At Oil Temp and Brake lights flashing and VDC light solid

[Tunacorona]

Just got my 2010 Legacy back from garage. Car is repaired and works fine now. My symptoms were a flashing break light on dash and the "Oil at Temp" light illuminated once and did not illuminate again after turning car off and back on. In addition to the flashing break light, my Vehicle Control and Stability light was on solid. (I think that is the name but I am typing this from memory. It is the symbol with squiggly skid marks).

 

Anyway - I checked the DTC codes with an INNOVA scanner and saw no DTC's. I wrote up the symptoms and my wife followed me to the Subaru Garage. After we got there, she told me my break lights were constantly on. I had previously placed the car in neutral and let it drift down a vary slight grade. It drifted smoothly and slowly, did not feel like brakes were applied and there were no odors to indicate breaking while traveling at higher speeds.

 

Subaru checked out car and found faulty Break switch. They replaced and "calibrated" the switch and called me back. It has been one day and it appears they fixed it.

 

Hope this helps someone!

[Tunacorona]

I meant to spell "Brake" and "Very"

 

Sorry.

[Silver2010legacy]

Well shit. Check engine VDC on solid, brake and cruise flashing, at oil temp came on but went off after shutting it off. Screen shot of codes pulled by piston app and my Bluetooth scanner. Currently parked at a highway fast food place about halfway between home and the in-laws

[Perscitus]

Hmm, either a legitimate TCU malfunction or still CAN bus gremlins.

 

Question: in the apps you use with the Bluetooth dongle, are your protocols set to auto or set to what they should be for a recent-gen Subaru?

 

Torque/Torque Pro for example can cause such issues if the car profile OBDII protocol is set to auto.

 

I will come back with how it should be setup... edit: attached.

[Silver2010legacy]

The lights came on leaving a rest stop, I pulled into a parking lot about a mile past there. I cleared the codes and started driving. The car started hiccuping (like it wanted to stall). The car was really jerk when I was accelerating and the RPMs were dipping really low and then jumping really high. I am now back on the highway cruising at 75 and everything seems to work as it should.

Husband driving, wife typing

[Perscitus]

Ok, I bet its the ODBII protocol settings. The cell phone apps when set to auto send 'bad' (malformed) messages down the car's network which can cause random and false errors and strange Transmission behavior (caused by TCU to ECU to BIU communication errors).

 

Apply the settings I show above, restart the app and things should be better, hopefully no more errors.

[Silver2010legacy]

Cursing at 75, turned off cruise control and the rpms dropped to 1000-1200. Got off the highway at my exit and slowed to a near stop ~5 and accelerated to 45 smoothly (the stop light turned green as I pulled up). Actual stop to 45 smoothly, 0-35 smoothly, and 0-25 smoothly twice. Rpms dropped every time I let off the gas. It seemed like I had to push the gas pedal quite a bit further than normal to pull away but I suppose that could have been in my head. The screen shot below is the Piston app after I changed the settings in the in-laws driveway. IIRC I pulled the OBD2 after getting on the highway with the herky jerk acceleration and erattic rpms.

 

I sincerly hope you are correct about OBD2 causing the issues but it seems strange that I've had it all this time and the problems are just now becoming so severe.

[08SpecB_DE]

Have you checked the fluid recently? The p700 is only there due to the p2762 which is a code for your torque converter clutch solenoid. "Lifetime" fluid should be changed as well. All fluid breaks down over time and stops doing its job.

[Perscitus]

It might very well be it. I'm familiar with Piston (programmed by someone from my country of birth), if you look to the previous posts, I show you a screnshot how you should configure Piston's OBDIII protocol settings. Do the same with Torque and any other OBDII apps you're using.

 

Also consider buying an OBDLink LX if you plan to conitnue using these apps and a Bluetooth dongle of any kind. Its worth its price in headache reduction alone.

 

I have a feeling the apps in OBDII protocol set to 'auto' have been causing most of your issues. I doubt the TCU is bust. Its just getting conflicting signals on the CAN bus. The dongles work most of the time but at times they send bad handshake messages, wake-up or keep alive, request data messages. Or worse, cycle through the protocols (when set to auto) while the car is running and they need to re-establish connection.

 

This would also explain your shifter lock-out solenoid clicking on and off. There is actually an SSM switch that controls that and if the dongle caused it to cycle, you'd experience what you did.

[Silver2010legacy]

Would dirty/worn out/broken down fluid cause the p2762 and p0700?

I

haven't done anything but oil changes, tire rotation/replacement, washer blades/fluid, and replace burnt out bulbs since I got the car December of 13 with ~124k miles. I feel guilty about being neglectful but I have not have access to a lift since before I got this car. I do keep a floor jack, a pair of jack stands, and some basic hand tools in the trunk.

[Silver2010legacy]

The only time I've driven with the OBD2 plugged in and connected to my phone with an app running was when I was checking voltages. My phone's battery sucks and the Bluetooth drains it pretty quickly. When I drove with the OBD2 plugged in it was not connected to my phone and the app was not running.

[08SpecB_DE]

Car doesn't need to be on a lift to check the fluid level. It honestly sounds like there are a few ways it could go...the solenoid is bad, your torque converter is bad, or you need a new trans. How many miles on the car? Forget about the p0700, it means nothing. Focus on the 2762. Once that is fixed the p0700 will be go away.

