HELP! CEL + TC issue!!!
 

I have a 2013 Subaru BRZ AT. Has about 56K miles on it.
Today the check engine light and the traction control light came on as I was about to get on the highway.
One major thing I did notice was that when the car is coming to a stop and shifts down to 1st gear, I feel a little kick.
I read around the forum a bit, and it seems like there are several different causes (cam, AVCS, ECU, etc.)
Has anyone pinpointed the solution for this issue??

You answered your own question. It could be any number of things. You need to have the codes read for free at an auto parts store.
Otherwise this is like calling your doctor and saying, "I don't feel well," and expecting a diagnosis.

It can be literally hundreds of different things. The TC light on with the cel means you are in "limp mode" where the car shuts down some features to protect the systems. You will need to get the code read to dial in what the problem is. There is no one solution that can be pinpointed.

LOL lets see how many times "you need to get the code read" gets said.

"You need to get the code read."

CODE RED??? OH SHIT! AAHHHHHHH!!!!!!

http://www.thatsnerdalicious.com/wp-...kermit-gif.gif

more like drink a mountain dew and go to Autozone

http://www.mountaindew.com/assets/co...w-code-red.png

could just be loose gas cap, both those lights came on for me when I forgot to put the cap back on.

Or you could like, take it to the dealer and have them check it out. You know, the people who actually know how to diagnose issues with cars and how to fix them.

Right... or he could get the codes read for free without needing to pay a ridiculously overpriced "diagnostic fee" for someone to plug in a machine and read the screen...

So I went to autozone and got the code read. No mountain dew :(
Code P0018
Came to the dealership and they're replacing the cam valve? Also the engine oil. Hopefully this is the solution..

02-132-12 : DTCs Relating to the AVCS (Active Valve Control System)

UPDATE:

Dealership replaced the Oil Switching Valve and did an oil change. So far so good. We'll see how rest of the week goes.

If it's having trouble getting into first I would replace the AT with a MT.

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Epic Fail on the part of Stang70Fastback... :clap:

That is actually what the dealership and the warranty are for.
I have never been charged a cent for diagnostic work at the dealer.

Cool story bro. At 56k miles, the only remaining warranty on the car is the powertrain warranty. If it's something like a bad O2 sensor (which could throw a CEL), then it would not be covered under warranty, and you would have to pay a diagnostic fee, or pay to have it replaced. I'm glad it turned out to be a warranted part in this case, though.

Nice try. My car has 43,000 miles and 57,000 LEFT on the powertrain warranty.
(I am aware that not all owners have this however).

So how much did it cost the OP? ZERO.
So as I said about your suggestion: :clap:

I usually don't get angry at people being d1cks, but you're not only being a d1ck, but being illogical... and I HATE illogical arguments.

I made my suggestion because it is GUARANTEED to not cost a cent, and can be accomplished in 2 minutes. If you visit the dealership, they *could* be nice and diagnose it for free, but most WILL charge you a diagnostic fee. If the problem is then determined to be covered under warranty, they will waive the fee, and fix the issue. If it isn't a warranted repair, then you will HAVE to pay for either the repair, or the diagnosis. Either way, you have to go through a much more lengthy process.

There was nothing at all wrong with my suggestion. If anything, it would have armed him with prior knowledge of the issue before bringing it to the dealership, in case they decided to take him for a ride, which is not terribly unlikely. It also avoided the process of putting your car through the dealership, which involves checking it in, filling out paperwork, them taking it around back, diagnosing it, etc... you know the drill.

Not sure what your optional 100,000 mile warranty has to do with someone else's vehicle.

If you're going to be annoying, at least don't be an illogical idiot in the process.

I totally agree with you about people being ****s on the forum.


The FACT IS that you said that the OP should NOT take his car to the dealership because you stated:
When reality is: You WILL NOT pay ANY fee if your car is under warranty and LIKELY even if not.


So I pointed out your BAD ADVICE and your factually INACCURATE statement.


So PLEASE point out where I was being an "illogical idiot" (I think you need to revisit the definition of illogical)


Now MY suggestion (and what I DO): Buy a $10 ELM327 OBD-II Bluetooth dongle and read the code yourself for essentially free.
AND I use the same dongle on my other 5 cars - it works just fine.


(and an example of those "Stealerships" - I told my dealer yesterday "My axles are making that noise again" - The Dealer said: "Bring it in in the morning and we will replace the axle nuts while you wait" - Yeah those dealerships sure SUCK and want to charge you an arm and an ass alright)

I'm done. Your username is suspiciously appropriate.

