August 2015
Subaru Service and Technical Support Line Newsletter

ARTICLES CONTAINED
IN THIS ISSUE

01

© 2015 Subaru of America, Inc. All rights reserved.

QMR OF THE MONTH

We are pleased to announce this month’s winner of QMR of the Month:
CODE ARTICLE..................................PAGE
(00) July STIS New Releases.........10
(01) QMR of the Month.................. 1
(01) Technician Submission of the
Month................................ 2
(01) EyeSight Charts.................... 5
(01) 2016 Forester Service Manual –
The Next Generation.............. 9
(03) Transmission Cooler Flushing... 2
(15) Subaru STARLINK Telematics
Retailer PDI Process.............. 3
(15) Gen 1 F10 Navigation System,
Red Light Alert Function.......... 6

2015 CALENDAR OF
SUBARU HOLIDAYS
Labor Day
Monday, September 7, 2015
Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 26, 2015
Friday, November 27, 2015
Holidays
Thursday, December 24, 2015
Friday, December 25, 2015

Rick Vens from AutoNation Subaru
Spokane Valley in Spokane Valley, WA
Rick submitted a very detailed QMR on his diagnosis and repair of a
keyless access and start equipped 2015 Legacy with a customer concern
of driver front seat memory buttons that were inoperative when the engine
was running. First, he confirmed the seat memory buttons functioned
as expected with the ignition off or in the accessory position, but would
not function with the engine running. Rick reviewed the Owner’s Manual
information and found the system would only operate with the engine
running if the transmission was in park. The combination meter indicated
the car was in park. However, when Rick pressed the start button and
changed the ignition to accessory mode, he received a message on the
multifunction display in the combination meter indicating to place the
car in park. This led him to check the keyless access and start control
module where he found that the system did not show the selector in
park. After review of the inputs to the control module and inspection
of the selector, he found that there had been some sticky fluid (soda?)
spilled onto the selector preventing the micro switch from closing when
the selector was placed in park. This did not affect the operation of the
vehicle from a driving or parking perspective but precluded the operation
of the seat memory function while the engine was running. The customer
paid for the fluid damage repairs and the condition was corrected.
In appreciation for going the extra mile and sharing his experience
with us in hopes of improving product quality, Rick will be receiving the
following from his FSE:

An Apple iPad® Mini tablet with a custom
Subaru Confidence in Motion case
Any Subaru Service Technician can participate in QMR of the Month.
See the February 2013 TechTIPS for full details. You may see your
name here in a future TechTIPS.
If you have never entered a QMR before, have an idea for one, or are
not sure what should be reported, please discuss with your Field Service
Engineer (FSE) or District Parts and Service Manager (DPSM) as they
visit your store.

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

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,
L.L. Bean, Baja, Tribeca, BRZ, XV Crosstrek 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.

August 2015 TechTIPS

Page 1

01

TECHNICIAN SUBMISSION OF THE MONTH

We would like to thank Sean Ernest of Annapolis Subaru for submitting a helpful TIP to assist his
fellow technicians. Mr. Ernest recommends using a pin stripe eraser wheel mounted to his electric
drill to clean off the adhesive residue from stick on wheel weights. The eraser wheel he used was an
Astro Pneumatic Tool company part number 400E. The eraser wheel will quickly and gently remove
the residue to ensuring the new wheel weights have a smooth mounting surface. Mr. Ernest will be
receiving a Subaru Master Technician travel bag for his efforts.

