NHTSA ID Number: 10160215
Manufacturer Communication Number: TechTIPS
Summary
Subaru
Service and Technical Support Line Newsletter
1 Affected Product
Vehicle
CODE ARTICLE………………………….PAGE
(00) STIS New Releases…………………. 7
(01) QMR of the Month…………………… 1
(01) QMR of the Month Award
Presentations ……………………….. 2
(01) Understanding Customer’s Concern.. 3
(07) 2019MY Forester, Driver Monitoring
System (DMS) Inoperative B2632
B2642………………………………… 3
(07) Hill Start Assist Lamp Illuminated
Without Associated DTCs or
Customer’s Concern……………….3-4
Tech Tips Greatest Tips
(11) Secondary Air Injection Diagnostic
Trouble Codes P2441 and P2442…… 5
(15) How to End Speaker Output Check
When Using SSM……………………. 6
SEOCONTENT-START
Subaru Service and Technical Support Line Newsletter
April 2019
01 QMR OF THE MONTH
We are pleased to announce this month’s Winner of QMR of the Month:
Zach Alley from
Ferguson Subaru in Broken Arrow, OK
The QMR Zach submitted involved a very low-mileage 2019MY
Ascent with a customer concern described as a humming noise
heard at speeds over 50mph. After a short road test to confirm the
condition, Zach’s first check was to verify the fluid level and fluid
condition in the front differential. After determining the level was
low and seeing evidence of a leak, he drained the front differential,
inspected a sample of the gear oil and identified a considerable
amount of metal contamination. Zach determined the leak was
coming from one of the differential side seals but, closer inspection
revealed the lock plate which engages in the notches around the
perimeter of the seal retainer to maintain carrier bearing preload
adjustment was not installed properly. Although the bolt was tight,
the lock plate was rotated and never engaged any of the retainer
notches. This allowed the retainer to loosen and cause extensive
internal differential damage from the resulting excessive backlash.
The vehicle was repaired with a replacement transmission assembly.
In addition to fulfilling all the requirements for nomination as a QMR
of the Month nominee, Zach’s report contained excellent, high-quality
photos which caught the eye of the SBR Engineering staff. This led
them to request collection of the original transmission assembly from
the Retailer for further analysis due to the peculiar nature of the root
cause of this failure.
In appreciation for going the extra mile and sharing his experience
with us, Zach will be receiving the following.
A $500.00 Snap-On gift card.
©2019 Subaru of America, Inc. All rights reserved.
SUBARU TECHLINE HOLIDAYS
& HOURS OF OPERATION
Memorial Day: (Closed)
Monday, May 27, 2019
Independence Day: (Closed)
Thursday, July 4, 2019
Mon. – Thurs. 8:30AM – 7:30PM EST
Friday 10:30AM – 5:00PM EST
Saturday 9:00AM – 3:00PM EST
CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
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ARTICLES CONTAINED
IN THIS ISSUE
CODE ARTICLE………………………….PAGE
(00) STIS New Releases…………………. 7
(01) QMR of the Month…………………… 1
(01) QMR of the Month Award
Presentations ……………………….. 2
(01) Understanding Customer’s Concern.. 3
(07) 2019MY Forester, Driver Monitoring
System (DMS) Inoperative B2632
B2642………………………………… 3
(07) Hill Start Assist Lamp Illuminated
Without Associated DTCs or
Customer’s Concern……………….3-4
Tech Tips Greatest Tips
(11) Secondary Air Injection Diagnostic
Trouble Codes P2441 and P2442…… 5
(15) How to End Speaker Output Check
When Using SSM……………………. 6
The Subaru TechTIPS newsletter is intended for use by professional Technicians ONLY. Articles 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 your vehicle has or will have that condition.
Impreza, Legacy, Justy, Loyale, Outback, Forester, Subaru SVX, WRX, WRX STI, Baja, Tribeca,
BRZ, XV Crosstrek, Ascent, Crosstrek Hybrid and “Quality Driven” are Registered Trademarks.
ISO 14001 is the international standard for
excellence in Environmental Management
Systems. Please recycle or dispose of
automotive products in a manner that is
friendly to our environment and in accordance
with all local, state and federal laws and
regulations.
CAUTION: VEHICLE SERVICING PERFORMED BY UNTRAINED PERSONS
COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY TO THOSE PERSONS OR TO OTHERS.
SUBARU OF AMERICA, INC. IS
ISO 14001 COMPLIANT
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April 2019 TechTIPS Page 1 of 8
01 QMR OF THE MONTH
The other Regional winners selected from QMRs submitted during January 2019 were:
• Brian Gray from Milea Subaru in Bronx, NY
• Jeremy Hughes from Subaru of Spokane in Spokane, WA
• Michael Wageman from River City Subaru in Huntingdon, WV
• Todd Carlson from Tri City Subaru in Somersworth, NH
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 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 February 2019, was Zach Alley, a Technician at Ferguson Subaru in Broken
Arrow, OK.
