Starlink strikes again! Was just reading another thread where Starlink was causing wonky iPhone GPS behavior. Thanks for posting what you found.

 

Thanks for this!

 

You’re all welcome! I hope it helps.

 

I, too, found the DCM the dark current culprit on my 2016. If not driven 4- or 5-days battery would discharge to point of not starting the vehicle. In my case I did loose the in-car microphone for answering calls when connected to BT. All other functions work.

 

I went back and checked my in-car microphone functionality, and found it to be now inoperative, just like yours. I don't find this to be a big problem, as I don't like to use my phone very much while I am driving, for safety's sake. It's certainly not worth $1000.00 or more for a new DCM just to make that work. Everything else seems to work as before.
I love this car, but I am not impressed with the fact that manufacturers install these systems that have these built-in defects that cost such ridiculous amounts of money to correct. It shows, to me, that they are more interested in devising new ways to extract/extort money from their customers than they are in looking after their customers' best interests. There is no good reason on earth why a small box filled with silicon chips should be worth THAT much money. These parts are very rapaciously priced, in my humble opinion.

 

Question: Does this 'drain' only happen if one has a starlink subscription?

Also... it is well-known that cellular-devices only use just enough power to communicate with nearest tower. (tower-close = less power..... poor-signal= more battery drain)
I wonder if the starlink system also uses similar power-consumption algorithm?

 

We live in an "RF hole" and cellular signals are iffy, at best (one to two bars, max). We have had no issues with "dark current" draws from the Starlink system or for that matter, anything else. However this does sound like a feasible reason behind current drain.

 

Wonder if this has anything to do with the 3G network retirement which happened last year. I think all 2016-18 Outbacks with telematics were affected.

 

Bingo, Had the same issue with my 2017, occurred 2-3 months after 3G died. Took the same path to resolution, only after replacing the battery with a higher capacity one.

Elsewhere on the site there is a discussion on this site covering Subaru's feeble attempts to communicate this problem to owners. There even seems to have be a short window where Subaru would provide a free replacement (ended in 2022)

 

Could the battery in the DCM be the cause of a current drain? It's calling for a charge, but won't hold a charge and needs replacement? $63 at the dealer.

Someone posted a thread about this recently, IIRC.

Telemetric module backup battery??

Any group member, that's removed the DCM (telemetric module) under the radio, have info on it's backup battery. A web search shows the p/n 57433SG000. Price $50+. Is it a common battery, for example, with leads attached. Voltage?? power?? A web search has not found any details for the...

www.subaruoutback.org

 

May have been me. (see link) I've got a spare battery ordered via ebay ($20+/-) that appears to be like the one others are showing . Of course it's on the preverbal slow boat from China PLUS have family visiting so won't remove radio until they are gone and replacement battery arrives. Radio removal looks relatively straightforward. I used Subaru Radio removal as a guide. It appears the DCM is mounted on the radio's bottom

 

I think I have found the cause of the current drain that was killing my battery in my 2017 Outback. I performed a draw test at the battery negative terminal, with the following results: The current draw would drop to approximately 25ma after just 3-5 minutes, but if I watched it for a short while the amp draw would bounce up to as high as 3.0 amps, and then cycle back down to the previous 25ma level. It would do this repeatedly. I began to pull fuses from the underhood fuse box one by one, until pulling the DCM (#9) fuse caused the fluctuations to stop completely. Leaving that fuse pulled, I road-tested the car which appears to me to have all systems functioning. A little on-line research taught me that that fuse only powers the Starlink module, and that the car will work just fine without it, unless you require Starlink to function (I don’t).
l have not experienced any more low battery symptoms since I did this.

