MPG displays "ERR", odometer flashes "------"

I searched but couldn't find the answer. My '05 LGT dash gauges have gone berserk the last couple days. When i turn the key/engine on, Sometimes they're dark, sometimes they don't sweep, sometimes some of them work and the others don't, sometimes they all work. The only consistent thing seems to be the odometer flashes "------" and the console trip meter displays "ERR" for instant and average mpg and miles to empty. No codes come up on my AP.

Help!

Did you leave the test mode connectors plugged in? Edited May 21, 2013 by Gex

Nope. I think the cycling fans would have given that away. Thanks for the idea tho.

Does it still happen after pulling the battery terminals?

Yes,

I tried the battery disconnect also, and no change.

Maybe this is just a coincidence, but it happened right after I ran the fuel pretty darn low, and parked on a hill. Woundering if maybe the problem is a response to low fuel pressure or air in the line. But, I have driven it at least 60 miles since it filling it up so I would think anything fuel related would be over by now.

Any more ideas out there?

How old is the battery ?

 

This cars can do funny things when the voltage get's low from a weak battery or dirty terminals.

Edited April 24, 2019 by Max Capacity

Thanks for the idea Max but I don't think it's the battery. Just put a new one in 1k miles/2 months ago. Engine turns right over. error appears with key in the on position, before there is any significant draw.

Anything reported from LearningView/Tactrix cable? Have you thought about taking it into a Subaru specialist or calling Subaru direct??

Sounds like the cluster and trip computer/MPG meter are not getting good data from the data bus... The fact that both items are acting up, seems to indicate that one gets it's data from the other. It could possibly be a bad connection. You many have to pull the cluster and re-seat any connectors.. just a possibility.

Chimera, nothing comes up on my access port. This forum has been really good so thought I would give it a try here first, then the dealer/shop as last resort.

 

MAP, electrical/connector was sorta what I was thinking but pulling the cluster will be new ground for me. Are there any connectors I can check before pulling the cluster?

Sorry to pull this thread from the dead but this is the exact same problem I am having with my girlfriend's 2007 legacy sedan (non-gt) and have found no information anywhere else. The problem is intermittent since she bought the car ~3 years ago but seems to be happening more frequently over the past month. Note: The MPG Err message is constant, no matter if the cluster is working properly or not.

 

In addition to this problem there are a few other things going on, just as an FYI: No cruise control (never worked, replaced clockspring, didn't change), occasional starting issues in damp/wet sometimes but not always (suspect coil pack).

 

Recent work: map light assembly to fix airbag light, airbag recall ~1 year ago, cat + o2 sensors ~3 months ago (did not alter this problem one bit), plugs wires battery ~1.5 years ago. None of these had any effect on cruise control, MPG display, or occasional cluster issues.

 

Top: Blinking "- - - - -". Odometer and trip meter still function (if you zero trip it will record the number of miles and display properly after you restart the car)

Middle: MPG display "Err" shows up on MPG average and miles to empty as well

Bottom: Gauges don't move while driving, gas is at about 1/2 tank but reserve light shows, blank odo/trip

http://bwindle.com/image/Issues001.jpg

 

coblue, did you ever find a solution?

It appears you should check your fuses. Specifically #8, 20 amp in the engine compartment.

 

Below is a link to what I believe you may have or at least it is worth checking out.

 

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/66-problems-maintenance/15509-acc-flashing-information-display.html

It appears you should check your fuses. Specifically #8, 20 amp in the engine compartment.

 

http://www.subaruoutback.org/forums/66-problems-maintenance/15509-acc-flashing-information-display.html

 

Thanks for that.

 

It seems like the only similarity with that thread is the "Err", but it's for other functions not the MPG display. And the #8 fuse in the engine compartment is a 50A. Hard to believe there is only one thread on the internet (this one) that mentions these problems :/

 

This thread [LINK] mentions the odometer dashes but has no solution listed either.

 

The problem is intermittent so it doesn't seem likely to be a fuse but I'll go ahead and check them all out/re-seat/clean contacts when I get a chance.

Add me to this list. On my drive to work today I got the "Err" displayed on my information display for my 05 LGT.

I still get a flashing Err and sometimes it's solid. It's random and intermittent. I've replaced my outside air temp sensor/connector and the information display cluster.

 

I'm looking into BIU stuff now...

The factory service manual makes me think it's a wiring issue, not sure if it could be a bad ground somewhere too.

