Subaru Legacy - Battery Keeps Going Dead For The Last 2 Years
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- Опубліковано 31 жов 2023
- In this video we have a look at a customers '17 Subaru Legacy that has had a long history of the battery always being dead. She's been dealing with it for 2 years now and wants it fixed.
-Enjoy!
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This is the beauty of UA-cam folks. Viewer @Gearhead8604 alerted me of a TSB that I did not see from Subaru. I contacted my customer to let them know of the "repair" available from Subaru. They opted to just leave it as is for the time being. I appreciate all of the comments from others alerting me to the TSB also. You guys are ALL awesome and a really great community of techs, DIY'ers and plain old viewers. Either way I appreciate all of you!
-Eric O.
Copy of TSB - static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2023/MC-10238460-0001.pdf
Suburooo lying
Btw, I have a parasitic draw on my 2016 Outback.
I pulled the DCM fuse in the fuse panel and the draw went from .74 microamps down to .64 microamps. Not a big change like in the video.
Something else is causing the draw and will have to investigate further when I have the time.
The Software 'tool' from Subaru disables the DCM. Removing the fuse disables the DCM. Differences... 1) without dealer level diagnostics :-D 2) You used your brain to actually identify which circuit it was. Eric: 2, Scooby Doo: 0
Good morning Eric, I work at Subaru and the Telematics DCM will cause the battery to have a draw. There's a TSB on setting the DCM to factory mode and unplugging the SOS switch which solves the current draw. The vehicle has to currently be unsubscribed to starlink in order to complete this tsb. You can check in obd data to see the DCM subscription status. Best way to check this is to unplug the DCM fuse underneath he underhood fusebox. If the draw goes away immediately that's your problem! The DCM does not need to be replaced.
What a great idea for a video, how to unplug the SOS switch of the DCM. It seems a more elegant approach, compared to installing an aftermarket relay that turns off power when key is removed.
Being the DCM is made with some out of space rare materials, could there be a problem like the one we have with the catalytic converters?
Do you have a TSB number?
Doesn’t always need to be *
@@SouthMainAuto 11-174-17R I believe
static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/2017/MC-10131689-9999.pdf
People are so lucky to have an honest man working on there vehicles. God Bless you and your family Eric.
their vehicles
@@NoName-zn1sb There There Bro - Relax!
And we are lucky it goes online , thanks eric
"Hello dark current my old friend. I've come to amp clamp you again." 😊 Thanks for the video!
Yup that's it, the sounds of silence when my wife turns the key
"While I was resting, your current drawing; and now I'm screwed because you're not starting"
Subaru wrote it on the walls.
The problem is that 3G carrier data was shut down by the cellular providers. The module is continuously trying to phone home at increased power with no service. This isn’t just a Subaru problem. 2011+ Fords and Mazda also have this problem. A few early Honda telematics as well. Pull the TCM from the parcel shelf and be done with it.
I was reading, Subject (Who owns the information your car collects) It was eye opening.
ET PHONE HOME!
@@amunderdog From a computer guy perspective, you would all be appalled by most car manufacturer's data policies (who owns your data and who they sell/share that data with). And we all agreed to them.
@@jamesfitzgerald2361 The Speak and Spell has a parasitic draw. 😂
@JeffWok lol im not a computer guy. But i know EVERYONE who gets your address or phine number from the government when you get a drivers license to your doctor is selling your name and address to someone who then sells it to some one else who then sells it tona 3rd person who eventually throws the list in the trash scammers go dumpster diving and then they start cold caĺing you and saying you won this or that. Ir try to sell you something or send you credit card offers lol
Exact same thing happened on my aunt's 18 Forester. She was taking her Subaru to Costco every 3 months and getting the battery replaced under warranty. I finally convinced her to take it to the shop to get it looked at. She opted for the same 'repair" as this customer since the stealership gave her an estimate over $900 to repair it.
Now a days that's not bad to repair. However if you don't use it I wouldn't fix it either!
@@robertmedina6875 If u don't use it, lose it!
If there's something connected to the electronic system and I don't use it, I disconnect it from the power source.
@@robertmedina6875only rich idiots with more money than brains subscribes to a car thing like that 😂
I would still like to try a known good used module. When a dealer says I have to buy their new part, I want to know if that's true. Remember when dealers said an SRS module had to be replaced with a new dealer unit then had to be programmed to that specific car? We found out eventually that wasn't the case.
@@steadyeddie7453 I agree, but I also doubt that they'd bullcrap Eric on this. But then again ya never know....
Eric, your willingness to do what it takes to find the problem and then fix it is ledgentary!
I do most of my own repairs but I would definitely trust you with my vehicle.
Geez, it's literally what he is paid for.
