Unofficial - CEL/SL/Idle Issue List for FR-S/BRZ Owners

[jesperswe]

Originally Posted by rapidcars

Just happened to my BRZ at 850 miles. Vin: JF1ZCAC1XD1602988. Bringing to the dealership first thing Monday. They said it was first they heard of it.

I suggest you show them this forum thread

[rapidcars]

Originally Posted by jesperswe

I suggest you show them this forum thread

I was planning on printing it out for them along with the service bulletin

[4032pauln]

I am so glad that I decided to wait on buying the frs/brz

[Alienate]

Originally Posted by Alienate

Mine just went crazy today. Lagging Idle, CEL flashing, then stop flashing, then flashing again.

Alienate/FR-S/530 miles/7092xx/calling Dealer tomorrow/Reno,NV

Notes: Installed Apexi air filter yesterday. Changed oil and filter earlier today.

After letting the car sit an hour after the "incident", I took it out for a 20 mile spin and had no CEL flashing, but it did still idle rough at about 550 rpm.

I hope to hell it's just an ECU flash for a fix...
Looks like I'm gunna be number 84 on the list....

UPDATE: I called my Scion dealer today (Sat, 9/15) They had never heard of the problem. They researched it and called back with nothing found on the Toyota repair bulletins. Said I should bring it in for a diagnostic on Monday. Went to Autozone and their OBD2 reader came up empty. No dropped codes.

[86'ing]

Originally Posted by Alienate

UPDATE: I called my Scion dealer today (Sat, 9/15) They had never heard of the problem. They researched it and called back with nothing found on the Toyota repair bulletins. Said I should bring it in for a diagnostic on Monday. Went to Autozone and their OBD2 reader came up empty. No dropped codes.

:b s:
THATS WHAT I CALL ON YOUR DEALERSHIP. this is a big enough issue to not be on there bullitins!!! scion knows about it and trust me dealerships get memos and updates, they told u that cuz the car wasnt actually acting up when u brough it in go about 125mph then or drive it hard like above 5500rmps then idle watch what happens, of course this will only occur if u have gotten CEL issue already

[rapidcars]

Originally Posted by FRSjeff

Update on my fr-s. It went in the shop last Monday for the cel and sl light and crazy rumbling idle. My dealership got a p0017 code. They received instructions from Toyota corporate to replace the usual hardware (that others have reported here) and a new ecu. Then, yesterday they updated me with a new instruction from corporate. Now they are to only replace the ecu, not the hardware too. That is suppose to arrive and happen this coming Monday or Tuesday. I'm not sure if they are actually replacing the ecu or just "reflashing" the current one. I will post with more updates as this developes. I'm hoping for the best! For all of us!

Interesting. I hope that's all it is. I'm bringing mine in on Monday so I post what they tell me.

[@Art_Mighty]

Originally Posted by 4032pauln

I am so glad that I decided to wait on buying the frs/brz

You know, if the mayan calendar's end really does spell out doom for humanity and existence as we know it, you're gonna be kinda pissed you waited for a 2014...

[ftc~brz]

mine does the cel trick on command, all I have to do is sit at a complete stop and it starts to choke like David Carradine....too soon?

I have screen shots from the forum and I may just call subaru myself on my way into service.

[Jar]

Originally Posted by rapidcars

Interesting. I hope that's all it is. I'm bringing mine in on Monday so I post what they tell me.

They are going to tell you the same thing that they tell nearly everybody:

"Wow, we've never seen this issue before!" meanwhile, there's 2 other FR-S' in the back lot with the same issue waiting on parts.

Toyota isn't going to admit to anybody that there's an ongoing issue, and you can bet their staff are being told not to acknowledge the issue as wide spread.

Anytime I bring up the fact that this issue is wide-spread with my Scion rep she immediately parrots the line "Sorry, but we only evaluate these issues on a case by case basis" as if she's been instructed to say that exact line when customers talk about other people experiencing the same problem.

[xwd]

Someone a long time ago happened to get a new ECU and it fixed their problem. The old ECU ends in a "010" and the new ECU ended in a "011" code.

Obviously a reflash is a better solution as long as they aren't masking mechanical issues, like others have said. Visconti's tune wouldn't really fix anything since they probably don't touch the logic which is detecting the fault.

[@Art_Mighty]

Originally Posted by Jar

Toyota isn't going to admit to anybody that there's an ongoing issue, and you can bet their staff are being told not to acknowledge the issue as wide spread.

The only way Toyota/Subaru will acknowledge this problem to us is when the automative and/or business press grabs hold of this story and they have to acknowledge the problem publicly. If I'm angry about anything it's that.

There's no way that the press hasn't heard about this and you can bet your a$$ that a PR firm is reading this message right now (along with the engineering staff) and they are doing everything in their power to keep this thing under wraps.

We're pissed because their being dishonest with us, they have billion dollar expectations for what this platform could mean for both companies, and they they know if the word gets out that they screwed up the launch it could doom this awesome car.

[ftc~brz]

Originally Posted by Jar

They are going to tell you the same thing that they tell nearly everybody:

"Wow, we've never seen this issue before!" meanwhile, there's 2 other FR-S' in the back lot with the same issue waiting on parts.

Toyota isn't going to admit to anybody that there's an ongoing issue, and you can bet their staff are being told not to acknowledge the issue as wide spread.

Anytime I bring up the fact that this issue is wide-spread with my Scion rep she immediately parrots the line "Sorry, but we only evaluate these issues on a case by case basis" as if she's been instructed to say that exact line when customers talk about other people experiencing the same problem.

WERD!
when I called day2, I got a "wow, thats strange" then I heard crickets...and my car wasn't running...

[choi0706]

Originally Posted by ftc~brz

WERD!
when I called day2, I got a "wow, thats strange" then I heard crickets...and my car wasn't running...

[@Art_Mighty]

Originally Posted by dwx

Obviously a reflash is a better solution as long as they aren't masking mechanical issues, like others have said...

I'm going to quote myself:

Something about this ECU solution doesn't give me a warm and fuzzy (at least without a better explanation from Toyota/Subaru). The error comes up because the ECU has detected a difference between where it thinks the cam gear's timing is and where it should be.

So does this mean that the something within the ECU is generating a fault where there is none, or are they widening the "window" for an acceptable deviation between the two readings (basically fudging it)?

There's also the possibility that their modifying the operation of the oil control valves in a way to work around a mechanical defect of some kind with their cam gears (if cam doesn't advance, then hold advance side pressure 0.2 milliseconds longer, or something like that)

I have a pretty good feeling they tested the hell out of the prototypes and then started manufacturing motors and something went wrong. I personally am uncomfortable with ANY ECU changes at this point because their after the fact. I would rather have them tear out the cam gear and oil control valve which might be malfunctioning then have a ECU that tells me that everything is ok.

Really think about this!? How the replacement of the cam gear and oil control valve (both mechanical fixes) yield the same result as changing a piece of software?