Subaru dealership "cannot communicate with my car's ECU"
 

3 weeks ago I took my car in for service at my local service place to fix a check engine light issue. I already connected to my vehicles computer via OBD and my app Carista and the code was an A.C. code (sunload visor). I don’t have a clue about how to fix it.

Background: My vehicle is modified with a Supercharger, custom exhaust system, custom tune, and Flex fuel kit, and nothing else. Nothing that should prevent them from fixing the problem.

The local service place tried multiple times to fix it, they bought multiple A.C. sensors from Subaru but they both failed to fix the issue, they recommend I take it over to the dealership so they can fix it.

OK So 2 weeks I took the vehicle over to my local Subaru dealership. After running diagnostics multiple times and multiple ways they told me their computers “cannot communicate” with my car’s ECU. They have never seen it before. They said it could be due to one of my aftermarket parts, and that the way Subaru’s computer’s cannot read my vehicle. I told them ‘are you kidding me’ I just connected to it using a $50 OBD app’. They said theirs is different and if a vehicle has any aftermarket parts, it won’t read the ECU. They recommended I remove my supercharger and I then proceeded to laugh at them.

So now how do I fix the problem? They wouldn’t know, and couldn’t tell me.

Fast forward last week, I parked my vehicle in a parking garage and they lost my keyfob. Luckily I was able to Uber home to get my backup one. I purchased a new keyfob from Subaru. Today, they had to re-program my new keyfob. And the same exact issue cropped up. They cannot communicate with my vehicles ECU. They don’t know what to do. If I lose my backup keyfob, I am screwed here.

So has anyone else had this problem before? I have previously taken my vehicle to this dealership many times over the years for general service without any issues until now. All of a sudden their new Subaru “supercomputer” cannot connect to my vehicle just because I have a few aftermarket parts in it. It’s absurd.

Meanwhile I still have my check engine light on due to the AC sensor (sunload visor), and I cannot get my keyfob reprogrammed because they cannot communicate with my ECU.

What do I do here? Any advice please, I am stuck here. Maybe there is something wrong somewhere in my vehicle and that's the issue but I don't know what.

They're either giving you a load of BS so they dont have to work with your modified car, or the OBD2 port pins are messed up. These car do seem to have a weak OBD port, but it's an easy fix.

I thought it could be the OBD2 port as well, but today I again was able to connect to it using my own. So it doesn't seem to be broken.

And I don't think they are giving me a load of B.S. First their service dept couldn't diagnose and connect to my car. Then today, in an entirely different building, the parts dept. couldn't connect to re-program my keyfob. So two different depts. telling me the same thing? I don't think it's some conspiracy. I think it could be something wrong with my car but I don't know.

Anyone else have any Subaru dealership not able to connect to their vehicles?

Assuming their diagnostic software is looking for the original stock tune and can't find it. It's not that far fetched.

If it has ecutek tune, that might explain it

Could you try to reflash the stock tune to see if they could read it then and reflash back to your custom tune once the service is complete?

Sent from my SM-N950U using Tapatalk

it is an ecutek tune, how does that 'explain it?

good idea, ill try that

Ecutek will lock them out. It happened to my car as well

same i came in once for them to replace broken studs because i didnt have anything at the time to press studs out and they complained they couldnt confirm my ecu or some shit. the guy at the front desk told me to tell them to put "do not update ecu" on the notes next time i come in.

When my motor blew and was warrantied I was lucky because they gave up trying to reflash over ecutek tune and just replaced ecu lol

did not know this, learn something new everyday, i guess ill be flashing it to stock so they can do the work

Idk if that's a good idea with the supercharger

why not? well what do you think i should do then? i need my key fob reprogrammed. this is kind of important.