Photo: Original photo by autoevolution
The Toyota GT86 (which we recently test drove) family is barely out, and owners have begun reporting problems with the cars’ flat-four 2.0-liter engine. The unit, made by Subaru, apparently experiences rough idle and stalling situations, according to owners’ complaints.
The manufacturers say that the problem is caused by a fault with the ECU, which, within the first 160 km (100 miles) after the car has been bought learns and adapts to the driver’s style. After the said distance has been passed, the information is burnt into the ECU itself, storing the driving parameters, in order to ensure a better and more personalized driving experience. If the car has done less than the specified 160 km, then the ECU can simply be rewritten, while if the car has passed that number of kilometers, it needs to be replaced with a fresh unit. However, owners disagree, saying that the suggested fix is not accurate, and that the problem lies with the variable valve timing system.
The official response is: “It does involve the variable valve timing, but it does not involve a mechanical repair,” Lyons said. He said the rough idle is the result of the ECU’s attempting to work around its detection of the anomaly, rather than what is triggering the fault code. The reflash “broadens the tolerance of detection [. . .] This is not a mileage-dependent condition. No replacement of the ECU is needed at any mileage to rectify the issue. The ECU re-flash is the fix. There is not a defect concerning the ECU.”
Story via autonews.com
The official response is: “It does involve the variable valve timing, but it does not involve a mechanical repair,” Lyons said. He said the rough idle is the result of the ECU’s attempting to work around its detection of the anomaly, rather than what is triggering the fault code. The reflash “broadens the tolerance of detection [. . .] This is not a mileage-dependent condition. No replacement of the ECU is needed at any mileage to rectify the issue. The ECU re-flash is the fix. There is not a defect concerning the ECU.”
Story via autonews.com
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