Tech Tips - August 2019 (TIPS0819)

Publication date: 2019-08-01
Reference number: TIPS0819

TECH TIPS - AUGUST 2019

TECHNICAL INFORMATION TIPS

Reference Number(s): TIPS0819, Date of Issue: August 01, 2019

SUBARU:

All Models

01 QMR OF THE MONTH

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

Our selection for this month's winner involved a 2019MY Ascent with a recurring concern of the Brake, EyeSight and RAB warning lights coming on. The customer reported the same warning indicators came back on again a short time after another retailer had previously replaced the brake light switch. After Toby confirmed the condition, he noticed the clearance lights would come on when pressing the brake pedal. A DTC check revealed DTC P0724 was stored for a high input in the brake light circuit. Toby suspected a short and/or feedback through the related wiring and began by disconnecting the trailer light wiring harness to see if there was any change. With the trailer wiring ruled out, he disconnected the rear combination lights and high mounted stop light, one at a time, still with no change. After unplugging body harness connector R466 for the left rear, the condition stopped. Leaving connector R466 disconnected, Toby used his DVOM between R466 and the R79 trailer wiring connector to check the integrity of the harness. While "wiggle testing" sections of the suspect harness and checking continuity, his DVOM indicated an open circuit which he was able to make come and go in grid area C4 near connector R28. Toby carefully opened the harness sheath and found the clearance light wiring wrapped around a brake circuit wire. Closer inspection revealed a pinched area where the wire insulation had been compromised causing a short. The affected wiring was repaired which restored normal brake and clearance light operation. Toby's QMR included quality photos of the wiring along with snips of the related Service Manual wiring diagrams and location grid for the identified source of the issue.

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

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

Joseph Frye from Auto Nation Subaru Hunt Valley in Cockeysville, MD
James Harmes from International Subaru in Sheboygan, WI
Bill Duaime from Flemington Subaru in Flemington, NJ
Robert Wittig from lemon-25 Subaru in Canton, 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 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 June 2019 was Toby Costa, a Technician from Maita Subaru in Sacramento, CA.

Toby is shown above being presented with his $500.00 Snap-On Gift Card by SOA Field Service Engineer Tom Blamey. Congratulations and THANK YOU to our June 2019 QMR of the Month Award recipient!

TECH TIPS GREATEST TIPS

This series features TechTIPS articles frequently referred to by Techline. This month's feature is for helpline diagnostic information from May 1995

01 HELPLINE DIAGNOSTIC INFORMATION

15 UPDATED INFOTAINMENT "CONDITIONS" INFORMATION

WRX STI Popping Sound from Speakers:

There have been reports received regarding a single "pop" sound coming from the speakers when the head unit (radio, H/U) is first turned on after being powered off. If the concern has been duplicated following an installation of the KICKER® Powered Subwoofer accessory, the sound is a characteristic of the amplifier energizing. This condition has NO negative impact on speaker performance or sound quality. In other instances, the sound was attributed to the installation of the accessory subwoofer harness on vehicles equipped with the mid-grade H/U.

NOTE: If a Harman Kardon logo badge is displayed on the door speaker grilles, accessory audio kits are not applicable. Always confirm accessory applicability using the charts on Subarunet prior to installation.

CarPlay Operation:

Recently, the number of reports concerning iPhone X intermittently failing to reliably operate in Handsfree Call Mode (through the CarPlay app) has increased. Investigation is ongoing to determine the root cause. It is unclear at this time if the condition is related to the phone, the H/U or the Dual USB Hub's AUX terminal performance. In the meantime, PRIOR TO replacing the USB Hub or H/U, confirm the vehicle is free of concerns using an iPhone model other than iPhone X. Always verify operation while using a Genuine Apple® USB cable as only these cables are confirmed by Apple for both charging and data transfer rates. Aftermarket cables may charge the phone perfectly fine, but most do not meet Apple's requirements for data transfer rates. If the condition is consistently duplicated with different iPhones, refer to TSB 15-226-18R "USB Functionality Concerns and Troubleshooting" and TSB 15-220-18R "Apple CarPlay/Android Auto Connectivity Concerns" for further diagnostics. It should also be noted, a H/U unit reboot (10 second press and hold of the volume/power knob) followed by reconnecting the phone will restore normal operation should a CarPlay operational concern occur.