Edited January 4, 2019 by apexi

If it's intermittent - check the wiring first, you may have a bad connector somewhere on the CAN bus.

 

The '05 does not expose the CAN bus on the OBD connector so therefore it's not likely to be caused by any device there unless your car is an oddball since CAN bus based OBD is on 2007+ models. Otherwise it has happened that some problems that have been seen in the vehicles have been caused by a dongle on the OBD connector.

 

Also look here: https://www.bedug.com/pics/Subaru/2005/2005.pdf

 

See page 5203, 5204.

 

My wagon still does this also. I'm sure it has something to do with the wire harness under the radiator. The other day it tried to lift the radiator and move the harness a little and it seems to have helped a little as over the past four day's the ERR as only come on a couple times but goes out quickly.

 

On the last drive to VT Xmas night, it came on and flashed for a long time. Next morning it was fine on the short drive to the ski hill. Few day's later on a drive to Rutland VT it flashed for about 15 minutes. When I restarted the car, it was fine on the drive back to the house.

 

Last summer I should unbolted the radiator and played with the harness...I don't recall the problem happening during the warm weather. That's why I forgot about it...

Strange that it should have an effect by moving the harness at the radiator (or do you mean the heater core?). But it could be that it's like operating a cable-operated device, the connection that's actually impacted is at the bulkhead.

 

 

But I wouldn't rule out a grounding issue. Check the GB-3 connection and the i97 connection that it goes to, it's grounding a lot of ECU stuff.

 

 

Of course - this is not conclusive, but at least the GB-3 connection could probably be easy to look at unless it's wrapped in 25 layers of carpet.

So, on the drive to VT today I saw the Err flashing and or solid. So for some reason I turned the dash lights down to dim to setting ILL.1 on the trip meter.

 

Guess what, the Err stopped and showed the correct temp. When I turned it up one brightness the Err came back. If I left it on the lowest setting of brightness it seemed to work fine for a long time.

 

Then I started playing with the wheel, and got the Err to come back... but it seemed to not last very long.

 

Also about an half hour before while Err was flashing, I noticed it flashed 120 once and a few minutes later it flashed -13F once or twice.

 

A little while later is when I started playing with the dimming wheel.

 

Any thought's ?

How about you try to unplug the connector behind the 'wheel' and see if the Err message keeps popping up?

As for me, I do not have this message but I do notice that when I turn the wheel one or two notches, then I keep getting the message on my instrument cluster that the setting is #2, then #3, then #2 again, etc... Can't make up its mind

No Err message though.

To me it seems more like it's a ground or power feed issue as this is similar to a problem that I have seen on another car where the change in load caused the system to behave differently and that was traced to a grounding fault.

 

 

 

It looks like the BIU is grounded also by a terminal named GB-4, which seems to be relevant for this.

 

 

Notice that the instrument cluster illumination is wired so that all bulbs are "always hot" and then the other pin is pulled to ground through the BIU so the current for all dashboard illumination goes through the grounding on the BIU.

 

 

All three wires from the rheostat goes to the BIU, so that would make that part itself less likely to cause trouble.

 

 

 

The ambient temperature sensor is also wired to the BIU with both leads, so if the BIU goes nuts (for whatever reason) then the temperature will also be bad.

 

 

So check grounding and BIU connectors first. But don't forget to make sure the fuses are OK and have good connection.

 

 

 

See pages 5187 & 5221 in the link in post 17 for schematics and fuses.

Thanks for all of the suggestions. It just so happens I have new carpet to install and so checking the big ground underneath should be simple.

 

My daily drive is a two parter, twice a day. In my morning 50 minutes, the Err doesn't come on often. In the afternoon trip, it comes on in the first 20 or so minutes.

 

I tried the illumination rheostat like Max did and noticed similar behavior. Err stays off for me with illumination at 3 or under once it starts misbehaving. Oddly enough, my past attempts involved hitting the extra brightness button which sometimes helped. I'm guessing that the added power helps keep the issue at bay.

 

There is definitely a power/ground issue happening.

mmh. I see. Yeah, putting the illumination lower AND combining that with a weak ground could indeed wreck havoc.

Thanks, may be after skiing tomorrow I'll take a look at the fuses and make sure they have good contacts.

 

The first fuse box is the one under the hood (page 5187) and the second box is the one under the dash. Right ?