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

[ToytoyTT]

Hi can anyone tell me if the brz and the 86 ecu update for the idle issues are the same? my car is a toyota can I flash it using the brz software?

[Fallen hero]

I know that it is the last thing on some ones mind but if this does happen to could some one plzzzzzzzzzz post a video or audio clip of what the car does or how it sounds

[spitz]

... Really?

YouTube.

[eurospeed]

Originally Posted by Fallen hero

I know that it is the last thing on some ones mind but if this does happen to could some one plzzzzzzzzzz post a video or audio clip of what the car does or how it sounds

Video links are on the first page showing the initial CEL.

[Sean K.]

Originally Posted by JohnS_Rosamond

Sean K. You're being too serious, Jduffy was having a laugh (if I understand correctly). He's saying that if we take our number of faults here and multiply it times 100 (there are 100 more groups of 170 individuals each who also have CEL trouble) then this number would be far greater than the total number of cars produced.

I believe that between 5 and 8 percent of all produced FR-S/BRZ vehicles having trouble is probably correct (and probably a lot higher than it should be even with a first year car).

Sorry, I used to be an aerospace engineer by trade, so I tend to take things like six sigma/lean defect rates very seriously.....which is why I didn't "get" his math and was asking for the explanation. It certainly wouldn't be the first time I didn't understand what Jduffy was saying.

My apologies.

Sean

[Sean K.]

Originally Posted by Cade01

So what fun thing neither Toyota or Subaru are you getting?

Well, bought the car I was hunting for today.

Here she is:

2008, supercharged, 3472 miles, hard and soft top.









I guess I'm sorta glad that the sale on the Subaru BRZ we originally bought didn't wind up going through. It really forced us to reassess what we wanted from this car. Since Toyota and Subaru couldn't seem to figure out what the heck is the problem or what is the definitive solution.....I just didn't feel comfortable gambling on the BRZ.

It's unfortunate, b/c the BRZ is far more practical as a daily driver....but the Lotus is just so much fun to drive and it kinda fits our theme of impractical, niche vehicles.....like the street legal rockbuggy I built from scratch and the Jeep Tj I'll be building for the wife in a very similar pattern.








We ended up buying a new 2012 Mazda 3 (manual) for daily driving duties (getting 38+ mpg on regular). It was one of the few 2012s left on the lot and traded in our POS 2010 Honda Accord....so we got a really good deal.

Now the Lotus will just be another toy and the Mazda will get the miles put on it.

Sean

[Cade01]

Originally Posted by Sean K.

Well, bought the car I was hunting for today.

Here she is:

2008, supercharged, 3472 miles, hard and soft top.









I guess I'm sorta glad that the sale on the Subaru BRZ we originally bought didn't wind up going through. It really forced us to reassess what we wanted from this car. Since Toyota and Subaru couldn't seem to figure out what the heck is the problem or what is the definitive solution.....I just didn't feel comfortable gambling on the BRZ.

It's unfortunate, b/c the BRZ is far more practical as a daily driver....but the Lotus is just so much fun to drive and it kinda fits our theme of impractical, niche vehicles.....like the street legal rockbuggy I built from scratch and the Jeep Tj I'll be building for the wife in a very similar pattern.








We ended up buying a new 2012 Mazda 3 (manual) for daily driving duties (getting 38+ mpg on regular). It was one of the few 2012s left on the lot and traded in our POS 2010 Honda Accord....so we got a really good deal.

Now the Lotus will just be another toy and the Mazda will get the miles put on it.

Sean

So how is the buggy street legal? Do you have mudflaps for it? Not doubting just curious.

[Sean K.]

Originally Posted by Cade01

So how is the buggy street legal? Do you have mudflaps for it? Not doubting just curious.

Simple: AZ is really goofy when it comes to the MVD. I wasn't trying to make it street legal when I took it in. I was trying to get an 'RV' plate (similar to an ATV tag) to be on the forestry/blm roads for $30. They screwed up, gave me a regular one when I got the "Special Construction" VIN.....and I was supposed to go through a level IV inspection, instead of the level one where all the guy wanted to talk about was how "cool" it was.

I didn't have a windshield (or wiper), horn, turn signals, any mirrors, etc.