I have a 2019 Outback and it's been not starting a few times recently. I took it to Subaru this week and they said it was a parasitic draw, caused by the DCM. They explained the DCM as what powers the OnStar and SOS buttons to me. I don't use either of those features. They said mine is testing at almost double the allowed draw amount. They are going to order a part for me to fix it, but there is no ETA on when the part will arrive. There is currently none in the country, and they said it could be months. They warned that my battery would probably continue to drain, so advised me to just not drive the car if I can. Currently I have taken the car to my parents house and my Dad just unhooked the battery and it's sitting there, while I drive the spare family car. Well off the record the service agent that was helping me told me I should be able to pull the fuse associated with this temporarily and it would cut power completly to those OnStar and SOS buttons, and therefore not draw battery power when the car is off. I looked up the fuse diagrams and its just the DCM fuse in the engine compartment, correct? Fuse #9. My plan would be to pull that so I can continue to drive my car without the battery draining, until they can get the part in and fix the issue. I want to fix the issue because they warned me that if I didn't the car would be considered "modified" and it would affect resale value and if Subaru of America would cover issues or recalls. Just wanted to see if anyone could advise on if I pull the DCM fuse what else (besides the OnStar and SOS buttons) may be affected. I have read things saying pulling a fuse can cause a lot of features to not work. Thanks in advance!

 

...I looked up the fuse diagrams and its just the DCM fuse in the engine compartment, correct? Fuse #9. My plan would be to pull that so I can continue to drive my car without the battery draining, until they can get the part in and fix the issue. I want to fix the issue because they warned me that if I didn't the car would be considered "modified" and it would affect resale value and if Subaru of America would cover issues or recalls. Just wanted to see if anyone could advise on if I pull the DCM fuse what else (besides the OnStar and SOS buttons) may be affected. I have read things saying pulling a fuse can cause a lot of features to not work. Thanks in advance!

If you read the first post of this thread you'll see that pulling #9 has worked for the OP. Crazy the dealer didn't just do that for you temporarily.

 

Rymar, what was your procedure to perform the wiring mods that you just described? Is there a bypass harness that I can purchase to easily do that?

 

Does anyone know if the same fuse is on the 2020 model year?

 

See this post for detailed info on the wiring:

Disconnected cars: non-Starlink/LTE options

I would like to get a gen-5 with no (working) LTE/cellular radio, and I'm having trouble finding clear information on which trim levels either had no LTE radio or had it only as an option. (I'm deliberately not saying "Starlink" since it sounds like even that term is confusing.) 1) Which trim...

www.subaruoutback.org

and this post has a link for a commercially available bypass connector. Note that you may need to add a wire for the +5V overhead mic power supply, if this wire is not present in the connector to the headunit itself.

Disconnected cars: non-Starlink/LTE options

I would like to get a gen-5 with no (working) LTE/cellular radio, and I'm having trouble finding clear information on which trim levels either had no LTE radio or had it only as an option. (I'm deliberately not saying "Starlink" since it sounds like even that term is confusing.) 1) Which trim...

www.subaruoutback.org

The link for the bypass connector is:

Bypass the Subaru Starlink Tracking & Front Speaker fix

If you would like to bypass the communication functions in your Subaru or if you're having trouble with the Starlink Telematics unit draining your battery, this will be your solution! This adapter allows all telematics functions to be bypass on newer Subaru vehicles - We custom build these to...

www.autoharnesshouse.com

I think you will need the $80 bypass connector, which provides the +5V for the overhead microphone. I have emailed Autoharnesshouse asking for clarification on how the +5V mic supply voltage is generated; if there is a local power supply on their bypass board which generates this voltage from the +12V IGN (switched) battery input, then you won't need to worry about the +5V MIC power supply wire, on pin 4 of the 28 pin connector from the headunit.

However, this does mean that your bluetooth phone calls will lose their microphone input as soon as the car is turned "off", so you won't be able to complete calls after the car is turned off, but before you have opened the driver's door. A workaround is to shift the car into "N" before hitting the start button to turn it off, which leaves the car in "ACC" mode (make sure to really turn it fully "off" before exiting the car!).

If you have a real key, just turn the key from "Run", back to "Acc", before finishing your phone call. I don't think either the $80 bypass connector price, or the slight loss of convenience, compares to what the dealership wants to replace the entire DCM!