Ah yes, God forbid anyone should have to spend money to repair their vehicle :lol: you millenials and your entitlement generation.

Or he could just take it to the dealer and have them read the code for free (like he DID). But what do I know being justatroll?

so that oil switching valve should be covered under the powertrain warranty?
I mentioned that at the dealership and they just kept denying it.

CEL and traction control light came back on again this morning.
Going back to the dealership and ask them to just reflash the ECU.

God forbid someone actually do their own work first to diagnose an issue before bringing it to the dealership. Seriously a bunch of assholes in this thread.

I do agree with that part at least. I never do anything without knowing the code first.

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Knowledge is the best tool, but apparently knowledge is an "entitlement generation" thing and totally pointless.

I am not set up to do any form of actual hands on work on my car anymore but you want too believe I would want to know what that code said before I took it in. I would then take it to the dealer and let them tell me what they find without saying a word. Since I would hate a customer that came in and tried to tell me what the problem is from reading a code I would not do it to them. Then I would know that we are both on the same page or if they are feeding me a line. I have never once had an issue with a service department and like to think that it was because I did my research and knew what was likely the issue but kept my mouth shut and let them do their job.
I guess I fall someplace between the two camps in this debate.

That's exactly what I do. I never said he should NOT take the car to the dealership. I also don't walk in and tell them exactly what the issue is. If anything I say, "My CEL is on, and the parts store guy said it was camshaft related, but I dunno," which simply makes them cognizant of the fact that I'm not 100% clueless as to what the problem is. I have had experiences at several dealerships where they tried to claim issues that were completely nonsensical. The most recent one was my clutch creak issue, which they initially claimed was because my clutch had a hot spot. Only after I asked them some specific questions did they admit their diagnosis made no sense whatsoever.

I definitely don't to people how to do their job. Nobody likes that. I do, however, ensure that I know enough about the problem with my $30,000 investment that I'm not taken for a ride. Why anyone wouldn't want that kind of "insurance" is beyond me.

Wasn't implying you did tell them how to do it. Do love the "hot spot" clutch claim though. That is a good one.

Welcome to the club, took 2.5 years and 4 or 5 dealer visits (multiple dealers) to fix my gremlin.

KEEP ALL YOUR SERVICE LOGS and call corporate to make them aware of the issue.

I just scrapped my Gremlin when it fell apart!




[IMG]http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3479/3789810885_0***177ba1.jpg[/IMG]

Did you ever figure out what fixed it?

There are two Service Bulletins related to your code and issue. The one that Steve linked and one for the cam position (here- http://www.ft86club.com/forums/attac...1&d=1375302652 )
Neither one speaks to anything to do with a "cam valve" so the dealer may not have been addressing the real issue.
That is the challenge. Get them to do the repair that their own head office says to do!

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Slow down there, mister. Do you mean to tell me that he might need to step in and use his own knowledge and research, based on the CEL code he read, to get the proper parts replaced by the dealership? Sounds highly unlikely... dealerships ALWAYS know what they're doing!

Dealer description:
"Scanned all systems and found that when the passenger side exhaust VVT data was compared to the drivers side VVT exhaust data it was sluggish to respond and would over correct causing the ecm to set the code. After studying the data i determined that the passenger side exhaust oil switching valve (OSV) wasn't operating inside its parameters, removed and replace with the new OSV valve with the new rubber and hard 0-rings."

I think it's my second or third ecu as well, honestly i don't remember.

So were the ECU replacements just attempts to fix the problem before they discovered the source, or were the ECU replacements for other reasons?

If you're suggesting the average consumer could ever have access to more information than a dealership technician you're ignorant.

If you're suggesting that dealerships (or any repair shop, for that matter) always employ technicians that know what they are doing, or don't ever try to claim additional/unnecessary repairs in order to make some extra money (especially on warranty claims), you're ignorant. Also, your statement assumes that the technician will do the same amount of research on the problem that you can do on forums such as this one.

Case in point: the very last repair I had done at a dealership. The technician seemed to have no idea what he was saying, as he claimed the faulty part was my clutch, when not only was the clutch perfectly fine, but even if it had been "hot spotted" as he had suggested, it still wouldn't have explained the problems I was having.

Had I don't no research beforehand, I would have probably not known enough about the issue to be able to point that out to them.

Really?
Because that is exactly what I read when you posted this:
Right after someone suggested that the OP should take it to the dealer.