AZ is also weird about the mudflap thing.....for the longest time, only pickups were required to have them if the suspension/ride height was modified.....Jeeps were "station wagons" so they didn't have to. With specialty construction the law is even more vague. Enforcement is arbitrary at best.

I've driven it on the street a few times with no issue....but just to get gas or pick up parts or whatever (I've got a windshield and rear view now)....but b/c I now have competition compound tires on it, I don't run it on the street very much b/c they wear so fast.

The tag was like $180 for the first year and basic liability was only about $26/ month.

Sean

[Tricky1980]

getting car back for the 2nd time after 3 days they are replacing the ecu again this time with the "newest updated one" from the 19th of this month? hmmmm... picking car up at lunch tomorrow.. see how it goes. the ecu's are in stock in chicago... they are over-nighting it to my dealership in moline....

[DaJo]

Originally Posted by Tricky1980

getting car back for the 2nd time after 3 days they are replacing the ecu again this time with the "newest updated one" from the 19th of this month? hmmmm... picking car up at lunch tomorrow.. see how it goes. the ecu's are in stock in chicago... they are over-nighting it to my dealership in moline....

Good to hear that you're getting another updated version!

Please report back to us for further updates with the newer ECU.

[dabocx]

Interesting to see they are continuing with the ecu updates, seems like they are pretty sure it can be solved solely by that or for at least a good chunk of people that is all thats needed

[JSUB]

JSUB, BRZ, 1246 km, Canada, waiting for ECU software upgrade (ordered by dealer).

While waiting, dealer told me ok to drive it even if CEL on.

[KrzysFR]

Update: Finally got my car back, supposedly fixed. I'll wait until I put a few hundred kilometers on it, before believing anything .

They changed the VVTi pulley + gears + sensors, and reflashed the ECU, but did not change the ECU itself (still have part number 8801CA021). They had troubles making it work because - they told me - the new replacement parts do not have exactly the same dimensions as the previous ones, so they had to tweak some settings (in the ECU??). Don't know what to make of it.

For reference, I got the first symptoms a week after delivery, and the first CEL after two weeks. Had to wait more than a month for any concrete plans on what to do (during which I kept driving the car, at my request). The repair should have taken only one day, but it took 3 full working days, spanning a week-end (6 days without a car). So now after 2 months of ownership, I may have a fully working car that I can drive places without stalling. Yay.

Now, for my fellow Frenchmen using Google to find help on this subject:

Les concessions toyota en France n'ont pas l'air d'être au courrant de tout, donc si vous avez le problème de ralenti moteur, et qu'ils vous disent qu'ils ne sont pas au courrant, ou que vous êtes le premier, ou qu'il n'y a pas de mise à jour pour le calculateur, ils vous racontent des bobards.

Dans mon cas, il a été nécessaire de changer les capteurs et les poulies du décaleur de timing de l'arbre a cames (ou qqsoit le nom qu'ils donnent à cette pièce en Français), et mettre à jour le calculateur électronique (qui se situe derrière la boite a gants, sur la droite, il faut plonger tête la premiere pour pouvoir l'entrevoir). D'ailleurs, le calculateur sur les GT86 françaises n'est pas le même modèle que sur les américaines, et il n'est a priori pas nécessaire de le changer: n° de série 8801CA021, modèle SSPLF03.

Ah oui, et si on vous dit que le bruit de la pompe a essence est normal, on se fout de votre gueule. Par contre pour ce problème la, il va falloir attendre que Toyota France se décide a admettre le problème et pousse l'info vers les concessions...

Now, I want to thank the maintainers of this thread for the invaluable help they are providing. Without this thread, I would have been without a car for more than a month, and the dealership guys would have been able to feed me some bullshit story.
Thanks guys ! :happy0180:

[Alienate]

Originally Posted by KrzysFR

Update: Finally got my car back, supposedly fixed. I'll wait until I put a few hundred kilometers on it, before believing anything .

They changed the VVTi pulley + gears + sensors, and reflashed the ECU, but did not change the ECU itself (still have part number 8801CA021). They had troubles making it work because - they told me - the new replacement parts do not have exactly the same dimensions as the previous ones, so they had to tweak some settings (in the ECU??). Don't know what to make of it.
Thanks guys ! :happy0180:

Those dealer comments about "tweaking" make me nervous. We have had a few motors blow up after Dealer tinkering. I hope yours is safe. GL!