Agree with your point of trusting Eric's integrity. Hard to find a mechanic that you believe and trust is going to find and fix the real problem and not throw parts at it or upsell you unnecessarily.
@@Cheepchipsableyou are correct captain obvious. What's w the attitude tho? This guy is a great mechanic and HONEST, which is increasingly difficult to find these days. Nothing wrong with pointing out how legendary this guy is!
Just like they paid all the other mechanics and shops that had to send the vehicles to Eric. He has fix several vehicles that others didn't. @@Cheepchipsable
2020...that's when "everything bad started" You couldn't be more right my friend
Great diagnosis Eric. Way too much useless electronics in cars now a days causing problems IMO. I would of done the same as the customer..Keep the video's coming bud.
“Sherlock Ohms” triumphs again👏🏼
This is the only way Subaru owners would know any thing about this problem. Great work Eric. The voice of honesty.
My girlfriend's 2019 Outback had this exact problem. If you drove her car everyday you would never know it had a parasitic current draw, but leave it for a week and the battery was dead. I diagnosed the parasitic draw with a current probe, but since the car was still under warranty I had her take it to the dealer. They pulled the fuse until they could get a replacement data/Starlink/whatever module, which took a couple of months. After the fix, I monitored it carefully for a while -- no parasitic draw. It can sit for weeks now with no battery drain problem. So, it seems, that data module doesn't go to sleep like it should, and the replacement part does. I'm sure Subaru knows all about this problem; the fact that so many of these data modules are on back order, and that they have a service bulletin on it tells me so. They are probably just hoping people will drive their cars everyday and not notice it. They should replace all of the bad modules IMHO.
I like your diagnostic skills. Not being a mechanic, I would have no clue where to start with this kind of problem
That's generally why you pay someone else for their knowledge.
I bought a three year old car and was disconcerted to see a recent fitting of new alternator and battery. Going through the vehicle, amongst a few other small things I discovered that the glovebox light was not working. It was a bit of a faff to get the unit out (no chance of replacing the bulb in situ) but I did and replaced the pea bulb which was obviously burned out. Before refitting it, I idly pressed the button to watch the bulb turn off. It didn't.
Took me another 15 minutes to dismantle the switch, reassemble it properly and put it all back together. We've had the vehicle for four years now and no battery/charging issues. I think the switch must have been misassembled from new and the bulb was draining the battery if the vehicle was left for a while. The bulb probably blew shortly after the battery and alternator were replaced. It's not always the complex stuff that goes wrong.
You gotta love that modern O-scope. I remember the old ones like the Tectonics and HP units. Big and bulky and expensive. BTW as an electronics technician I can tell you that your troubleshooting approach was correct and right to the point. Well done.
I got a cheapo multimeter for $25 that talks to phone on bluetooth, can graph volts or current also
Tektronix
Tektronix and HP scopes have them and now use Rigol 4 channel 100mhz as a daily .
@@KeithJenkinsvideos what name brand?
I was thinking the same thing, as a bench technician for years, his ability to mechanically troubleshoot is equal to electrical/electronic troubleshooting. Extremely impressive.
Something like this happened to my father's 2002 Chevy Trailblazer. The battery would drain and die within a few hours and would need a jump start. This problem occurred for close to 15 years. My father actually set up a disconnect for the rear fuse box back in 2015. He passed in 2017 and never got to fix it. This year I finally fixed it for him and it is all thanks to you Eric. Your thorough explanations helped track down the issues. I watched like 3 your videos multiple times. The ol girl had multiple parasitic draw points. The radio, passanger door switch and the Aux ports all were draining her down. Put a new radio and door switch in and just temporarily didconnected the aux ports. I have not had to disconnect the truck at all for the past 4+ months.
I wish you had posted this about 2 months ago. My son's car had this issue and it cost me 54.00 for my local shop to read the service bulletin and pull the fuse. I guess there was a class action lawsuit to pay for all the dead batteries.
Many moons ago, I was asked to look at an New Yorker owned by an older gentleman. The battery kept going dead, and the stealership had already replaced the battery and alternator to no avail. Following similar steps, it was determined the motorized radio antenna was the parasitic draw. The nylon cable that pushed the antenna up and down had broken, so when the car was shut off, the antenna motor kept running because the antenna never went down.
Good diagnosis. Some modern features are more trouble than they are worth.
Good morning Eric and fellow viewers! 🇺🇸
I love the tools, too! I'm going to check that out. (Retired Electrician who maintains family vehicles). My dad had a 64 Buick Rivera that had an electric dash clock, He would unplug the fuse during the winter. It was his Sunday Church Car and Sat during the week. I watched him go thru a similar process when he was troubleshooting his problem using 2 DC Amp-meters. He Started with a 20 amp. Once he localized it, he switched to a 10 amp. Over the years that lesson has served me well. He was also an Electrician (My Hero) But unlike me, He could DANCE!😎
Outstanding video. Thanks for taking us along!!
