February 2022
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CODE ARTICLE...................................................................PAGE

01

QMR of the Month

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

(00) STIS New Releases..................................9-10

Leo Gilmore from
Ruge’s Subaru in Rhinebeck, NY

(01) QMR of the Month......................................1-2
(01) QMR of the Month Award
Presentations................................................ 2
Tech Tips Greatest Tips
(02) P0171 , Rough Running Condition After Cold
Start.............................................................. 3
(11) DTC P0171 Diagnostics................................ 3
(01) The TechShare QMR and You.....................4-5
(05) Flat Spots and Road Force Tire Balance...... 5
(15) GEOTAB, Fleet Tracking Device..................5-6
(15) Keyless Entry Inoperative & Turn-Key
.
Immobilizer Programming Inoperative,
Similar Connectors....................................7-8

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The QMR of the Month selected from December’s submissions detailed
a rather unusual condition which became evident after a routine clutch
replacement on an 83,000+ mile, 2016MY Impreza 5-Door. Removing the
transmission revealed severely worn clutch components which included
a pressure plate with several fingers missing from the diaphragm spring.
Upon completion of the repair and subsequent confirmation road testing,
the Check Engine light came on. Leo reported finding random misfire
codes in memory and roughness counts even though the car ran perfectly
normal. Since the primary source of misfire data is the crankshaft
position sensor, he began by removing it for a visual inspection. With no
damage identified, Leo proceeded to inspect each tooth of the reluctor
using a borescope while slowly rotating the crankshaft. No damage or
misalignment was found. Leo proceeded by connecting his Pico scope
and taking a closer look at the waveform data for both camshaft position
sensors and the crankshaft sensor. He also used the same waveform
data from a known good vehicle for comparison with no significant
differences seen. After ruling out an imbalance of the replacement clutch
components by installing another assembly, Leo decided to swap in a
known good crankshaft position sensor, clear the ECM memory then
headed back out for another road test with the scope reconnected. The
roughness counts disappeared, and the Check Engine light did not reset.
After replacing the crankshaft position sensor with a new part and another
confirmation road test, the vehicle was returned to the customer. Leo’s
TechShare report included his detailed diagnostic steps along with scope
data screenshots and numerous high-quality photos.
In appreciation for his continuing to go the extra mile, Leo will be receiving
the following from his Field Service Engineer:

$500.00 Snap-On gift card

Continued on the next page
CAUTION: VEHICLE SERVICING PERFORMED BY UNTRAINED PERSONS
COULD RESULT IN SERIOUS INJURY TO THOSE PERSONS OR TO OTHERS.

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.

February 2022 TechTIPS

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.

Page 1 of 11

01

QMR of the Month (CONTINUED)

The other Regional winners selected from QMRs submitted during December 2021 were:

•

Charles Johnston from Subaru of Macon in Macon, GA

•

Raymond Quintana from Shingle Springs Subaru in Shingle Springs, CA

•

Bryan Finochiaro from Baxter Subaru Omaha in Omaha, NE

•

Daniel Evans from North Reading Subaru in North Reading, MA

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 include a photo (whenever
available) of the recipient’s award presentation in TIPS. The winner selected from QMR of the Month
submissions received during December 2021 was (once again) Leo Gilmore, a Technician from Ruge’s
Subaru in Rhinebeck, NY.

Leo is shown above after being presented with his $500.00 Snap-On Gift Card. To Leo’s right are Dealer
Principals Lewis Ruge and Kristin Hutchins. To his left are Service Manager Jack Cleary and Subaru
Distributors Corporation Field Service Engineer, Jim Colamarino.
Congratulations and THANK YOU to our December 2021 QMR of the Month Award recipient!

Continued on the next page
February 2022 TechTIPS

Page 2 of 11

This series features TechTIPS articles frequently referred to by Techline. This month’s features are
from April 2009 and December 2020.

02

P0171 , Rough Running Condition After Cold Start

If you encounter a 2005 or newer M/Y turbocharged vehicle experiencing a Check Engine Light for
DTC P0171 and/or a customer complaint of rough running for a short period after start-up when
cold, check for a vacuum leak at the intake manifold. The complaint has been noted primarily in
northern climates when the outside temperatures are often below freezing. There is an orange
rubber o-ring type intake manifold gasket used between the plastic upper intake plenum and the
tumble generator part of the intake manifold. In some cases, idle quality was compromised. At
times the SSMIII showed a 25% enrichment from the A/F sensor and a slightly lower MAP reading.
After removing and separating the intake components, a dirty, blackened tracing could be seen
where the leak was occurring (see photo). Symptoms would diminish as the engine warmed up.
After replacing the o-ring gaskets, readings returned to normal and idle quality was restored.