03

TRANSMISSION COOLER FLUSHING

Please review Technical Service Bulletin
16-42-90R for proper flushing procedures
whenever replacing automatic transmissions.
Confirm the procedure has been performed
by: Technician notes on the repair order, the
proper part number for transmission flush
appears on the claim and by entering claim
comments stating the cooler flush has been
performed.
Claims for automatic transmission
replacement or repair that fail to perform this
procedure are subject to rejection or debit.
Please contact the Claims Helpline at 1-866-782-2782 if you have any questions.
August 2015 TechTIPS

Page 2

15

SUBARU STARLINK TELEMATICS RETAILER PDI PROCESS

Subaru STARLINK (Telematics) equipped Forester, Outback, and Legacy Models have a new Data
Communications Module (DCM). The DCM has similar characteristics of a new cell phone that has
not yet been provisioned for subscription service. It will look for a specific network when the vehicle
is powered up during the verification/initial activation process. After the verification / initial activation
process is successfully completed, the DCM will provide SUBARU “STARLINK” communication through
the SiriusXM® (SXM) network. The initial activation process is completed as part of the Port PDI. For
Retailer Technicians PDI a new line item has been added to the PDI Checklist as shown here.
Enter Vehicle – Key: ON / Engine: OFF
Verify Telematics lights are off (green & red) – where applicable
In the case of this PDI check, the words “where applicable” are meant to convey that this
check only applies when the vehicle is equipped with Telematics.
To complete this PDI item, the Technician needs only to confirm that both Telematics lamps
are extinguished as shown in Figure 1 below. This completes the PDI check item.
At this point if the Blue “i” button is pressed one time, the technician will hear a recorded
message that says, “Not currently subscribed to STARLINK please visit mySubaru.com to
upgrade your service”. This indicates that the DCM initial activation was successful. While
not a required step this does further confirm that no additional action is required.
If the condition in Figure 2 is found, the Technician should press the BLUE “i”button one time and
confirm if they can connect to Subaru Roadside Assistance.
If Subaru Roadside Assistance answers, the system has an Active Subscription and no further action
is required.
If there is no response (and are in an unobstructed area with clear cellular reception), the initial
activation may be incomplete and will need to be completed. This process is described below.
If the conditions shown in Figures 3 or 4 are found, follow the troubleshooting in the applicable Service
Manual then review your findings with the Subaru Technical Helpline prior to any actual repair. This
process is part of our initial quality monitoring of the new STARLINK Telematics System. We appreciate
your support in notifying SOA of any concerns you find with the new STARLINK Telematics system.

Figure 1) Both Telematics lamps are extinguished.
This is the expected condition at PDI.

Figure 2) This condition indicates either Initial
Activation is incomplete or the vehicle
has an Active Subscription.
CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE

August 2015 TechTIPS

Page 3

15

SUBARU STARLINK TELEMATICS RETAILER PDI PROCESS

Figure 3) If both lamps are illuminated, this
indicates the Telematics device is
having a communications concern.

Figure 4) This condition indicates a possible
hardware concern.

The Initial Activation process (only if determined to be incomplete) is:
1. Verify back-up 20amp back up / PDI fuse is in active position. NOTE: the 20amp back-up fuse
must be active to initiate the process.

“Active” position

Inactive

2. Place the ignition switch in the ON / Engine OFF position. A RED color light may flash briefly,
then you will see a solid GREEN light. If solid GREEN light does not illuminate, start the
engine for 5 seconds, turn “OFF” the ignition then repeat Step 2 from the beginning. (NOTE: the
RED light flash only occurs the first time the key is turned on after the backup fuse is installed).
CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
August 2015 TechTIPS

Page 4

15

SUBARU STARLINK TELEMATICS RETAILER PDI PROCESS

3. Press and hold the blue i- button (i-Call Information) until the RED and GREEN LEDs flash
then shut off. In some cases, the RED and GREEN lights may continue to flash. Once they
stop, the initialization is complete.
4. Telematics verification/ initial activation is now complete. All lights are off. NOTE: the light
sequence will not restart once completed.
5. At this time if the BLUE “i” button is pressed one time the system will connect and the
technician will hear this recorded message, “Not currently subscribed to STARLINK please visit
mySubaru.com to upgrade your service.”
NOTE: Any other behavior of the lights, I.E.: Not flashing, solid lights, etc. indicate potential telematics
system problems. Notify the Subaru Technical Helpline of any abnormal conditions.