I had the exact problem on my 2017 Outback. I put in a bigger battery. No more dead battery. It would have been cheaper to pull the fuse. Thanks Eric, you are appreciated indeed!
This is why I love watching your channel. Enough detail around what you did and a clean ending. Super interesting. Thanks
Love your videos, Eric - keep them coming!
You sir truly have the finest automotive channel on UA-cam. I've learned so much about diagnosis techniques from you. Thanks
Love the clear diagnosis.
You can also jump the load side of the fuse onto another fuse operated by the ignition key so when the key is in the off position that load is also off and no more parasitic drain.
Excellent video Eric. A simple fix to an annoying problem. Keep up the great work!
Love your work brother
Well done for finding that one Eric enjoyed your video as always, all the best from the UK Paul 👍
Great diagnosis methodology as always
I really like this sort of diagnostic problem. I learn a lot and I also get some insight on how overly complicated today’s cars are. Thanks.
tenacity is the key great work as usual
Excellent video. Way to track the problem down.
It's a beautiful simple repair, I love it.
This channel feeds skills , logics and intertaintment , nice, thanks
Another great diagnosis Eric. found the problem and saved the client a ton of money and aggravation. Kudos again.
You are this lady's hero! Well done!
Awesome stuff Mr. Eric, you sure do know your electronics with these cars!!! 👍👍
Right to the problem every time. You are amazing.
Thanks for the video Eric!
Great video again!
Thanks Eric!
Outstanding! I’ve been dealing with this in my 16 Outback. Thanks!
Good to know. Thank you for sharing.
I know someone with a 2017 Legacy so I'm going to file this in the memory banks. Thanks Eric! You and Mrs O are awesome!
Another fine diagnosis. Mrs O will be proud.
As always helpful info for the average person .
Your a honest person and God Bless you for all you do. I am not a mechanic but deep within you are very knowledgeable in what you do, you have a complete equipment to fix all issues. One of these days i will do a long drive from NJ
Mr. O you are a diagnostic bloodhound!! you always stay on the problem til a resolution!! Wish we had you up in my neck of the woods!! Great job!! Thank you!
great fix enjoyed your videos love the way you talk
Another great video full of important info for Subaru owners and shop!!👍👍👍👍👍👍👍
Thanks for the video Eric.
I have learned a lot from your videos, thank you, awesome information
Great video! This sounds a lot like Microsoft edge that just turns itself on to watch what you do without your permission. Always weary of things that are hidden from the buyer...
Or Microsoft Windows 10 that you cannot stop from auto- updating. I even had a tech go into the registry and reconfig things, but to no avail. And when they update they turn things back on that I had turned off. Big brother Bill is watching you.
Always great to see a parasitic job done correctly.
I diag about 10 of these a year, the DCM is a known issue, I’m hoping the manufacturer extends the warranty of the computer and/or starts a recall.
This is a component that should have an extended warranty due to its heavy integration into the vehicles audio system. Especially since the telematics requires a yearly subscription to operate. Most people terminate their service after the trial period and/or second hand owners don’t want it.
Unplugging the fuse will stop the problem but will also inhibit the Bluetooth and hands free calling service, and some speakers from working.
It’s frustrating to tell people that they need to replace a module so they can use the speakers and Bluetooth; even though they’re not paying annual fee to use the service the module provides.
For people that cannot afford the module replacement, I’ll install a relay that turns power off to the DCM when the ignition is off. It’s still a $200 fix but it’s better than paying over $650 to install and program a module that you don’t subscribe to.
If you do replace the module make sure to read the latest TSBs about immunized and registration. I fix one or two a year that are not registered correctly or registered for the incorrect ignition type (hybrid, push start, key start). Thankfully you can re-register the DCM if you do it wrong.
The lawsuit has come and gone, for this problem, but I still encourage customers to call Subaru first compensation.
Good Luck
Relay installation sounds like a viable fix
Pin this.... If you could explain the relay installation a little better, that would help me get my Bluetooth/ speaker back online and I would hugely appreciate it!
@@TnT_13_ I guess it goes like this: find power supply wire to the module, cut it and connect the ends to the load side of a relay that's normally open. For the command side of the relay find a switched power supply. Key's off the relay opens and the module is powered down. The relay should support the amps the module needs.
@@TnT_13_ it’s a simple horn relay circuit, that any proficient automotive technician can install.
Subscribe, I’ll make a how to video of the next vehicle I service.
Because the amperage daw is low I can use jumper wires off the engine and cabin fuse block.
Cabin fuse #19 is the ignition fuse (double check wiring for safety), I use that for the control side of the relay (pin 85 and 86)
I then control the power to the DCM via relay pin 87 and 30 on through the engine bay fuse block.