Zach is shown above being presented with his $500.00 Snap-On Gift Card by SOA Field Service Engineer,
Alex Portillo. He was joined by Ferguson Subaru’s Service Director Joe Cyr. Congratulations and THANK
YOU to our March 2019 QMR of the Month Award recipient!
CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
April 2019 TechTIPS Page 2 of 8
01 UNDERSTANDING CUSTOMER’S CONCERN
The most important step in ensuring a customer’s concern is properly addressed is fully understanding the
concern. Too often Technicians spend time diagnosing a concern they do not fully understand. This leads to
lost productivity, unnecessary comebacks, vehicles not fixed right the first time, and dissatisfied customers.
When calling Techline for assistance where the concern is vague, often the Technician will be presented with
more questions than answers. When a concern is not fully understood the Technician should ask clarifying
questions. Customer questionnaires can be found on Subarunet > Service Operations & Technical >
Forms / downloads. Customer Interview forms can be found in the applicable Service Manual under most
system sections. If after getting additional information a concern still cannot be reproduced, then have
the customer reproduce the condition for the Technician servicing the vehicle. Often, once a Technician
experiences the condition they can rectify it.
07 2019MY FORESTER, DRIVER MONITORING SYSTEM (DMS) INOPERATIVE B2632 B2642
If DTC B2362 and/or B2642 are stored in history or set as current with any of the following conditions:
• Driver Focus will not register a name.
• When registering a new user, the system
will fail registration, yet create a new
profile with a default name that cannot be
customized.
• Memory seat switches are inoperative.
• Right door mirror does not dip in reverse,
check for poor contact at the door harness
connection as shown in the photo.
07 HILL START ASSIST LAMP ILLUMINATED WITHOUT ASSOCIATED DTCS OR CUSTOMER’S CONCERN
Techline continues to receive calls regarding Hill Start Assist Lamp that remain illuminated at all times. In
the absence of any DTC(s), the Technician should determine if the lamp illumination is normal operation.
Some drivers prefer to drive with the Hill Start Assist system turned OFF. When the system is deactivated,
the lamp will remain illuminated. Should a Technician encounter this condition, they should interview the
customer to determine if the system was deactivated intentionally. The activation / deactivation procedure
can be found in applicable Owner’s Manual > Starting and operating/Hill start assist system. The pages
below are from 2018 MY WRX Owner’s Manual.
CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
April 2019 TechTIPS Page 3 of 8
HILL START ASSIST LAMP ILLUMINATED WITHOUT ASSOCIATED DTCS OR CUSTOMER’S CONCERN
07 (CONTINUED)
CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
April 2019 TechTIPS Page 4 of 8
This series features TechTIPS articles frequently referred to by Techline. This month’s features from
July 2015 illustrates secondary air system gasket installation on EJ engines.
11 SECONDARY AIR INJECTION DIAGNOSTIC TROUBLE CODES P2441 AND P2442
When working on a vehicle with Secondary
Air Injection System DTCs P2441 or P2442,
check the vehicle history to see if there has
been any work done to the engine or the
Secondary Air Injection System prior to the
DTC setting.
If so, check to see if there appear to be
traces of carbon on the back of the right hand
cylinder head. Turbo Charger removal may
be necessary to get a good view of the pipe
which bolts to the back of the cylinder head.
If carbon traces are seen as shown in the
photos below, there is a good chance the
gasket that seals the secondary air pipe to
the back of the cylinder head is installed in
the wrong direction (from prior repair) causing
secondary air flow to be partially blocked.
As seen in the attached photos, this gasket is
pointed on one end. The correct way to install
this gasket is with the pointed end facing
towards the transmission.
Wrong Way (Point Towards the Valve Cover) Correct Way (Point Towards the Short Block)
CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
April 2019 TechTIPS Page 5 of 8
15 HOW TO END SPEAKER OUTPUT CHECK WHEN USING SSM
When performing the Speaker Output Check Active Test with SSM, there is possibility the SSM cannot
stop the test. If you encounter this scenario follow the directions below to end the test.
1. Press the “Stop” Button in the right lower part on the Active test screen. (If this procedure isn’t
performed, you may not perform step 2 since the volume screen continues to be displayed on the
Head Unit display)
2. Perform and end “CHECK SPEAKER OUTPUT WITH LINE DIAG MODE” on Head Unit. (Refer to
“ENTERTAINMENT & MONITORING > Audio System” in Service Manual)
1. Turn the ignition switch to ACC.
2. Press the TUNE/SCROLL (b) twice with the Home button (a)
pressed.
3. {Line Diag} screen is displayed.
4. Select the {Audio Check} soft key at the bottom of the display.
5. Select “speaker check”. (Normally, “speaker output check”
will start. But at this situation, just the volume screen will appear and disappear, since the
“speaker output check” is already running.)