 

There's always a chance it's a wiring issue, needs to be reprogrammed or a number of other possibilities but I recommend taking it to a local trans specialty shop and see what they find. Do not take it to the dealer. Trans shops will be able to find the actual problem and rebuild the trans or replace it with one they already reman'ed.

 

1. Do not take it to the dealer.

2. Take it to a reputable trans specialty shop in your area.

3. Do it ASAP before you potentially cause more problems. Think about towing it there if you have the money.

[Silver2010legacy]

My lights came on today at 171,270 miles. I'll check around for a good transmission place in the morning. I had planned to change the oil and spark plugs this weekend but I guess I'll be putting them off a little while longer. Any suggestions for checking the solenoid or torque converter or will that require special equipment?

[Silver2010legacy]

I went on a short drive around the block ~2.2. Miles. It drove smoothly and accelerated normally but the lights came on half way through. Pulled back in the in-laws drive way, plugged in the OBD2 reader and pulled the codes.

[08SpecB_DE]

STOP DRIVING THE DAMN CAR! 171k isn't unusual to see trans problems especially when you never change the fluid. It could simply be new solenoids and fluid change or whole new rebuilt trans. If you continue driving it, there's no doubt it will be a whole trans.

[08SpecB_DE]

You can drop the trans pan but you will need to see which solenoids you are dealing with so a diagram would help. I still rec taking it to a trans shop because even if you change out the valve body and that doesn't fix the issue then you wasted time and money.

[Izzypal]

Would that be a Bluetooth OBD2 scanner? My issues originated before I got mine but it had been plugged in since I got it.

 

I agreed to an oil change only bcause I am over due. I seriously considering canceling the oil change first thig in the morning because of both the high price and the attempted trickery.

 

He pointed out that the spark plugs should be changed every 60,000 and my car is "almost due for it's third set"

 

 

 

Yes, I have an OBDII scanner that was not always connected to TorquePro but always plugged in. If one of your codes is a communication fault, I would clear the codes and then unplug the scanner and see if the problem returns. Mine didn't so it must be the OBDII scanner for my 3.6R with 5EAT.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Silver2010legacy]

So the in-laws live in a small town and the only transmission place in town is closed on the weekend. I went ahead and changed the engine oil, spark plugs, and the airfilter. While it was on the jack stands I checked all the electrical connections on the trans I could find and they were all tight. I started it and it runs smoothy. I scanned for codes with my OBD2 plug with piston and torque light and my brother-in-law's craftsman 47177 OBD2+ABS diagnostic tool. All three pull p0700 and p2762.

[08SpecB_DE]

Have you still not checked the trans fluid level?

[Silver2010legacy]

Car doesn't need to be on a lift to check the fluid level.

 

Doesn't the car have to be level to check the fluid level? I found what I think is the fill plug but I don't have an allen wrench big enough for it.

[Silver2010legacy]

The plug I found is the one in the diagram.

 

Quotes from drm4633

After several hours of research, I discovered Redline CVT fluid. It is Subaru certified and for use with metal CVT belts/chains.

CVT Fluid Change Fluid: Manual says total capacity is 12.7-13.2 qts, I drained ~6.0 qts and filled with ~5.5qts. - I used Redline Non-slip synthetic CVT fluid purchased from Amazon.com. -You must check the level with the car level, idling, and in park at operating temperature. I have a 4-post lift which makes it easy to do. Tools Required: -10mm Hex required for fill Plug, 36.9 ft-lb. -8mm Hex required for drain Plug, 14.8 ft-lb. Sequence: 1. Remove fill Plug. Since my fluid was warm and not hot, some fluid drained after removing. 2. Remove drain Plug and drain remaining fluid. 3. Re-install drain plug and torque to 14.8 ft-lb. 4. Fill via fill hole until fluid runs out. 5. Install fill Plug and tighten. 6. Start and idle vehicle to warm fluid. Cycle transmission through all positions. 7. Check fluid level and fill if required. Torque Fill plug to 36.9 ft-lb.

[08SpecB_DE]

You want the car as level as possible but it doesn't have to be 100% perfect. You are just checking the fluid level right now.

[Silver2010legacy]

I've got the car on 4 jack stands at equal height. I pulled out the fill plug and a whole bunch of fluid came out, more than 2 liters. The thermometer on the dash says 101°F. I know this stuff expands when it's hot but does it really expand that much? Surely it could not have been overfilled for the roughly 50,000 miles I've had the car? I know the dealer didn't do anything to it because there wasn't any residue or other signs of the fill or drain plug having been removed. The fluid does have a green tint to it that my phone isn't picking up, but it's definitely not clean.

[08SpecB_DE]

Was your car at normal operating temperature? Hot ambient temperature does not mean the fluid will be hot.

[Silver2010legacy]

So we have a good news, bad news situation. Good news - figured out why so much came out. Bad news - it was because I'm a bit of an idiot. Once I got the right tools my intention was to knock the fill plug loose to make sure they were the right tools and make it faster and easier to remove once the car was running and at operating temperature (I don't want to spend anymore time under a running car than I have to). It was much tighter than I expected and I struggled a bit. Once I broke it free I got ahead of myself and pulled the dang thing all the way out.

 

I was going to just check the fluid color and the level then have my father-in-law take it to the local teams shop Monday. Now the plan is to find some CVT fluid, either red line or from Subaru, then finish the draining process and refill it. Fingers crossed that solves all my problems.