Mon...	15-Jan-20
TKC-20R	Subaru Product/Campaign Bulletin	Takata Front Passenger Airbag...	15-Jan-20
TKB-20R	Subaru Product/Campaign Bulletin	Takata Front Passenger Airbag...	15-Jan-20
TKA-20R	Subaru Product/Campaign Bulletin	Takata Front Passenger Airbag...	15-Jan-20
11-194-20	Technical Service Bulletin	Intake Manifold-Replacement P...	15-Jan-20
SOA367035	Accessory Installation Guide	2020 Legacy Crossbars	14-Jan-20
WUR-03R	Subaru Product/Campaign Bulletin	Brake Hose Swelling Service Pr...	10-Jan-20
01-168-09R	Technical Service Bulletin	Replacement Key and Immobilize...	10-Jan-20
07-165-20	Technical Service Bulletin	EyeSight/Lane Departure Deac...	10-Jan-20
05-71-19R	Technical Service Bulletin	Front Coil Spring Inspection P...	8-Jan-20
07-164-20	Technical Service Bulletin	FlashWrite Control Module Repr...	7-Jan-20
15-211-17R	Technical Service Bulletin	Reprogramming File Availabilit...	3-Jan-20
H671SAN200	Accessory Installation Guide	2020MY Legacy/Outback Wireless...	2-Jan-20
WUX-09	Subaru Product/Campaign Bulletin	2016-2017 Outback Replacement...	2-Jan-20
H461SXC101	Accessory Installation Guide	PORT INSTALLATION: 2019-20MY I...	2-Jan-20