“Tapping” -Type Sound Coming from Engine to CVT Connection – 2017-2019 Subaru Impreza & Crosstrek

SEOCONTENT-START

Bulletin Number: 16-121-19R; Revised: 07/09/19 Page 1 of 3
Continued…
NUMBER: 16-121-19R
DATE: 05/09/19
REVISED: 07/09/19
APPLICABILITY: 2017-19MY Impreza
2017-19MY Crosstrek
SUBJECT: “Tapping” -Type Sound Coming from
Engine to CVT Connection
CAUTION: VEHICLE SERVICING PERFORMED BY UNTRAINED PERSONS COULD
RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY TO THOSE PERSONS OR TO OTHERS.
Subaru Service Bulletins are intended for use by professional technicians ONLY. They
are written to inform those technicians of conditions that may occur in some vehicles,
or to provide information that could assist in the proper servicing of the vehicle. Properly
trained technicians have the equipment, tools, safety instructions, and know-how to
do the job correctly and safely. If a condition is described, DO NOT assume that this
Service Bulletin applies to your vehicle, or that your vehicle will have that condition.
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INTRODUCTION:
This bulletin provides a procedure for addressing a limited number of concerns involving a tapping
-type sound originating from the area where the engine and CVT are joined. On affected vehicles, the
sound can be heard easiest after the engine is fully warmed up.
SERVICE PROCEDURE / INFORMATION:
REMINDER: Customer satisfaction and retention starts with performing quality repairs.
Always refer to the applicable Service Manual and review the full requirements of the repair
being performed. The Service Manual procedures contain information critical to performing an
effective repair the first time and every time. This includes but is not limited to: important SAFETY
precautions, proper inspection criteria, necessary special tools, required processes and related onetime-
use parts needed for a complete and lasting repair.
This procedure involves removing the 6 (six) converter to drive plate bolts, rotating the drive plate
180 degrees on the converter and re-securing / torqueing the bolts.
Step 1: Confirm the customer’s concern. The sound will not be heard after starting a cold engine.
As the engine warms up, the sound will become louder and easier to duplicate. IMPORTANT: The
engine oil temperature must be up to at least 100 degrees C (212 F) or higher.
Step 2: After confirming the sound, remove the v-belt following the procedure in the applicable
Service Manual and restart the engine to confirm the sound persists. If the sound is no longer present,
proceed to Step 3.
SERVICE BULLETIN
ATTENTION:
GENERAL MANAGER q
PARTS MANAGER q
CLAIMS PERSONNEL q
SERVICE MANAGER q
IMPORTANT – All
Service Personnel
Should Read and
Initial in the boxes
provided, right.
©2019 Subaru of America, Inc. All rights reserved.
Bulletin Number: 16-121-19R; Revised: 07/09/19 Page 2 of 3
Continued…
Step 3: Record the customer’s radio station presets (and Navigation
favorites where applicable) then disconnect the negative (ground) cable
from the battery sensor.
Step 4: Remove / disconnect the necessary components to gain access
to the rubber service hole plug in the top of the converter housing and
the 6-torque converter retaining bolts.
Step 5: Locate the small ignition timing mark on the back edge of the crankshaft pulley as shown
below (Fig. 1). Put a mark with a grease pencil or use a small piece of tape 180 degrees opposite of
the timing mark for reference. As a general guideline, this mark should approximately align with the
30 degrees before TDC mark on the timing chain cover (Fig. 2) and will be much easier to see and
refer to than the timing mark.
Fig. 1 Fig. 2
Step 6: Turn the crankshaft pulley (ALWAYS in the direction of engine
rotation) as needed to align the first converter bolt with the service hole.
Step 7: Add a paint mark as shown in Fig. 3 below to “bridge” both the torque
converter and drive plate. This paint mark will be used for reference once all 6
converter bolts have been removed.
Step 8: CAREFULLY remove all 6 torque converter bolts taking extra care to
not drop any of them into the torque converter housing once they are removed.
REMINDER: ALWAYS rotate the crankshaft pulley in the direction of engine
rotation.
Step 9: Once all 6 bolts are removed, rotate the crankshaft pulley and using the
paint mark applied in Step 7, confirm the torque converter remains stationary
and only the drive plate is turning. There is a small possibility the drive plate
and torque converter could be seized together. Use a screw driver or small pry
bar through the service hole to engage the ring gear teeth on the torque converter
while turning the crankshaft pulley to free-up the seizure. If unsuccessful,
remove the starter following the procedure in the applicable Service Manual.
Install the special tool (498277200) to lock the torque converter in position while
turning the crankshaft pulley to free-up the seizure.
Fig. 3
Bulletin Number: 16-121-19R; Revised: 07/09/19 Page 3 of 3
Step 10: With the torque converter now loose from the drive plate, rotate the crankshaft pulley 180
degrees from the initial starting point when the additional Reference Mark was applied to it and,
the paint mark was applied to the drive plate and torque converter as shown in Steps 5 and 7. The
paint mark on the torque converter (NOT the paint mark on the drive plate) should be visible at the
service hole. The goal is to have the drive plate 180 degrees from the original position on the torque
converter.
Step 11: Align the first torque converter bolt hole with the drive plate and reinstall the first bolt fully
but DO NOT tighten it. Rotate the crankshaft pulley (in the direction of engine rotation) and install
the remaining 5 bolts. Once all 6 bolts are installed, torque all to 25Nm (18.4 ft. lbs.).
Step 12: Reinstall any components removed to access the rubber service hole plug in reverse order
of removal.
Step 13: Reconnect the battery ground cable, torque the nut to 7.5 Nm (5.5 ft. lbs. or 66 inch-lbs.)
and start the engine to confirm the repair.
Step 14: Reset the customer’s radio station presets (and Navigation favorites where applicable) to
complete the procedure.
WARRANTY / CLAIM INFORMATION:
For vehicles within the Basic New Car Limited or Powertrain Limited Warranty period or covered by
an active Subaru Added Security Powertrain, Classic or Gold plan, this repair may be submitted using
the following claim information:
Labor Description Labor Operation # Labor Time Fail Code
TORQUE CONVERTER DRIVE PLATE TAPPING SOUND REPAIR A303-128 0.8 LAE-25
IMPORTANT REMINDERS:
• SOA strongly discourages the printing and/or local storage of service information as
previously released information and electronic publications may be updated at any time.
• Always check for any open recalls or campaigns anytime a vehicle is in for servicing.
• Always refer to STIS for the latest service information before performing any repairs.