('15+) 2021 5spd Stability Control (VDC) Bypass, ABS Retained

ZCD · 12-03-2020, 06:56 PM

Disclaimer: the following is for informational purposes only. If you modify your vehicle using this information, you assume any/all liability for your actions. Basically, if you **** up, it's on you. Modifying your car may also result in certain warranty coverages being declined. Who knows.

The first thing I did when I got my 2021 Impreza Hatch 5spd onto my private property (we live at the end of a 2 mile private road) was press the traction control button and attempt to drift a long bend. Having owned a few STi, I was surprised when the car said NOPE mid drift and tried to correct. A quick search shows that in 2012, Subaru changed their VDC system so toggling the traction control doesn't completely eliminate all safety mechanisms. Bummer!

There are a few VDC bypass threads/videos, but I didn't find any for a 5spd 2021 yet, and it looks/functions a little differently than the videos I watched. The biggest differences are the fuse layout and the fact that ABS is retained.

Again,

ABS IS RETAINED USING THIS METHOD.

It seems as though Subaru updated the fuse layout/VDC so that toggling the switch is now the equivalent of 2008-2011 VDC button.

Step 1: Remove Dash Trim

(I didn't have to use my trim removal tools for any of this)

A. Slide the top rectangular trim piece back toward the driver's seat

B. Remove the side trim by rotating it out away from the car toward the door. The back slots in to the molding a touch

C. Unscrew the single screw on the door side, then pull the large section straight back toward the drivers seat. The main tabs are at the top, but there are also some smaller tabs holding it to the center section under the steering wheel

Step 2: Wire Inline Fuse Bypass Switch

A. Remove correct fuse. On the 2021, it may be different than previous years. It's the 7.5A in the middle on the bottom, labeled "STOP" on the diagram.

B. Replace fuse with something that has leads. I wasn't going to go janky like others have done with broken off connectors, so I bought the following from Amazon for a few dollars. YOU WILL NEED TO FIND A 7.5A ATO FUSE IF YOU USE THIS DEVICE. The low profile fuses won't fit in the holder.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TWXMHRV/

C. Wire in switch. I just split the fuse carrier line and used crimp connectors, covered with some electrical tape. This is the switch I used.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G17HWW8/

D. Attach switch and secure wires. I didn't want to drill any holes in the plastic, so I fed the wiring through the fuse panel access cover. If you are more OEM look, you can easily replace one of the blanks on the switch panel with an actual Subaru switch, or even rewire the current fractional control button if you added a relay.

Step 3: Reassemble Everything

A. Nothing tricky here, just make sure the wires aren't pinched somewhere.

Step 4: Testing/Functionality

When the switch is in the off position, it's the equivalent of the fuse being pulled. With the car running, turn the switch off and then put your foot on the brake. Instantly, the car recognizes something isn't right and the traction control light AND hill decent light appear on the dash. They will stay there until the car is turned off, the switch toggled, and the car restarted.

NOTE: This was done on a manual transmission car. I've read that on the CVT, it locks you out of selecting a gear if you toggle it while in park. Obviously, not an issue with the 5spd.

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DieselDorf · 12-03-2020, 07:53 PM

I’ll add some info to help out here.

I did this video for the first gen crosstrek and previous gen impreza

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pzuZd--LzTw

If you look there is a grey dongle in one of your pics that plugs right into the foglight switch for adding dogs after the fact. If you follow my video you can use that to wire an OEM switch into the fuse. Just for a more OEM look. I actually replace my stock TC button to act as a vdc toggle. As it will perform the same action + removing vdc so I figured why have both.

Wiring is probably the same as previous gen if you go that rout but you should double check.

With the cvt if you are already in drive and hit the button it won’t lock you in park until you shift into it. You will have to restart to get it to recognize the fuse is back in anyways.

Also in the cvt it acts as a security lockout if you flip the switch while parked people won’t know and won’t be able to get it out of park. Good write up though.

ZCD · 12-03-2020, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselDorf

I’ll add some info to help out here.

I did this video for the first gen crosstrek and previous gen impreza

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pzuZd--LzTw

If you look there is a grey dongle in one of your pics that plugs right into the foglight switch for adding dogs after the fact. If you follow my video you can use that to wire an OEM switch into the fuse. Just for a more OEM look. I actually replace my stock TC button to act as a vdc toggle. As it will perform the same action + removing vdc so I figured why have both.

Wiring is probably the same as previous gen if you go that rout but you should double check.

With the cvt if you are already in drive and hit the button it won’t lock you in park until you shift into it. You will have to restart to get it to recognize the fuse is back in anyways.

Also in the cvt it acts as a security lockout if you flip the switch while parked people won’t know and won’t be able to get it out of park. Good write up though.

Thanks for the additional info. I learned from your video how not to scratch up my dash removing it with a screwdriver and how not to lose the screw that holds the trim piece in. I think your video may also have been the one that used the janky connector pieces, but I can’t be totally sure.

ZCD · 12-03-2020, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselDorf

I’ll add some info to help out here.

I did this video for the first gen crosstrek and previous gen impreza

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pzuZd--LzTw

If you look there is a grey dongle in one of your pics that plugs right into the foglight switch for adding dogs after the fact. If you follow my video you can use that to wire an OEM switch into the fuse. Just for a more OEM look. I actually replace my stock TC button to act as a vdc toggle. As it will perform the same action + removing vdc so I figured why have both.

Wiring is probably the same as previous gen if you go that rout but you should double check.

With the cvt if you are already in drive and hit the button it won’t lock you in park until you shift into it. You will have to restart to get it to recognize the fuse is back in anyways.

Also in the cvt it acts as a security lockout if you flip the switch while parked people won’t know and won’t be able to get it out of park. Good write up though.

