BRZ Will not start-tried everything
 

Yes, I've tried that, I promise.

It's been at the dealership for a month and a half awaiting a DIAGNOSIS and they either will not or cannot figure out what is wrong with the car that is keeping it from starting. Apparently there is another car there with the same exact issue and they can't figure it out on that one either.

Who can I contact at Subaru about this? I am just looking for a way to get some transparency on this process as the dealership hasn't been responsive and only gives updates when I call and ask for them. It's been a month and a half and at this point I'm going to be forced to sell the car at what I assume will be a huge loss because it won't start, because I need a car. Please, if you have gone through this, let me know what you did to contact Subaru or solve this problem. I am getting pretty desperate here.

I'm not asking for suggestions on how to fix the car. It's at the dealership. I don't even have it here to look at myself if there is a suggestion I haven't tried. But I promise I've tried them all.

This sounds like a post out of frustration so I am going to do my best to step out of character and be polite.

You can call Subaru of America's customer support line. But keep in mind, the dealership doesn't really work for them so the help you get may be limited.

You can talk to the dealer and try to find out what is taking so long. Shortage of workers? They have no clue and they are waiting on Subaru's own service guy to help them?

You can try taking the car to another dealer.

Imagine my reaction when my control arm broke on my 03 wrx and it took them 2 months to replace both sides under recall.

MSG is right, contact SOA customer support. If you're annoying enough, they will put heat on the dealership

Have you tried tuning the key clockwise?

Sorry could not resist, I know that can be frustrating. Do we know why it will not start? 3 possibilities besides a mechanical failure internal to the engine.
Does not crank?
Cranks but no fuel?
Cranks but no spark?
Has a leak down test been done?

It does nothing. Literally, NOTHING. I tried EVERYTHING. It is an electrical failure.

They have been getting all instructions directly from Subaru on what to try in order to fix the car and each time they're 'waiting' for subaru it's a two week interval of nothing happening. I unfortunately can't bring it to another dealership without spending hundreds on a tow *again*. As I said I'm at the point where I'm literally just going to sell it for scrap and take a huge loss sans Subaru swooping in with a miracle. I need to contact someone at Subaru. I have submitted to SOA customer support as of this morning.

trouble code is B2782. I promise, I have tried everything, and then the dealership has tried all of that again.

I guess you are going to say they tried a new ECU?

The ECU is fine and worked in another BRZ. The IBU was replaced and changed nothing.

Did you double check and verify a good ECU does not work in yours?

If so then That is a fun one. Hope there is a good technician working on it. They will figure it out eventually but some times these things can be a royal pain!

I would assume that the dealership tried this on one of the two cars that are in with the same issue. I tried my ECU in a friend's car and it worked fine. Didn't want to hook up a good one to my car and have this problem become double.

I feel for you. Hope the technician is good. Is there another Dealer close to you? The problem is the technician working on it is not going to make any money. So unless he has pride in his work/abilities you may be put off to the side while he works more lucrative projects.

No, and this one is 20+ miles away from any other dealer so if I get the car towed I'm out hundreds of dollars

To be fair, that code looks like a nightmare to deal with. I found one thread on it with no resolution. One youtube video on it and the english translation of the issue doesn't tell you anything.

When you say ECU, did you swap the ECM on the passenger side, or the main body ECU on the driver side?

With the car stuck at a reticent dealership there's not much to be said other than get it out or wait.

They've got a DTC and what seems like, from a basic search, pretty simple instructions. I can't think it's anything other than they have their heads up their asses. I WISH I had had a DTC on the dead dodge ram I had to deal with the other day, no ACC, no RUN, no START, completely dead ignition and the modules that were alive were saying everything was fine. If I can fix that, anyone can probably fix yours, your car just seems to be stuck at the one place that doesn't give enough of a fuk to actually diagnose it.

The question that has not been asked yet is:

Is the car completely stock? I mean completely untouched or altered in any way.

Well I missed the mark on that one :bonk:


I couldn't find that code in the service manual, only online when I searched it.

When you say "nothing". No dash lights?? Do other electrical things work? Radio, wipers?
Found this too, https://www.ft86club.com/forums/showthread.php?t=144186
This too, https://www.google.com/search?q=trou...id:C9BFheYAqWo

Needs translation.

language translator of the video description says urdu, which is spoken in pakistan it appears. I would try reddit to see if anyone can translate it.

In the video comments it seems like the smart key was part of the solution.

For some reason, that section is omitted from our community-provided manuals for MY 2015 and beyond.

B2782 for MY2014

have you tried turning it off and back on again?










have you tried hitting it with a hammer?

ahh, dunno how I missed it still.

Looks way less daunting reading that.

It's really buried. Steering>Steering Column>Steering Lock System.

