Battery Leaks- Visual Guidelines to Assist with Determining Warranty Coverage – Subaru

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Bulletin Number: 07-186-20; Date: 12/08/20 Page 1 of 4 Continued… 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. Subaru of America, Inc. is ISO 14001 Compliant 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. NUMBER: 07-186-20 DATE: 12/08/20 APPLICABILITY: All Models SUBJECT: Battery Leaks- Visual Guidelines to Assist with Determining Warranty Coverage INTRODUCTION: This Service Information Bulletin is intended to supply Service and Parts Department personnel with some photographs for use as examples to assist them with determining if a verified leaking battery condition is warrantable or not. These photos and some of the accompanying text have been supplied by Interstate Batteries and we appreciate their support in developing this bulletin. It is important to understand these images are intended to show commonly seen examples of various leaking battery conditions. They are not all Subaru-specific photos or descriptions of conditions limited to only Subaru vehicles. A battery is a perishable item requiring periodic maintenance. With reasonable care, battery life can be significantly extended whereas neglect and abuse will invariably shorten battery life. A routine “under hood” battery inspection can be made during periodic fueling stops. Maintenance should be automatically performed whenever the vehicle is left for other periodic services such as oil changes or minor repairs. Customers appreciate Technicians who remind them of needed services. Battery maintenance is not considered a matter for warranty. The photos below show examples of various conditions commonly seen with vehicle batteries collected after replacement under warranty. When diagnosing a battery “leak” concern, it is extremely important to realize the differences between: • what is to be considered normal “seepage” or moisture accumulation as a result of normal “outgassing”, a by-product of battery charging shown in FIGURE A • normal seepage around the post seals on the top cover of the battery case as shown in FIGURE B • resultant corrosion build-up on terminals, hardware and hold-downs as a result of the points listed above shown in FIGURE C and / or non-defect conditions resulting from lack of proper cleaning and / or maintenance as shown in FIGURE D • an actual defect where the top case cover seal is not sealing properly and causing corrosion to develop as shown in FIGURE E. SERVICE INFORMATION 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. © 2020 Subaru of America, Inc. All rights reserved. Bulletin Number: 07-186-20; Date: 12/08/20 Page 2 of 4 Continued… IMPORTANT REMINDER: BOTH the completed Warranty Tag and the REPLACE test printout MUST be attached to any battery expected to be replaced under Warranty by Interstate. FIGURE A: FIGURE B: In this collection of returned batteries, the RED arrows point to moisture accumulations which has escaped from either the post seal(s) and / or the covers (fill caps) as a result of normal outgassing, a normal by-product of charging. The two WHITE arrows point to corrosion. Both are normal conditions and not to be considered defects. The RED arrow points to moisture seepage seen around the post seal. This photo depicts seepage which should be considered normal and would not be considered a warrantable defect requiring battery replacement. Bulletin Number: 07-186-20; Date: 12/08/20 Page 3 of 4 Continued… FIGURES C and D: Both photos above show corrosion accumulations which have developed over time resulting from a lack of proper cleaning and / or maintenance. If corrosion develops on the hold-down, if the battery tray or hold-down parts become rusty or, whenever the battery becomes dirty, it is recommended to take the time to remove it from the vehicle and thoroughly clean these parts. Use a wire brush to remove dirt, corrosion and rust. A baking soda and water mixture (toothpaste consistency) or spray neutralizer is recommended for use on the battery cable ends and connectors along with a 2-way battery terminal brush as shown below to clean both the battery posts and inside the terminal ends. The solution also neutralizes the sulfuric acid content embedded in the metals creating the corrosion. A cloth dampened with ammonia or a baking soda/water solution can be used to remove dirt from the top of the battery followed by wiping clean with a damp cloth. IMPORTANT: Never use any kind of liquid or solution to clean the battery sensor (if equipped). Once any rust and corrosion has been removed and all connectors are thoroughly cleaned, make sure the battery is completely dry. Reconnect the cables to the battery posts and torque the fasteners to their applicable specification. When complete, application of a thin coating of terminal protectant spray over the connectors and posts to retard corrosion is also recommended. IMPORTANT: Never apply insulating materials (e.g dielectric grease) to the contact surface of the battery post or the inside contact surface of the battery terminal. Bulletin Number: 07-186-20; Date: 12/08/20 Page 4 of 4 FIGURE E: 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. The RED arrows point to moisture seepage around the top cover seal and the start of an accumulation of corrosion. This photo depicts seepage which should be considered excessive and would be considered a warrantable defect requiring battery replacement.

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To: All Subaru Retailers From: Subaru of America, Inc. – Service Operations Department Date: April 12, 2021 Re: DPSM authorization requirement for leaking batteries In December, we released a Technical Service Bulletin (TSB) offering additional information to retailers to assist in determining warranty coverage for a suspected battery leak (07-186-20). There has been significant concern that when batteries claimed to be leaking are collected and inspected, there is in fact no evidence of what the battery industry defines as a leak. The intension of the TSB was to supply Service and Parts Department personnel with some photographs for use as examples to assist in determining if a verified battery is in fact leaking and if the leaking battery condition is warrantable or not. While we have seen the number of leaking battery claims decrease slightly, there are still an inordinate amount of leaking battery claims being submitted. Beginning today, 4/12/21, all leaking battery claims, regardless of claim type, will require DPSM authorization. Please use TSB 07-186-20 as a guide to help in identifying whether a battery is leaking. If a battery is identified as having a warrantable leak, use the “Leaking/cracked battery” authorization reason when creating an authorization request and include photos clearly showing the leaking battery to the authorization. While photos are not required to submit the authorization, they are required for a DPSM to review the authorization for approval. Should you have any questions, please contact the Claims Helpline 866-782-2782.

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