Hey there!
2011 Subaru Outback 2.5i Limited
I was on the way home one day during a storm when a bolt of lightning hit the ground in front of me and arced into me. After a second to get my wits, I noticed my instrument panel flashing all the lights and my acceleration stopped. As the engine died I coasted to a stop, with the power steering going in and out intermittently. I couldn't get the car into Park without bypassing with a screwdriver, no fuses were blown and all relays were checked and operable (gator clipped to listen for the click). I smelled some burnt electronics, which ended up being the Bluetooth OBD scanner I had kept plugged into the port. The scanner was fried, but the port still has power. It won't give any codes to a new reader. Just throws "Error" after about 30 seconds of reading. In case it's the ECM I've ordered a replacement and plan to solder the EEPROD chip from my old board to the new (used) board if it comes to it. Plugging the new board in still gives no codes, which leads me to believe my ECM is fine.
Turning the key gives no crank, no start sound, or anything. All internals start up as they normally would, AC kicks on, the radio, the works. All dash lights are still on, except for the check engine light. Remote starter attempts to start, but again no crank or starting sound. Key fob works to unlock and lock the car, horn is operable. I cannot shift gears without bypassing, and for a while, I was able to get the key in and out of the ignition but recently it got stuck while I was taking the center console out. The key refuses to be removed in any gear and the steering wheel lock is not engaging.
I started the diagnostic with the starter, the harness to the spade gets power and I was able to jump the starter and hear it crank. With my wife in the car turning the key we still couldn't get it to turn over. I pulled it out to confirm the gears were popping out, reseated the ground bolt snugly, and checked all the connectors I could find in the engine bay. No sign of burns or damage. Engine grounds are good, the ribbons look fine with no corrosion and are not loose. I've gathered some notes from the factory manual and pasted them into a document for easy reference, this is what I've got so far.
Part of the message is hidden for the guests. Please log in or register to see it.
This is the full manual
My main issue is that I do not know the inner workings of the car. I can follow a step-by-step just fine to check for resistance and troubleshoot mechanical parts but beyond that I'm stumped.
Anyone who has experience with diagnosing after a lightning strike feel free to chime in! I'll try anything at this point. I've taken down the center console, shifter, lower dash on both sides, and the steering column covers, so if you need pictures of anything just ask and I'll get them ASAP. Today I stumbled upon the possibility that the OBD port or relevant wiring is what is causing the communication issues between the modules. Any advice on troubleshooting would be amazing.
Thanks
