Bulletin 16-132-20R (CVT)

crein980 said:

Robert, I appreciate all that you do here, but with all due respect, including legal, you didn't answer the original question: do the different "file names" indicate that each file is a "different" program?

I have a 2023 model year, but I would still like to know whether or not Subaru is "fine tuning" the program continuously. If so, then there would seem to be one less "reason" for Subaru to fail to adjust the "fake shift" issue?

Craig

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Craig, there's literally no relevance, since all of the Ascents in question should already be running the same update paks from the recall.

If you want to know the programming differences across model years, no, I'm not going into detail. But I will say it has nothing to do with any reason any of you have speculated. One changes was the gearing since 2019 (one change). Other than that, they've rolled out different logging code. AND, they incorporated the first recall's code into new builds. THAT is why there's different PAK files. The most recent recall rolled them all up again. 2023's will be running a different file because the fix was already incorporated into it, and because of dual X Mode and other X Mode changes.

Regardless, there's ZERO fake shift issues. Remember, liking the shifts or hating them, is all a matter of personal preference. Subaru can't fix the fact that people have wildly differing opinions on the matter. 😉

On to your 2023, I already got you all the answer for that question (and 9 other questions), before the car was even revealed. There's no changes to the faux shifting for 2023.

On a personal note:
I detest the fake shifting.

But it will take a bunch of you all to write Subaru and ask them to make it able to be disabled by the owners, for it to change. I suspect that many Ascent owners are writing in asking for more of it to counteract those of us who wrote to make it user selectable or removed.

Final note:
Removing the fake shifting will require another round of EPA testing. I don't think we will see it until another model year, if ever (again, that depends on all of you).

Robert.Mauro said:

Regardless, there's ZERO fake shift issues. Remember, liking the shifts or hating them, is all a matter of personal preference. Subaru can't fix the fact that people have wildly differing opinions on the matter.

Click to expand...

Robert.Mauro said:

On a personal note:
I detest the fake shifting.

But it will take a bunch of you all to write Subaru and ask them to make it able to be disabled by the owners, for it to change. I suspect that many Ascent owners are writing in asking for more of it to counteract those of us who wrote to make it user selectable or removed.

Final note:
Removing the fake shifting will require another round of EPA testing. I don't think we will see it until another model year, if ever (again, that depends on all of you).

Click to expand...

To both of these points, I don't know a single person that LIKES the fake shifting. Even my father in law who has a Forester and could car less about performance doesn't like the fake shifting when he rarely gets into the throttle. I suppose I don't know the inner workings of the EPA and changes made that require testing. But I wouldn't think that transmission reflash that removes fake shifting would be cause for new EPA testing. There have been many other manufactures that have revised shift points on their transmissions and to my knowledge they didn't have to go through the EPA for that.

On a different note, I had a reflash recently and I am curious what TSB mine fall under? I have not been able to find any info out about them.

• New CID Q93EF100
• Old Part # 90919AH14E (I think it should be 30919AH14E)
• New Part # 3091AH14H (I think it should be 30919AH14H)

Also in the same repair order line it says TSB 09-88-22 was performed, but that has nothing to do with threansmission to my knowledge.

Our Outback 2.5 and Ascent turbo both fake shift sometimes, and other times hold a constant rpm like a traditional cvt. Whatever they're doing, it's not obtrusive and doesn't bother us one way or the other. These are the first vehicles we've owned with a cvt and they're fine.

One difference I've noticed when going downhill in Drive, cruise control off, is that the Outback needs a tap on the brakes for the transmission to shift down (without using the paddles), whereas the Ascent drops down a gear immediately when going downhill without ever touching the brakes or the paddles. When using the paddles going downhill, the Outback controls speed better, whereas the Ascent will often require using the brakes to control speed on the same hills. I'm not smart enough to know if it's a difference in gear ratios or something else that's causing the difference, but do know for sure there have been times in the Ascent that it will not allow paddling to a lower gear because the rpm is almost maxed out, thus needing brakes to control speed, whereas the same hill in the Outback allows me to paddle down and never touch the brakes.

They're both a joy to drive, if I had to choose just one it would be the Ascent because the turbo is a lot of fun and actually gets great mileage if you drive conservatively. On the other hand, the economy of the Outback 2.5 is pretty amazing. We're lucky to have both.