01

EYESIGHT CHARTS

Subaru Techline has received a number of calls regarding unsuccessful EyeSight camera
adjustment due to the incorrect chart being selected. Subaru currently has 2 separate charts for
EyeSight-equipped vehicles. Whenever performing an EyeSight adjustment, refer to the Service
Manual to determine the proper chart to use and procedure to follow for your application.
Guidelines to follow as mentioned in the Service Manual include but are not limited to:
1. The headlights must be turned off.
2. The vehicle must be parked on a level surface.
3. The inflation pressure of tires must be correct.
4. The vehicle cannot have load or passengers.
5. The front wheels must be directed to the straight ahead position, when the steering wheel is
set to the center position.
For Reference:
2013 / 2014 Legacy and Outback uses chart 87599YC001
2014 / 2015 Forester uses chart 87599YC001
2015 Legacy and Outback uses chart 87599VA000
2016 WRX uses chart 87599VA000

87599YC001
August 2015 TechTIPS

87599VA000
Page 5

15

GEN 1 F10 NAVIGATION SYSTEM, RED LIGHT ALERT FUNCTION

Should you receive a customer inquiry about the Red Light Camera Alerts not functioning with the
Sirius/XM Traffic feature, the reason is because that particular function is not supported by the
current XM Traffic program. As an alternative, locations of (for example) Red Light Cameras can be
added manually by the user.
IMPORTANT NOTE: When using the Navigation system’s Alert Point features, always follow all
applicable state and local laws.
Follow the steps shown below to manually add Alert Points:
Before a new Alert Point can be added, the Alert Point Warning feature must be activated from the
Settings menu:
•
•
•
•
•

Press the Menu soft key on the screen.
Press Settings
Press Sounds and Warnings
Press Volume
Press, hold then slide the Alert Beeps volume button across to the desired volume level.

•

Press the back arrow

until you return to the Sounds and Warnings screen.

CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
August 2015 TechTIPS

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15

GEN 1 F10 NAVIGATION SYSTEM, RED LIGHT ALERT FUNCTION

•

Press Sounds and Warnings, touch the check box to turn on Alert Point Warnings then
press Turn On to activate the function if you wish to proceed.

•

At this point, you are ready to add an Alert Point to your Navigation system.

•

Move the cursor to the target location (Alert Point) and press the MORE soft key.

•

Press the DOWN arrow to advance the menu then press Add Alert Point.

CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
August 2015 TechTIPS

Page 7

15

GEN 1 F10 NAVIGATION SYSTEM, RED LIGHT ALERT FUNCTION

•

Press Type of Alert which will open a menu / list of the available alert types. For this
example, Red Light Camera was selected then SAVE was pressed to store the Alert
Point.

When approaching a stored Alert Point, a beep / tone will sound approximately 2/10 of a mile before
the Alert point is reached. It will sound again as you get closer. An icon for the type of Alert Point
will also appear on the screen.

August 2015 TechTIPS

Page 8

01

2016 FORESTER SERVICE MANUAL – THE NEXT GENERATION

The 2016 Forester Service Manual marks the beginning of the next generation of Service Manual
information from Subaru. As a result of the enhancements, this Service Manual will be the first
one available exclusively in HTML format. This will be a change for anyone used to using service
information in the PDF only format (as found in the Online Reference area of STIS). We believe
once you have an opportunity to become familiar with the new features of Service Manual you will
find it in many ways superior to the last version. For those less familiar with how to access the new
HTML version of the Service Manual, see the screen capture below.

When you arrive at the landing page for the Service Manual be aware that it appears blank, when in
reality, it is waiting for the user to make a selection.

CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
August 2015 TechTIPS

Page 9

01

2016 FORESTER SERVICE MANUAL – THE NEXT GENERATION

Clicking on the desired section such as General Description in this case will populate the subsection
selections.

Alternatively, you may also select the Index, DTC Search or Wiring Diagram to search for the
desired information. Take a moment to review the Help section for some useful orientation materials
along with tips on printing from the new manual format.

00

JULY STIS NEW RELEASES