 

 

This is the wiring diagram for the DCM power, and connection to the indicator lights. You can see that there are actually 3 different power connections to the DCM: F/B Fuse No. 4 (ACC), F/B Fuse No 5. (IG), and the one you pulled M/B Fuse 9 (always on). So, even with that fuse pulled, the DCM is still getting power, but only when the car is running. It's not clear how that available power is being used, since there is no schematic available for the internals of the DCM. For example, does the DCM try to charge its backup battery from the IG or ACC power, or only from the main source connected to M/B fuse 9, which is now disconnected?

It is also be possible that the unit is currently draining its lithium ion battery trying to keep operating without the Fuse no 9 power connection.

<EDIT> I pulled out the DCM which I removed from my car, and tested each of the 3 power supply connections on the bench, with a 12V lab supply. Both of the IGN and ACC inputs appear to be status only: they don't power up any of the internal circuits, including the backup battery charging circuit. Both of them draw minimal current (< 10ma), and just tell the DCM processor whether the car is running or not. I tested the indicator red and green LED outputs with power only being applied to the IGN source, and didn't see them active. But then, I don't have any antennas connected on the bench, so who knows?

Anyway, I think that the reason you are seeing the LEDs active is that the DCM lithium ion backup battery is being drained to keep the DCM powered up. No inherent harm in that, but it does stress the lithium ion battery. If this is true, they should go out after a while, when the backup battery is drained.

Regardless, removing M/B 9 will definitely stop the DCM from draining the main battery when the car is off, and lets you keep using it!

If you are going to disable the DCM, I recommended getting the bypass connector, and having someone install it if you don't feel comfortable removing the head unit to access the connectors. I'm sure any competent stereo installer could remove the DCM and install the bypass module. Then, I would remove the back up battery from the DCM, so it doesn't drain the battery desperately trying to phone home, in "I can't talk to anybody!" panic mode.

 

Thank you! I do still plan to have the car fixed when the DCM part comes in. I want to fix it just so it doesn't affect future resale value or anything. So for now though, pulling that #9 is a good solution, so I can still drive the car without fear of the battery draining?

 

What do you think about this idea? What if I were to move the power supply for the DCM fuse from the 30-power (always hot) circuit and connect it to a 15-power circuit. That way, the DCM remains fully functional when the car is turned on and running, and when ignition is off the DCM fuse is switched off. I would just need to study the wiring to see how to best accomplish that. Let me know what you think about the idea.

 

Everyone, I did the above-described wiring modification to my fuse box, and the hands-free phone microphone is once-again operational. I did it by installing a relay that connects 15-power (key-on) to the DCM fuse cavity #2. This fully powers up the DCM when the car is turned on and running, and disconnects power from the DCM fuse when the key is off. I can supply a schematic of what was done for anyone who might be interested. My method is kind of quick and dirty, and it could definitely be improved upon. The procedure that I did today was more for proof-of-concept and needs polishing.

 

I am very interested in your schematic.

 

I guess you would have to ask Subaru for the answer to that one, assuming that they are willing to part with the information (if they even know the answer).
I have been thinking about this further, and I have devised a less-expensive version of the same fix, that only requires a pair of dedicated fuse cavity current tap devices, and a couple of extra fuses. It does away with the need for the dedicated relay, and is much cheaper and simpler to implement. I will attach a couple of pics of the fuse box taps (that I found while surfing around on Amazon. It is done by installing one of the taps in the 15-power fuse cavity of your choice (I chose to use the rear washer fuse, as it is something that is used very seldom). Two fuses are installed into that tap. The other tap is installed in the DCM fuse #9 cavity, with only one fuse installed into it. The wires of each tap are then simply connected together. When the ignition is turned on, the tap in the washer fuse cavity supplies power to the tap that is installed into cavity #9. I guess I can't upload pictures right now. The website doesn't like my iPhone's picture file extensions. I'll have to try another way.

 

I guess you would have to ask Subaru for the answer to that one, assuming that they are willing to part with the information (if they even know the answer).

Even without a Starlink subscription, can't you press the "(((i)))" button, and see if someone answers? That would establish whether the DCM is just lost, or is actually still functioning.

Your solution does provide a minimum-cost workaround for the DCM current drain problem.