Smart Phone (Accessories) Operation Affected by High Temperatures:

Leaving the phone sitting outside in the sun or in the car on a hot day can easily cause it to overheat. Overheating can prevent the touch screen from working properly and cause the battery to drain faster. Smart phone operation changes from normal to conservative when battery capacity becomes "marginal" to what the phone manufacturers consider safe. In addition to sun and heat exposure, water damage can also be a possible cause of phone overheating. When it occurs, the customer might experience a noticeable delay (slowdown) when using Android Auto and CarPlay applications, audio streaming or Hands-Free calling features. Cooling smart phones while charging generally restores normal operation.

SXM Subscription Loss:

As vehicles age, SXM subscription-related concerns reported by customers are many times attributed to changes in the contract terms or, temporary battery power loss to the H/U. Always obtain the Radio ID (RID) information and verify the terms of the customer's contract prior to performing any repairs. Sending a refresh signal using the current RID to re-connect may solve the concern. This can be done by entering the RID into the URL below and following the instructions: www.siriusxm.com/refresh.

NOTE: If SXM services only work after a refresh for a single ignition cycle then revert to Preview channels only, this may indicate either an expired service agreement or, other possible contract errors such as expired credit card associated with the customer's account. Always confirm the customer's contract is active and up to date before performing other diagnostics. If the condition involves specific channels not working, the customer should review their account with SXM confirm if their current service agreement includes those channels.

Gen 2: Denso 10 Head Unit- "Clock Shifts by One Hour when Daylight Saving Is Set to Auto.":

Reports have been received with customers stating their clock unexpectedly shifted by one hour when the Daylight-Saving setting was set to Auto. Most customers reported this condition occurred in early April of this year during the same time as GPS week rollover events reported on the internet were occurring. This is a known condition and only affects Gen 2.0 NAVI H/U found in: 2015MY Outback/Legacy, 2015MY Crosstrek and Impreza, 2016MY Forester and 2016MY WRX/WRX STI models. This condition was addressed in the software update released for these Denso 10 navigation head units at the end of 2018. After verifying the currently installed software version, perform the applicable update following the procedure supplied in TSB 15-205-16R.

Audio (Volume) Level Adjustment When Using the Android Auto Application:

Reports have been received by Android Auto application users regarding the audio level failing to operate correctly following notifications alerts.

NOTE: This is a known concern with Google software and not with Android Auto or vehicle H/Us. Updating Google Play services should alleviate the concern. A "How To" guide from the Google Help Center page online, on how to make sure your Google Play Services are up to date is shown to the right. Always confirm the customer has the latest version installed prior to initiating additional diagnosis or head unit replacement

Phonebook Downloading:

There have been reports received regarding phonebook downloading failure during Bluetooth pairing. Customers report after repeated pairing attempts, the condition continues.

We would like to refresh the steps involved in the process to prevent issue occurrence due to the setup. If the phonebook or messages are not appearing as expected following Bluetooth Pairing, verify the Phonebook Download feature has been enabled in the head unit settings. Select the "Phone" button then press "Overview" on the head unit touch screen. Then select "Change Device" and ensure "Phonebook Download" is enabled.

If the customer still cannot access the phonebook or messages, check the phone's Bluetooth settings to ensure all related sharing settings are enabled.

Android Device

Select the gear icon next to your vehicle device name. Ensure all settings are enabled.

Apple Device

There are no additional settings to check on Apple devices following successful pairing with the head unit. However, it is strongly recommended to restart the vehicle to finalize the pairing process and ensure all devices are in sync.

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