11

DTC P0171 Diagnostics

Unmetered Air
•

Air entering the engine after the MAF will cause lean air/fuel mixtures.
o
Inspect all air intake connections for damage or looseness after the MAF.
o
In order to locate air leaks which cannot be visually inspected, use a method of

fuel enrichment while monitoring your fuel trims. If the fuel trims drop toward 0%

or A/F sensor returns to ≤1.0 during enrichment of a certain location, suspect an
air leak.
o
Test the CPC solenoid and brake booster by blocking the hose connected to the

component while monitoring the fuel trims to determine if there is a fault.

Exhaust
•

Air entering the exhaust system between the cylinder head and A/F sensor will also cause a
false lean condition.

Continued on the next page
February 2022 TechTIPS

Page 3 of 11

11

DTC P0171 Diagnostics (CONTINUED)

Metering devices
•

Metering devices for the air/fuel mixture can send incorrect information to the ECM causing
incorrect fuel corrections.
o
Inspect the connections at all air/fuel metering devices for poor connection and
contamination.
o
Swap the MAF and A/F sensor into a like vehicle to see if the condition follows the
sensor.

Combustion chamber
•

01

Poor combustion in a cylinder can result in unburned oxygen. The A/F sensor will read the
unburned oxygen as a lean condition.
o
Verify valve clearances and compression readings are within specifications

according to the applicable Service Manual.
o
Information regarding cylinder leak-down testing can be found on STIS in

Technician’s Reference Booklet: Engine Theory and Diagnosis MSA5P2106C.

The TechShare QMR and You

With the new addition of the TechShare app, Techline and FQA felt it necessary to remind everyone on
the importance, reason, proper usage, and effectiveness behind Quality Monitoring Reports (QMR)s,
A QMR should be completed for the following:
•

Any vehicle repair made at the time of PDI.

•

Any vehicle repair or condition you feel is unusual.

•

Any potential safety related concern.

•

Any common trend you as the field Technician are seeing that SOA may not be aware of.

A QMR should NOT be completed with questions regarding vehicle operation, repair procedures or
claims entry. These topics were not intended for QMRs or the TechShare app, even though a steady
increase has been seen. It is recommended to exhaust all available resources on Subarunet, STIS, fellow
coworkers/shop foreman, contacting the SOA Techline or the Claims Support for further assistance.
The new TechShare QMR incorporates an interactive dialog option for the retailer Technician and FSE.
This new option for dialog is intended to help Technicians receive feedback regarding their QMR entry
from their FSE, not for diagnosis. This option should be utilized solely as a line of communication for
coaching opportunities to create a more effective QMR.
In addition, QMRs should NEVER be used to escalate a vehicle concern if the Technician is having a
difficult diagnosis/repair. Always utilize Techline for any repair escalations. Keep in mind, QMRs are a
great way to report a new or hard to diagnose concern AFTER it has been successfully repaired. This will
help the repair review process and provide potential improvement.
Continued on the next page
February 2022 TechTIPS

Page 4 of 11

01

The TechShare QMR and You (CONTINUED)

Finally, in today’s world everyone’s time is valuable, remember, the key to any diagnosis is in the details.
Without the details, the ability of the next level to help you is significantly reduced. The same goes for
reporting quality or safety concerns. The more details provided, the better and faster action can take
place. Pictures, videos, troubleshooting results and SSM data are vital to good quality improvement
escalations. Efficiency is crucial. In this case efficiency means sharing all the details so quick evaluations,
judgments, further escalation and follow up actions can be made effectively.
For questions regarding claim entry or claims procedures, see your Warranty Administrator, refer to
Subarunet > Claims & Warranty Administration > Claims Policy and Procedures or contact the
SOA Claims Team.