 

Brilliant workaround! Wondering why some Gen5’s have a power drain and some don’t?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

I don’t know, but I would surmise that the DCMs in the affected vehicles have some sort of manufacturing defect.

 

Were you able to see the photos?

 

They were the same photos. What’s a “sticky”?

 

From Google lookup: "A sticky post (or sticky thread) is a feature of many online forum and bulletin board tools. This allows a post to be stuck or pinned to the top of the screen. If it wasn't pinned in this way then it would slowly be displaced by more recently posted items that are moved to the top to indicate activity".

 

Amazon Link for Add- a-fuse

 

Thanks for that, AZ! I didn’t know how to do that. (Still don’t)

 

Google: forum sticky

 

By the way, if any of you try this fix, please let me know if it works for you!

 

Background: I've had the dead battery drain issue since I bought my gen 5 2015 Subaru Outback in 2017. I didn't drive my "new" car for a week and when I tried to start the car, dead dead dead battery. Upgraded the battery and bought a battery tender which is plugged in after time I use my Subaru. I only drive my car about every 5-8 days. Without the battery tender, the battery will die.
What I found out:
CarComplaints.com alerted me that a lawsuit had been settled between Subaru and customers complaining of a software issue leading to a drained battery. Last trip to Subaru dealership, I asked service tech about this lawsuit. He told me that if you can document where you bought your battery and if that company approves a battery replacement that was caused by the software issue, then Subaru will give approval for the software update repair. If you don't have that or can't get that from the battery dealer, you are out of luck. Under the lawsuit settlement Subaru otherwise does not have to repair/upgrade their software issue. I asked the service tech if I could pay to have the software repaired. Due the settlement details, Subaru doesn't have to do anything else and they won't. Lawsuit results are useless...ended up only reimbursing complainants a battery replacement only. Subaru knows what's wrong but won't fix it. Never again will I buy another Subaru.

 

Background: I've had the dead battery drain issue since I bought my gen 5 2015 Subaru Outback in 2017. I didn't drive my "new" car for a week and when I tried to start the car, dead dead dead battery. Upgraded the battery and bought a battery tender which is plugged in after time I use my Subaru. I only drive my car about every 5-8 days. Without the battery tender, the battery will die.
What I found out:
CarComplaints.com alerted me that a lawsuit had been settled between Subaru and customers complaining of a software issue leading to a drained battery. Last trip to Subaru dealership, I asked service tech about this lawsuit. He told me that if you can document where you bought your battery and if that company approves a battery replacement that was caused by the software issue, then Subaru will give approval for the software update repair. If you don't have that or can't get that from the battery dealer, you are out of luck. Under the lawsuit settlement Subaru otherwise does not have to repair/upgrade their software issue. I asked the service tech if I could pay to have the software repaired. Due the settlement details, Subaru doesn't have to do anything else and they won't. Lawsuit results are useless...ended up only reimbursing complainants a battery replacement only. Subaru knows what's wrong but won't fix it. Never again will I buy another Subaru.

I’m sorry for that. This 2017 OB is my first Subaru, and other than the battery issue, I think it is a well built car. It is a shame that the company won’t fix a problem that they KNOW exists. This is a very typical example of American corporate short-sightedness. All anyone needs to do is look at how Toyota designs and builds their cars, and how they take care of their customers to see why they are consistently on top of the heap!

 

When will Subaru step up and admit this is a design problem. My wife says if her Outback fails to start again, she will have ti towed to a (name your favorite non-Subaru) dealership and trade it in. Mistakes will be made, but refusing to own up and fix them is sure to hurt future sales.

 

I installed the bypass adapter yesterday, quick drive around everything looks good so far
I only picked up my Outback in September and didn't see any issues until it started to get cold out in December, new battery and alternator installed at the dealership before I took possession of it

 

Similar problem with Legacy, 4 batteries in 8 months, dealer finding nothing wrong. Independent mechanic found a parasitic draw, brought back to Subaru, dealership found nothing. Another dead battery. Tried one more time, dealership found a draw. Pulled Starlink fuse. Replacing DCM module.