August 2014
Subaru Service and Technical Support Line Newsletter

ARTICLES CONTAINED
IN THIS ISSUE
CODE ARTICLE..................................PAGE
(00) July STIS New Releases.......... 6

01

QMR OF THE MONTH

We are pleased to announce this month’s winner of the QMR of
the Month.

(01) QMR of the Month.................. 1
(01) Change to Spare Tire
Retaining Bolt...................... 4
(06) 2015 Legacy and Outback
Electronic Parking Brake Codes
C1956 or C1957.................... 5
(07) Passenger Side Power Window
Auto Up/Down Function........... 4
(12) 2 015MY Legacy / Outback Seat
Heater Operation Overview...... 2
(15) 2 015MY Legacy and Outback,
Keyless Entry Audible Signal
Feature............................... 3

2014 CALENDAR OF
SUBARU HOLIDAYS
Labor Day
Monday, September 1, 2014
Thanksgiving
Thursday, November 27, 2014
Friday, November 28, 2014
Happy Holidays
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Friday, December 26, 2014

© 2014 Subaru of America, Inc. All rights reserved.

Brad Clayton
Alexander Subaru in Williamsport, PA

Brad submitted a very detailed QMR reviewing his diagnosis
of a 2014 Legacy with multiple CAN codes. He provided his
step by step approach to the diagnosis of the CAN system in
general and how he was able to isolate the cause as a circuit
failure in the combination meter. He then took the additional
step of confirming his results by testing the failed component in
another similar vehicle. His QMR provided helpful insights into
this unusual repair.
In appreciation for going the extra mile and sharing his experience
with us, Brad will be receiving the following from his FSE:

A Subaru Confidence In Motion Jacket
and a $100 Gift Card
Any Subaru Service Technician can participate in QMR of the
Month. See the February 2013 Tech Tips for full details. You may
see your name here in a future Tech Tips.

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 2014 TechTIPS

Page 1

12

2015MY LEGACY / OUTBACK SEAT HEATER OPERATION OVERVIEW

The front seat heater system used in the 2015MY Legacy / Outback is a new design compared
to prior systems. It utilizes a thermistor sensor which allows the front seats to remain at warmer
temperatures more consistently than the prior system. The new system is very different due to the
change in sensors. The seat heater system on 2014MY and prior Legacy / Outback is a thermostat
sensor-based system which makes the front seats heat up periodically and then cool down until the
sensor indicates a need to turn the element on again. When this sensor-based system is operating,
the temperature increases until the sensor reads the heating element has reached approximately 50
degrees C (roughly 122 degrees F). At that point, the element is turned off until the sensor reads
approximately 40 degrees C (104 degrees F). At that temperature reading, the element is turned
back on again to re-heat the seat resulting in an approximate 18-degree range. This cycle continues
as long as the seat heater switch is on in either the low or high position.
In comparison, the thermistor sensor used in the new system also has periodic on and off cycles, but
the operating range (temperature difference) is much smaller with an upper limit temperature which is
slightly lower. The new system turns on the element until the thermistor sensor reads approximately
38 degrees C (roughly 100 degrees F) then cycles the element off until the temperature (at the
thermister) reaches approximately 37 degrees C (roughly 98 degrees F) before the element cycles on
again, yielding only an approximate 2-degree range. As you can see, the upper and lower temperature
range on the new system is significantly reduced. However, this is an apples and oranges comparison
as the actual seat temperature felt is very similar. As you can see on the chart below, the average
surface temperature of the front seat for each system ends up being very close. The RED line on the
graph shows the temperature on front seat surface of the new 2015MY Legacy / Outback while the
GREEN line represents the previous model year. You can see the fluctuations of the previous system
have been virtually eliminated and the temperature stability enhancement the new system provides.