Again reference a horn circuit and apply the knowledge.
If you are not confident in the task, I would suggest asking a qualified shop to install a basic 30A relay to the DCM power supply and trigger it off the ignition circuit.
Good luck I am hopping they recall my 21. The cockpit control unit as they call it won't take any new software updates. The car is out of warenty and it's my dime if I want it replaced. The part is also on infinite back order. System works but no new updates apply. At lest 4 subaru dealers did try and update it free of charge.
Great job Eric, disconnecting the module stops the parasitic draw and Subaru confirms it. Thanks.
Dr O solved another one genius !!! You are the very best !!!
I guessed it was the satellite communication system at the start of the video. Love your videos.
Subaru is having issues with parts on different issues especially screens. Great job finding this! 😊
Im a scottish plumber, nothing to do with cars but still find your videos to be my favourite viewing pass time .Your channel is no1
You are da man!Love your channel!
Great video. Thanks for the info.
Good job. Nice easy fix. Just pull the fuse. Thanks for showing that to us.
great eye opening video. Keep up the good work Eric. Say hello to Mrs. O for me.
Another great video. I've heard about this issue with Subaru with no cause or fix. You did a great job troubleshooting the issue! We own a 2021 Crosstrek with no issues!!
Well, I would be happy to pay for that diagnosis and just leave the fuse out myself!! Nice work!!
Thanks for the info. I'll file it away for future reference as we have a '17 Forester.
Can't wait to get home and try this on my wife's '16 Legacy. Thanks!!
You done the right thing! Thanks for making these videos. great job as always! Ed Hicks
Very good information. Thank you!
I love it! Eric does exactly what so many shade-tree mechanics have done to cars that come into his shop: just pull the fuse! Only this time there are no harmful ramifications! Good job.
Great work on diagnostic
Eric O aka "Mr. Wizard" Thanks Eric for another great and informative video!
Excellent video Eric!
Excellent diagnosis!
Excellent diagnosis.
Oh, ok the dealer said, in not so many words, the car is harvesting data so you can't swamp the module because then it would send data for the wrong person/car.....
Your diagnostic and detective skills saved this lady a lot of aggravation, time and money. Good job!
“Just remember, if I can do it, you can do it” That’s a very humble statement Eric, but I think it would be like a forth of July fireworks finally if the average Joe started messing with the electronics on these new vehicles 😂 I’m a retired mechanic and I try to keep up with this modern crap 💩 watching your vids, nice work!!
It would be more like a "nuclear explosion" if I tried to fix that.
@@davidh7339 Only if you drive a DeLorean with the Flux capacitor option.
As they say in Scotland, "I'd trust him with my money, my malt, and my maidservant."
Great find as usual!
Great info thank you Sir!
I like watching your videos I hate working on cars Either you don't know how to fix it or don't have the right tools But you make it easy So I have been doing still on my truck with you and YTU thanks for all you do
Great video SMA.
Another good job Eric thank you.
Great video Eric. Modern technology, not all that it’s cracked up to be. Bring back Semaphore Flags!!
Great info….. I have a 2019 Outback. Same problem for me……. WiFi was one of the issues….. will check further…….
The best of the best you are Mr O!!!
Great information to have, thanks.
subaru: if you don't pay the subscription we will kill your battery!
it is way worse: if you pay, it will still not work with 3g and we will still drain your battery.
THANKS! We have a 17 Legacy and NEVER would pay for starlink. I'm going outside right now and pulling the DCM fuse. Thanks for that. Don't need to wear out our battery!
does your bluetooth still work?
When you pull that fuse, it will shut off the front speakers and you Bluetooth will not work, but at least your battery won’t drain.
We ended up doing an add a fuse and run that circuit to a fuse that shuts off.
Before that we have gone through 3 batteries since we bought it new in 2019.
If you remove the fuser you may lose other functions that run off that circuit. Jump the fuse for dcm to an empty slot that only runs when the ignition is on. On outback 2019, it is a jump from fuse 9 to fuse 19. Add a 7.5 amp mini fuse to the jumpers. Other models are going to be different fuses.
My first thought when I heard that it started in 2020 was that the owner might have started working from home so they didn't drive it every day. It might always have had the draw but was driven enough to keep the battery charged.
Nice work!
Great job as always!!!!
Got a nice reply on the faulty problem there Eric .therd you have it 👍👍👍👍👍
This was good to watch as the daughter just purchased a 2019 Forester (only 11k miles). No issues with it yet, but I know what to check first if we have a current draw issue.
Great video and information mate 👍
Good job Eric
Thank you Erice great troubleshooting example
I like that repair! Gotta bad module you don't use anyway? Remove fuse problem goes away!
Good diagnosis and video Mr. O.