05

Flat Spots and Road Force Tire Balance

Some customers may describe a concern of a steering wheel vibration, oscillation, or a “shimmy”
condition at highway speeds. This could be cause by many factors including improper tire/wheel balance,
excessive radial force variation (RFV), and / or improper tire inflation. Another possibility often overlooked
is if the vehicle sits for long periods of time, there is the potential for a “flat spot” to develop on the tire.
When faced with a concern like this, start by interviewing the customer and test driving the vehicle to
verify the concern. The next step would be a thorough visual inspection of the wheels and tires. Make
sure they are properly inflated with no obvious signs of external damage like signs of scuffing/rubbing,
sidewall damage or rubber missing, bubbles, excessive wear or cords showing. After this process has
been completed, a tire balance check may be necessary. A Hunter GSP 9700 tire balance machine (or
newer) is highly recommended when checking for balance and road force. The Hunter machine should
be kept in good condition and calibrated regularly to maintain accurate results when checking for an
imbalance or RFV. Failure to keep the balancer in proper working order could result in false or incorrect
readings when attempting to repair this concern. STIS provides a service limit maximum of 0.18 oz for
wheel balance, which is less than a quarter ounce! When performing a Road Force balance, be sure
to keep the RFV to 8.0kg (17.6lbs) or less. TSB 05-50-10 is a great place to look for information when a
vehicle comes in with a possible tire balance concern.

15

GEOTAB, Fleet Tracking Device

GeoTab is a brand name for a device used commonly across many vehicle manufactures and fleet
organizations. GeoTab has worked directly with SOA Fleet Sales, to ensure the best possible operation of
the device. It is used for several purposes: insurance tracking, fuel mileage logs, maintenance, and for taxes.
There are currently no known concerns associated with the use of a GeoTab device on Subaru vehicles.
Recently, Techline has been informed that retailers are refusing to diagnose vehicles for conditions if the
GeoTab is found to be installed. These conditions vary widely, from Apple CarPlay connectivity to CVT
Chain Slip, as being related to the use of the GeoTab device. All conditions reported were later resolved
through normal diagnostics when the GeoTab was still installed/connected. The device had no bearing on
the conditions presented. The initial refusal to diagnose the vehicle resulted in an easily avoidable poor
customer experience for those fleet drivers. Never refuse to diagnose vehicles equipped with GeoTab
branded devices. If after performing diagnosis related to the condition, and you believe there may be a
concern specifically related to the GeoTab device reach out to Techline for further review.
Continued on the next page
February 2022 TechTIPS

Page 5 of 11

15

GEOTAB, Fleet Tracking Device (CONTINUED)

If a vehicle with a GeoTab device is brought into the shop for a concern, simply unplug the OBD portion
from the OBD port while any SSM Diagnosis is being completed. If the device is hardwired, and the ODB
port is not blocked, there is no need to attempt removal. Perform an All-DTC scan and visual inspection.
If a communication code (U0XXX) is found with no obvious signs of failure, e.g. the SSM cannot establish
communication with a particular module, diagnosis the concern as it presents. If no clear fault can be
found after completing the related Service Manual Diagnosis, only then should it be recommended further
testing be performed without the device installed.
If the customer concern is for an unrelated system such as Infotainment, HVAC, or an Engine or CVT
concern, the proper diagnostic procedure should always be followed. Simply unplug the GeoTab, then
duplicate the customer’s concern. GeoTab removal SHOULD NOT be the first recommendation to the
customer before attempting duplication of the concern and is not necessary when performing initial
diagnosis of the concern.
In addition, GeoTab should not cause a DTC B2A15 seen commonly with other OBD devices. The reference
TSB 15-257-19R for this condition does not apply to the GeoTab brand devices if the device’s software
is up to date. The GeoTab device does not interfere with STARLINK Telematics functionality, even in the
rare event a B2A15 is present.
If a B2A15 is current, diagnose it per the applicable service manual or TSB. If the root cause of the
condition cannot be determined after performing this diagnosis, only then refer the customer back to
their fleet provider for assistance with the GeoTab device.
If a STARLINK concern is reported that is not B2A15 and a GeoTab OBD extension or device is found
in the vehicle, perform an All-DTC scan and determine if a current code is set. Determine if the RED
LED on the overhead console is on then reference TSB 15-286-21R (Telematics Diagnostic Strategy).
It is highly recommended to perform a test call and speak to a Telematics representative. If still unsure
whether the Telematics is experiencing a fault, contact Techline for further assistance and before any part
replacement.
Continued on the next page
February 2022 TechTIPS

Page 6 of 11

15

Keyless Entry Inoperative & Turn-Key Immobilizer Programming Inoperative,
Similar Connectors

It has been brought to Techline’s attention that some models have identical connectors at the Key Lock
solenoid connector and Key Warning switch connector. If these two connectors are interchanged at any
point, multiple systems can become inoperative. One of the most likely situations in which this could
happen is during an ignition cylinder replacement or RES installation.