Average
Seat Surface
Temperatures

Heating Condition:
Switch Is Set to HI
2015MY Legacy / Outback

Outside Temp. is
-20 deg. C
(-4 deg. F)

2014MY Legacy / Outback

CONTINUED ON THE NEXT PAGE
August 2014 TechTIPS

Page 2

12

2015MY LEGACY / OUTBACK SEAT HEATER OPERATION OVERVIEW (CONTINUED)

There are three levels of front seat heating available for 2015MY
Legacy and Outback, HIGH (1), MID (2) and LOW (3). The difference
among these modes is an upper limit temperature change of about
2 to 4 degrees C. Similar to the older system the speed at which the
seat actually heats up varies with the level settings. The high setting
will heat the seat the quickest, mid will increase the temperature more
gradually and low will increase it at the slowest rate.
In contrast, the rear seat heater system used on 2015MY Legacy / Outback is a similar design as the
previous model year but, the cycle and surface temperatures for those seats are lower than the front
seats on previous model by a few degrees C.
Another operational difference between the old and new seat heater systems is how each functions
in higher ambient temperatures conditions. Naturally, ambient temperatures which are at or above
the upper limit of either system’s sensor function may keep the seat heater from operating. Simply
stated, if the ambient temperature inside the car is higher than the upper cycle limit for that sensor,
the system will not allow the element to heat. This is not a malfunction; the seat heater system is
operating as designed.
Should you receive a customer concern stating their seat heaters do not work, start your diagnosis by
first confirming the conditions under which the system was reported to be inoperative. If the ambient
temperatures were close to or higher than the seat heater sensor’s upper limit (remember, inside
vehicle temperatures will be higher than outside ambient temperature in most cases), the concern
may be due to characteristic system operation. If this is not the case, diagnose the system using the
applicable Service Manual. On the new 2015 Legacy and Outback, you can view the temperature of
the thermistor sensor using the SSMIII as shown in the screen shot below. This data may be used
to check if the sensor is functioning correctly or not. NOTE: Temperatures shown on SSMIII are not
the actual temperatures felt on the seat surface. Actual seat surface temperatures will be higher than
those shown for the thermistor sensor on the SSMIII data.

15

2015MY LEGACY AND OUTBACK, KEYLESS ENTRY AUDIBLE SIGNAL FEATURE

Be advised, for 2015 MY Legacy and Outback models, the audible signal or “chirp” heard when
locking and unlocking the doors feature is only available on models equipped with the Keyless Access
with Push-Button Start system. The feature can also be turned on or off by the operator. Models with
keyed ignitions no longer have the audible signal feature.
August 2014 TechTIPS

Page 3

01

CHANGE TO SPARE TIRE RETAINING BOLT

Be advised that during the upcoming fall months, there will be a running change in production to
the spare tire hold-down bolt on all FHI-built models. SIA built vehicles already incorporated a
similar change starting with 2015 MY production. The “handle” portion of the bolt will change from
metal to plastic as shown in the photo below. The current “metal” and new “plastic” version are
interchangeable.

Steel plated holder (Current)

Plastic holder (New)

Change
Color would be Red and Black according
to vehicle models
Interchangeable

07

PASSENGER SIDE POWER WINDOW AUTO UP/DOWN FUNCTION

Have you had a customer complaint of the auto-up/down window function not working on a 2015
Legacy / Outback? On the 2015 Legacy and Outback, if the vehicle’s battery is disconnected or
becomes discharged, the auto-up/down feature must be re-initialized. If the front passenger’s window
is equipped with the auto-up/down function, it is necessary to repeat the same initialization procedure
on that window switch. All Premium and Limited models have front passenger windows equipped
with this feature. Additionally, if the power rear gate is open when the negative battery cable is
disconnected, it too will need to be manually reset (closed) to be reinitialized. If you need information
detailing the steps of the procedure please refer to STIS.