Yeah! There must be more to this. Procedure seems way too straightforward for the techs to be fumbling so badly.

you'd be surprised.

my brother did buyback/lemon-law fiats and alfa romeo's for a while. most of the time, he had them fixed within a day or two, and then took the next week to verify the fix corrected the problem.

Never underestimate the ability to fumble.

Back when I had tight valves on my '17 in brought it to toyota stating explicitly it was for a check engine with P219A and P119F. After the fumble I reviewed the dashcam footage and saw the dealer tech test driving the car and for an ABS concern... These cars have a picky network and connecting a scan tool sometimes throws an ABS light and some communication codes, the poor guy was trying to figure THAT out. After foregoing the ABS, they eventually decided the check engine was caused by my completely stock intake, because it was a 2017 6MT, they thought the red manifold was aftermarket and so were quite unwilling to look further into the issue until I told them, in gleeful laughter over the phone, to go pop the hood on another 17+ manual.

At that moment they had had the car for a day and the extent of their diagnostic was: test drive car for ABS concern, drive it into the shop, pop hood, look puzzled, have service manager call me about the intake. I saw it all on my dashcam, until they disconnected it, which is bad manners IMO, I have never disconnected a customer's dash cam.

I take some shit from @Tcoat about my hardcore diy, but I have yet to meet anyone I really trust to lay wrenches even on my appliances. I've worked in service my whole life. I've SEEN things, man!

My BRZ does that from time to time. Just jiggle the steering wheel off the column locks and it starts right up for me at least.

And then a bigger hammer?

This makes perfect sense. Does it throw the same code?

If you're still interested in translating the video a friend that speaks urdu told me the video is farsi, language of Iran. Try that route.

That does happen even on cars with a mechanical key, usually when you turn the ignition off and then hang onto the steering wheel when getting out, the steering locks and the tension on the steering column pinches the lock and keeps it from releasing when you try and turn the key back to on.

I don't think I've seen it happen on keyless cars but I guess anything is possible.

But I presume OP's car has been towed to the dealer, and pehaps moved or manipulated a few times, there shouldn't be tension left to pinch the lock anymore.

I’ve never had it throw a code for the issue, but the symptoms are similar.

That was my thought as well, steering lock issue. Roommate had a Civic he couldn't start, sat in the passenger seat with him for five minutes flipping through the manual, told him to turn the steering wheel and voila. I almost always accidentally lock the steering getting out of cars with my thick thighs and my habit of bringing the wheel close and low to me. I don't even think about it anymore, I automatically put a little pressure on the wheel when starting to unlock it.

The aforementioned link is probably it, a harness or sensor issue not allowing the steering lock to disengage, which looks incredibly annoying to fix. And with how shitty dealerships are, printing it out and handing it to your service people will probably be met with "we can't do that it's for an FR-S" :suicide:

Considering the FSM DTC description points to the steering lock, and other member experiences are similar in various platforms, sounds like that's at least the right track. If the component itself isn't bad, then I would suspect the wiring. As Strat mentioned, the inexperienced techs might just be too stubborn to admit that they're in over their heads. If that's the case, hopefully SOA can step in with a master tech to help bridge the intelligence gap.

DTC B2782 STEERING LOCK POWER SUPPLY CIRCUIT MALFUNCTION (SMART ECM-SIDE MALFUNCTION)
CIRCUIT DESCRIPTION
The smart key computer ASSY (Collation ECM) has a built-in power supply ECM function.
This diagnosis code is output when it is judged that there is an error in the SLR+ input that is directly input into the steering lock actuator ASSY (Steering lock ECM) from the smart key computer ASSY (Collation ECM).
As the steering lock actuator ASSY (Steering lock ECM) is not connected to CAN communication, CAN communication with external parts is performed via the LIN communication-connected smart key computer ASSY (Collation ECM).
Diagnostic codes - B2782
Detecting conditions - When one of the following conditions are satisfied (1 trip detection).
• Steering lock motor drive indicator circuit short circuit malfunction.
• Steering lock motor drive indicator circuit open malfunction.
NOTE: When the LIN power supply signal and solid line power supply signals are in disagreement, it is judged to be a relative error.
Possible faulty part:
• Steering lock actuator ASSY (Steering lock ECM)
• Smart key computer ASSY (Collation ECM)
• Wiring harness or connector

Diagnostic code output check operation
Steering lock/unlock operation (When the vehicle is stopped)
(Lock: When the door is opened while the shifter is in the P position (Transmission A/T) and the vehicle is set to IG OFF and ACC OFF.
Unlock: When the electrical key transmitter SUB-ASSY (Electronic key) is being carried and the vehicle is set to ACC ON or IG ON.)

Vehicle state and fail safe measures during detection
Vehicle state during detection = Steering lock, unlock cannot be performed. This means that the engine cannot be started.
Fail safe measures during detection = Engine starting is prohibited (Does not perform cranking).