2010 Diesel Drivetrain shudder

[suthol]

We are getting off topic, but I can't see how a glowplug fault causes this shudder.

If they do have glowplugs, they would be off within the first minute after a cold start.

Maybe the dealer means some other part (injectors or ecu).

My reply from Subaru Oz is that the reason my ECS / ABS fuse hasn't been replaced is because the two blown glow plugs are shorted and they are what blows the ECS fuse.

As someone with an electrical background I find it a litle wierd that a fault in the engine start circuit should affect the vehicle stability control circuits.

[teye]

https://subdiesel.wordpress.com/tag/dpf/

[subdiesel]

If they do have glowplugs, they would be off within the first minute after a cold start.

Not these days anymore - emissions control etc.
Plugs stay on till half warmed up or so, engine management tells.
Via SSM2 or extended OBD-II data logging one can watch that glow relay switch.
Glow light on dashboard won't show after engine start, probably not to distract driver as it does not mean a fault.

[Mess]

For the past two months the shudder has been almost non existent. We first got the shudder in Jan and and then it was a very common occurance until around March/April. It now seems to have disappeared.

The only thing that has changed, that I can think of, is the weather. Perhaps the shudder has something to do with high ambient temps?

[skipalami]

Mess,

I was just speculating the same thing the other day with my service manager.

[MY11OBD]

I have had it once last week and probably been good for at least 3 weeks in a row. however knowing to drive it harder and long trips over the weekend probably is helping... It could also explain why it occurs more in the afternoon for me than first thing in the morning to work.

[Not Happy Jan !!]

Any updates from anybody ?

[suthol]

An update, yeah been thinking about doing one.

I had the glowplugs fitted and fuse replaced 2 weeks ago and no further problems ( at this stage ).

In reality I suspect that the problem has more than a bit to do with the way we drive these cars, as in we expect them to drive like a diesel truck and should be treated like a big vehicle with a small engine which is the reality of the situation.

I have found that since I started pushing the car a bit and driving to the know problem I don't have the shudder and the fuel economy has improved by 1L / 100 from 7.4 to 6.2.

So for the time being happy daze.

[steptoe]

In reality these modern Diesels are designed to be a bit more like a petrol car is in driving performance so more will buy them. They no longer have an old pump driven by the crank and use similar to petrol efi - so they are a bit different in design and nature I suspect to old school Diesels. Still, no excuse for what they've been doing to youse

[skipalami]

My shudder has all but disappeared since the cold weather began.

I have heard that a shudder affected engine was sent back to Japan for Engineers to tear down and investigate which suggests to me that a solution or at least an understanding of the problem shouldn't be too far away.

From my engineering background, once they understand the fault, they can come up with a solution or a range of solutions, and test each one until they arrive at the best one for deployment.

That's the best I have right now.

[Mess]

I continue to change up at 2k rpm and often cruise at 1500 rpm or even below. I have not had a shudder occurance since the weather turned cool. The shudder was almost a daily occurance during summer regardless of how I drove the car. This problem is not related to driving style apart from the basic fact that it occurs between 1800 and 2200 rpm.

I drive the car predominently at low revs. I don't have any dpf light issues either. Avg fuel consumption for last 5500 km is 6.4 l/100 km. That is mostly Canberra commuting with the occasional 100 km trip.on the hwy.

[MY11OBD]

Mess agree re the colder weather senario... could the issue be related to warmer air and how the design of the air intake is affecting the ecu sensors at the speed around 100km which happens rather than revs? since colder weather have not had shudder, maybe a feeling dpf regen is happening and one or two shudder but nothing like it used to be.... hope Subaru come to resolution soon....

[ImprezaSRX]

I wonder if Fuel type / Quality has more of an affect than anyone has thought about?
Many fuel distributors in Australia have recently switched to their "winter diesel" brew, and maybe this is not so compatible in the warmer temps of a few months ago??

I have also heard that low cetane diesel fuels burn at a lower temperature, and therefore do not carry the temperature through to the DPF, not allowing full soot burn off...

food for thought..?

[teye]

15000km over here regularly driven in 40 and up to 43 in the summer and never missed a beat. Im still suspicious its a fuel issue but i do drive mine like a wrx at times, and continue to use a fuel additive which I do on all cars I have owned for some time. And for those who who say dont use it a dpf I say its no different to using an enhanced fuel like BP ultimate which also has additives.

But I do say dont labour the engine its not designed for it.

[poundy]

I'm still a newb here, only 2.5k on the clock of the Forester 2.0d, but no signs of anything coming my way. I tend to drive it like I might drive an XT - the engine is pretty quiet so often I find myself pushing 2k+ revs and still 2 more gears to go. So I think naturally I'm driving it more what would be termed an aggressive manner than usually a diesel might be driven (legacy of driving 2L sporty cars for a while I suspect).

[littlewhiteute]

A little off topic, but I had a Holden Cruze 2.0 Diesel Turbo Auto yesterday with the engine light on, DPF soot accumulation DTC set, once I found the electrical issue, the DPF light was flashing.
Owners manual says to "drive vehicle for 7-12 minutes above 2000 rpm and keep it there, using the transmission in manual mode in necessary".
Sure enough DPF light went out. I'm sure other owners are unaware of the necessary driving techniques required when owning a electronic diesel fitted with a DPF.

[pitrack_1]

(Quoted the original post out of order for clarity)

I still love my Forester BUT.

I'd like to like my Forester, BUT:

Last Tuesday the check engine and ESC lights came on and stayed on...

My wife was driving home tonight (Sun) with our newborn infant when both the Check Engine Light (CEL) and Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC- what you meant by ESC, Suthol?) warning light came on. Checked the fuses- ones listed as relevant in the interior and pretty well all in the engine bay box. Nothing apparently blown. hmmm.

The car now has just under 20,000 in 9 months and has been back in the shop quite a few times which is simply not good enough for a new car.

We're at ~21400km and 10 months, my wife is taking the car in tomorrow morning (Mon). We'll shamelessly play the 'wife with newborn child' card- because that's actually the one we have! This will be the second time we have had warning lights on. Last time, I managed to reset them by pulling a fuse (I think it was the VDC and ABS lights from memory, I did post about it somewhere...). Hmmm!

Guess what, nothing is fixed there are two shot glow plugs and a blown fuse, all have to ordered from Japan and they will call me when the parts come in.

A fuse replacement from Japan, FFS what the hell have Subaru built here.

We'll find out tomorrow if we have a similar issue. Given this vehicle was purchased for and is used to transport our newborn infant around, we are suitably non-impressed. HMMM!

Pitrack_1

[Mess]

Clearly there is a problem with the glow plugs. They fall apart, causing the vdc and check engine lights to show. They'll need to replace glow plugs and a fuse. You're at least the third I've heRd of with this issue (myself included) .

[suthol]

Well, did the trip from Sydney to Brisbane yesterday and it went like a train, the consumption on the trip was 6.0 / 100 until I hit the road work between Warwick and Brisbane where it went to 6.2 and now running around the city it has ballooned out to 6.4:mrgreen:

I pushed it pretty hard which pissed off the drivers who wanted to overtake didn't have the torque to conquer the hills and the car loved it.

The question that won't be answered for a few months is the change in driving style the cure to the problem of is it a combination of cooler temps and / or winter fuel.

[MY11OBD]

Definetely driving style helps, but when you get stuck in traffic in the morning and then halfway home the issue for me occured.

The shudder was felt and controlled by downing to 4th.

although the shuddrr more likely the dpf clean happended more than 5 times in a half hour trip home...