August 2014 TechTIPS

Page 4

06

2015 LEGACY AND OUTBACK ELECTRONIC PARKING BRAKE CODES C1956 OR C1957

If you receive a customer complaint of a flashing Brake system warning light on their instrument cluster
immediately following engine start, this may be resulting from a characteristic of the new electronic
parking brake (EPB) system. Several notes on brake system warning light operation are outlined in the
instruments and controls section of the appropriate owner’s manual.
If the driver starts the engine at the exact same time as the electronic parking brake is still in process
of applying or releasing, there is a possibility that a code C1956 and/or C1957 may set in the VDCCM.
As a result the Brake warning lamp in the instrument cluster will be illuminated and flashing. This
condition will clear itself with the next application (apply/ release) of the EPB and the brake lamp will
extinguish normally, however the code(s) will remain in the VDCCM memory. However, if the EPB
is not cycled the flashing Brake warning lamp will remain on even if the ignition is cycled on or off
including if the key is removed from the ignition.
If presented with this type of customer concern, first interview the customer to determine if the engine
may have been started during application/ release of the EPB. Once confirmed, check the VDCCM
for one or both of the listed codes. If the customer confirms this may have occurred, the code(s) listed
are present in the VDCCM memory only and the brake system warning lamp is functioning normally;
the next step would be clear the VDCCM memory. Then explain to the customer how this condition
occurred and how to avoid it in the future by either waiting until the EPB has fully applied / released
before starting the engine or starting the engine and then applying/ releasing the EPB. The owner’s
manual is a good reference for this discussion.
If you cannot confirm if the engine was started at the same time the EPB was applying/ releasing
or it remains unclear if this occured, then proceed with the troubleshooting for any code found in
the VDCCM to ensure there is not a different cause for the reported condition using the appropriate
service manual diagnostics.

August 2014 TechTIPS

Page 5

00

JULY STIS NEW RELEASES

ITEM CODE

ITEM TYPE

TITLE

CREATED DATE

HTML Diagnostics

2015MY BRZ Service Manual

31-Jul-14

MSA5M1516A

Owner Manual

2015MY BRZ Owner's Manual

31-Jul-14

G4420BE

Service Manual Full

2015MY BRZ Service Manual

30-Jul-14

WQK-47R

Subaru Product / Campaign
Bulletin

Brake Line Corrosion

29-Jul-14

WQG-43R

Subaru Product / Campaign
Bulletin

Brake Line Corrosion

23-Jul-14

L101SAL011

Accessory Installation Guide

2015MY Outback Trailer Hitch

22-Jul-14

MSA5M1504A

Owner Manual

2015MY Legacy and Outback Owner's Manual

18-Jul-14

E361SAJ301

Accessory Installation Guide

Fork Mount Bike Carrier

17-Jul-14

01-168-09R

Technical Service Bulletin

Replacement Key and Immobilizer Information
for Authorized Subaru Dealers

17-Jul-14

E551SAL000

Accessory Installation Guide

2015MY Outback Front Bumper Under Guard

16-Jul-14

12-172-14R

Technical Service Bulletin

Paint Chipping Due To Trunk Lid Movement

15-Jul-14

14-20-14

Technical Service Bulletin

Subaru Leak Detection System

15-Jul-14

H7110AL100

Accessory Installation Guide

2015MY Legacy and Outback AC Power
Outlet Kit

10-Jul-14

H451SAL100

Accessory Installation Guide

2015MY Outback Fog Light Kit

10-Jul-14

H451SAL000

Accessory Installation Guide

2015MY Legacy Fog Light Kit

10-Jul-14

12-169-14

Technical Service Bulletin

"Click", "Pop" or "Creek" Sound from Left or
Right Outer Cowl Corner / Base of "A" Pillar Area

10-Jul-14

12-147-13R

Technical Service Bulletin

Pop Sound from Right Rear Wheel Apron Area

8-Jul-14

TIPS0714

TechTIPS NewsLetter

2014 July TechTIPS Newsletter

7-Jul-14

07-86-14

Technical Service Bulletin

Vibration Sound from High-Mount Stop Lamp
Assembly

7-Jul-14

11-142-14

Technical Service Bulletin

Reprogramming Files for DTC U0110

1-Jul-14

Be sure to always check the “What’s New” section on STIS for any updated
or recently released information that may not be listed here.
August 2014 TechTIPS

Page 6

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Thank you!
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Date:
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SUBARU
TECHLINE
Hours of Operation
August 2014 TechTIPS

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Friday 10:30 am to 5 pm and Saturday 9 am to 3 pm
Page 7