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

[soconfoozed]

Yelled a little about problem solving and got back P0037, O2 sensor.

Perhaps the '811 ECU leaned out the AFR without updating the control loop for the O2 sensor heater and let the sensor bake? Wild guess, but unfortunately, that's all I'm able to do at the moment.

Dealer told me a new ECU was ordered again. This and crickets should be done 11/6, FSE visit on 11/7, and SoA's options to me by close of business 11/9.

The pen is mightier...

[Yruyur]

Originally Posted by Space Boy Matt

Update: 11/02/12 300pm

Yes! Got a call from the dealer asking me to bring my car in on Tuesday morning. A regional Subaru Field Engineer is coming to look at my car. Also Subaru HQ said to the dealer their local techs are not to touch the car. Crossing my fingers that the "healing" process is beginning.

See if you can be in the shop while he is working on it. Ask him all the details you can about it.

Sent from my flux capacitor using Taptalk

[rhysmcinerney]

rhysmcinerney, GT86 Base model, 1200km, 0063XX, taken into dealership twice now with no help from them, they do not know the issue and are searching for fixes. Sydney, Australia

[FoolCyclist]

Originally Posted by FoolCyclist

Happened to me yesterday. Had my 3750 service done 2 days earlier. Began with the idle issue and then loss of power, then the lights come on. On the way to the dealer this morning, the slip light went off, but CEL still on and down on power.

As soon I talked to the shop manager he knew of the issue and they have had one before. He said that it needs the new ECU programming. Said he thought he could be done today.

I will keep you posted.

BRZ Limited, 3630 miles, Jacksonville, FL, 6003XX

Car was at the dealer for 4 days. They said that the codes that mine threw were for the O2 sensor. They told me everything is good and that they reprogrammed the ECU. Interesting that the needed to flash the ECU for the O2 sensor problem.

On the first drive home, the car just feels different. When accelerating I get a noticeable drop in power at about 2000 RPM and then its normal. If I let it dip under 2000 in 2nd there is no power at all, I nearly killed it. So, the drive home is about 15 miles and in the last mile to my house, the CEL/SL lights come back on.

Going back to the dealer this morning. I do notice the limp mode is not as dramatic this time. There is more power, but not like the power the car had for the first 3500 miles.

So, so frustating.

[jesperswe]

Nr 66 on the list.
Im now on about 1100km on my car and i had new cam sprocket, no ECU, (P0017) at 140km and it's runing great and i love the car, it's just so much fun to drive/slide around

But I must say i still have weird idle drops which happen once in a while, but according to Toyota Sweden the new ECU update ( which nobody knows any arrival date on...) should stable the idle.

[BRZnut]

So ...reading over all the posts...what does everyone think..is this a mechanical issue with the engine, a software problem with the ECU, or both???

[charger]

So I finally went over 1000 miles yesterday and decided to floor it for the first time. I took it under redline in first and when shifting to second I noticed that the dash lights flashed quickly. Is this normal?

[Books]

Originally Posted by charger

So I finally went over 1000 miles yesterday and decided to floor it for the first time. I took it under redline in first and when shifting to second I noticed that the dash lights flashed quickly. Is this normal?

Most likely your traction lights turned on. You'll see it to on when it activates aka you start slipping

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

[SpeedmasterBRZ]

Update

I was contacted by the dealership late yesterday and was told that they called the Subaru tech line and that the ECU needs to be reprogrammed. I have to wait until Tuesday for a field tech to do so. Sounds like the first of many stops for a known problem by Subaru.

I thought I was done worrying about ringlands.lol.

[xwd]

Originally Posted by BRZnut

So ...reading over all the posts...what does everyone think..is this a mechanical issue with the engine, a software problem with the ECU, or both???

We don't know 100% yet but in the end it's a mechanical problem. The fact everyone started off with the same ECU and it's only affecting about 5% of the cars means it's mechanical. An ECU is an ECU, I really don't understand the reflash versus new ECU and why that would make a difference.

[SpeedmasterBRZ]

The 08+ STi was having a big tuning issue and shortly after launch a some were recalled for a flash when others were not. They might officially launch a recall if there is enough cases that come up.

It would be nice to see on the list on the first page what fixed the complaint not just repaired. That way we can see if the flash/ecu is the best fix or not a fix at all.

You can have bad parts in a batch of ecus and others not. I work on electronics for a living and you would be surprised how much variance there is from one part to another depending on the batch and the suppliers.

[Rob_g]

Originally Posted by SpeedmasterBRZ

The 08+ STi was having a big tuning issue and shortly after launch a some were recalled for a flash when others were not. They might officially launch a recall if there is enough cases that come up.

It would be nice to see on the list on the first page what fixed the complaint not just repaired. That way we can see if the flash/ecu is a magority fix or a minority fix.

You can have bad parts in a batch of ecus and others not. I work on electonics for a living and you would be suprised how much variance there is from one part to another depending on the batch and the suppliers.

Put mine down as ECU replaced, ran better, but still not close to %100 fixed. It still had weird idle behaviour and a throttle glitch/bog on initial acceleration.

Bought May 31 2012, traded back November 1 2012.

Mine was a lemon as far as I am concerned. I still like the car for what it is, but the current issues just leaves a big fat stain on what has been an otherwise exciting vehicle launch.

Rob

[jduffy]

Originally Posted by SpeedmasterBRZ

You can have bad parts in a batch of ecus and others not. I work on electronics for a living and you would be surprised how much variance there is from one part to another depending on the batch and the suppliers.

We sell and lease electronics and explaining variance to customers is damn near impossible. They believe that every product should run at the exact same spec but it doesn't always work out that way.

Great post, again, thank you.

[Rob_g]

Originally Posted by jduffy

We sell and lease electronics and explaining variance to customers is damn near impossible. They believe that every product should run at the exact same spec but it doesn't always work out that way.

Great post, again, thank you.

Customers have a right to expect a product should operate as advertised and for the purpose intended. When it doesn't that is what the warranty is for. However we seem to have a somewhat askew warranty process here and cars are sometimes not getting fixed in a timely fashion. Even when the standard repair of a new ECU is done, from my and others experiences that still does not completely fix the idle issues.

I don't see your name on the repair list so either you haven't had a problem or you never reported it. I don't think you would be as positive if your car was in for repair as many times or as long as some have here.

I'm sure the problems will be eventually sorted out, rather see it sooner as opposed to later. This has been going on a little too long now for some people.

Rob