6. Select the “speaker check” again. Then, “speaker output check” will shut off.
CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
April 2019 TechTIPS Page 6 of 8
00 STIS NEW RELEASES
ITEM CODE ITEM TYPE TITLE
CREATED
DATE
15-208-17R Technical Service Bulletin Availability of “Gracenote® Me… 25-Apr-19
WUE-90R Subaru Product/Campaign Bulletin Brake Lamp Switch Replacement 24-Apr-19
J101SAN200 Accessory Installation Guide 2020MY Legacy Splash Guards 24-Apr-19
02-170-17R Technical Service Bulletin Oil Leaking from AVCS Oil Cont… 23-Apr-19
15-240-19R Technical Service Bulletin New Harman Audio Amplifiers 19-Apr-19
12-260-19 Technical Service Bulletin Metallic Rattle / Chirping Sou… 18-Apr-19
07-150-19 Technical Service Bulletin Rear Combination Lamp Harness … 17-Apr-19
12-261-19 Technical Service Bulletin EyeSight Camera Cover Removal … 17-Apr-19
WUF-91 Subaru Product/Campaign Bulletin Replacement Ignition Switch Re… 15-Apr-19
WTY-84R Subaru Product/Campaign Bulletin 2.0L Engine Valve Spring Fract… 11-Apr-19
07-149-19 Technical Service Bulletin Airbag System Sensor-Related D… 10-Apr-19
TKC-19 Subaru Product/Campaign Bulletin Takata Front Passenger Airbag … 10-Apr-19
TKB-19 Subaru Product/Campaign Bulletin Takata Front Passenger Airbag … 10-Apr-19
TKA-19 Subaru Product/Campaign Bulletin Takata Front Passenger Airbag … 10-Apr-19
WUE-90 Subaru Product/Campaign Bulletin Brake Lamp Switch Replacement 9-Apr-19
WUC-88R Subaru Product/Campaign Bulletin Power Steering Gear Box Inspec… 8-Apr-19
15-208-17R Technical Service Bulletin Availability of “Gracenote® Me… 8-Apr-19
J3110AN020 Accessory Installation Guide 2020MY – 2 Piece Rear Gate Tr… 1-Apr-19
J1010AN000 Accessory Installation Guide 2020MY Outback Sport Grille 1-Apr-19
SOA7181004 Accessory Installation Guide Bumper Corner Molding (4 piece… 28-Mar-19
12-253-18 Technical Service Bulletin “Squeak” “Creak” or “Pop” -Typ… 27-Mar-19
E771SAN000 Accessory Installation Guide Legacy Rear Bumper Appliqué 27-Mar-19
14-22-16R Technical Service Bulletin Special Service Tool Cross Ref… 26-Mar-19
F411SXC020 Accessory Installation Guide Ascent Seat Cover – 3rd Row Be… 26-Mar-19
F411SXC010 Accessory Installation Guide Ascent Seat Cover – 2nd Row Ca… 26-Mar-19
DCA-8000 Other/Miscellaneous DCA-8000 Diagnostic Battery Ch… 26-Mar-19
15-236-18R Technical Service Bulletin Reprogramming File Availabilit… 25-Mar-19
SUTTIPSLOC Other/Miscellaneous TechTIPS Article Locator Index… 25-Mar-19
All revised publications are highlighted in yellow. CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
April 2019 TechTIPS Page 7 of 8
*** NOW YOU CAN E-MAIL YOUR TECHTIPS INPUT AND SUGGESTIONS TO: TECH@SUBARU.COM ***
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This is your chance to offer suggestions for use in future issues of TechTIPS! Make sure
that if you e-mail us, you place in the subject line of your e-mail “For TechTIPS Newsletter”.
Thank you!
MODEL:
YEAR:
VIN:
Description of situation encountered:
Your suggestion for repair procedure, product improvements, etc.:
Please attach separate sheets, if necessary. You may also want to include Service Manual
diagrams or references, or your own drawings to assist in describing your suggestion. All
information submitted becomes the property of Subaru of America, Inc. Permission is granted to
Subaru of America, Inc. to print your name and suggestions in TechTIPS and other Subaru of
America, Inc. publications. Mail items to: PO Box 9103; Camden, NJ 08101-9877.
Your Name:
Signature:
Dealer’s Name:
City:
Date:
Dealer Code:
April 2019 TechTIPS Page 8 of 8
TIPS0419 – 2019 April TechTIPS Newsletter
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- UNDERSTAND YOUR CHECK ENGINE LIGHT – The ANCEL AD410 OBD2 scanner helps everyday drivers quickly read and clear engine-related fault codes, view code definitions, and understand why the check engine light is on before visiting a repair shop. With 42,000+ built-in DTC lookups, this car code reader helps reduce guesswork and makes basic vehicle diagnostics easier for beginners and DIY users
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- 【Live Data Graphing – Spot Engine Issues in Real Time】View and log live sensor data in easy-to-read graphs with this OBD2 scanner diagnostic tool. Monitor oxygen sensors, fuel trims, coolant temperature, RPM, and more to spot suspicious values instantly. This obd scanner gives you professional-grade insight without the pro price tag—a feature you won’t find on basic $20 car code readers
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