Can you confirm if you lose ABS on your vehicle by toggling it?

DieselDorf · 12-03-2020, 09:54 PM

Yes you lose abs and hill start assist since it uses the abs module for it.

I used a fuse adapter which was a lot less janky then those people who hack up fuses lol.

ZCD · 12-03-2020, 09:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselDorf

Yes you lose abs and hill start assist since it uses the abs module for it.

I used a fuse adapter which was a lot less janky then those people who hack up fuses lol.

I lost hill assist as well, but not ABS. They must have switched it to a different circuit or VDC control system. There really aren’t many situation where I wouldn’t want ABS.

DieselDorf · 12-03-2020, 10:02 PM

Yea I wish it kept it as well.

It’s amazing how litte has changed in that area of the car in terms of assembly and sub structure and even wiring. There’s only minute differences and a lot of it is identical.

ZCD · 12-04-2020, 08:49 PM

Update on functionality when toggling the fuse: removing the fuse also disables the brake lights (no idea why). The good news is that reinstalling the fuse while keeping the car running (or is what I've outlined above, toggling the switch back) returns brake light functionality while still keeping stability/traction control off.

DieselDorf · 12-05-2020, 07:32 PM

Hmm that is good to know and really important haha, I’ll have to check that on mine.

DieselDorf · 12-14-2020, 06:54 PM

The brake lights work with the fuse removed on the 12-17.

It also seems if you remove the fuse while driving then put it back in before the stability and abs lights come on than they don’t light up at all but it seems vdc is still disabled. I’ll have to double check.

ZCD · 12-17-2020, 05:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DieselDorf

The brake lights work with the fuse removed on the 12-17.

It also seems if you remove the fuse while driving then put it back in before the stability and abs lights come on than they don’t light up at all but it seems vdc is still disabled. I’ll have to double check.

That doesn’t surprise me a whole lot about the brake lights since your fuse is labeled differently than the 17+ Impreza. Good info.

12-03-2020, 06:56 PM	#1
ZCD Scooby Newbie Member#: 438310 Join Date: Jan 2016	2021 5spd Stability Control (VDC) Bypass, ABS Retained Disclaimer: the following is for informational purposes only. If you modify your vehicle using this information, you assume any/all liability for your actions. Basically, if you ** up, it's on you. Modifying your car may also result in certain warranty coverages being declined. Who knows. The first thing I did when I got my 2021 Impreza Hatch 5spd onto my private property (we live at the end of a 2 mile private road) was press the traction control button and attempt to drift a long bend. Having owned a few STi, I was surprised when the car said NOPE mid drift and tried to correct. A quick search shows that in 2012, Subaru changed their VDC system so toggling the traction control doesn't completely eliminate all safety mechanisms. Bummer! There are a few VDC bypass threads/videos, but I didn't find any for a 5spd 2021 yet, and it looks/functions a little differently than the videos I watched. The biggest differences are the fuse layout and the fact that ABS is retained. Again, ABS IS RETAINED USING THIS METHOD. It seems as though Subaru updated the fuse layout/VDC so that toggling the switch is now the equivalent of 2008-2011 VDC button. Step 1: Remove Dash Trim (I didn't have to use my trim removal tools for any of this) A. Slide the top rectangular trim piece back toward the driver's seat B. Remove the side trim by rotating it out away from the car toward the door. The back slots in to the molding a touch C. Unscrew the single screw on the door side, then pull the large section straight back toward the drivers seat. The main tabs are at the top, but there are also some smaller tabs holding it to the center section under the steering wheel Step 2: Wire Inline Fuse Bypass Switch A. Remove correct fuse. On the 2021, it may be different than previous years. It's the 7.5A in the middle on the bottom, labeled "STOP" on the diagram. B. Replace fuse with something that has leads. I wasn't going to go janky like others have done with broken off connectors, so I bought the following from Amazon for a few dollars. YOU WILL NEED TO FIND A 7.5A ATO FUSE IF YOU USE THIS DEVICE. The low profile fuses won't fit in the holder. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07TWXMHRV/ C. Wire in switch. I just split the fuse carrier line and used crimp connectors, covered with some electrical tape. This is the switch I used. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G17HWW8/ D. Attach switch and secure wires. I didn't want to drill any holes in the plastic, so I fed the wiring through the fuse panel access cover. If you are more OEM look, you can easily replace one of the blanks on the switch panel with an actual Subaru switch, or even rewire the current fractional control button if you added a relay. Step 3: Reassemble Everything A. Nothing tricky here, just make sure the wires aren't pinched somewhere. Step 4: Testing/Functionality** When the switch is in the off position, it's the equivalent of the fuse being pulled. With the car running, turn the switch off and then put your foot on the brake. Instantly, the car recognizes something isn't right and the traction control light AND hill decent light appear on the dash. They will stay there until the car is turned off, the switch toggled, and the car restarted. NOTE: This was done on a manual transmission car. I've read that on the CVT, it locks you out of selecting a gear if you toggle it while in park. Obviously, not an issue with the 5spd. * Registered users of the site do not see these ads. Last edited by ZCD; 12-03-2020 at 07:46 PM.

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12-03-2020, 07:53 PM	#2
DieselDorf Scooby Specialist Member#: 454773 Join Date: Sep 2016 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Traverse City, MI Vehicle: 2012 Impreza Sport Pearl White	I’ll add some info to help out here. I did this video for the first gen crosstrek and previous gen impreza https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=pzuZd--LzTw If you look there is a grey dongle in one of your pics that plugs right into the foglight switch for adding dogs after the fact. If you follow my video you can use that to wire an OEM switch into the fuse. Just for a more OEM look. I actually replace my stock TC button to act as a vdc toggle. As it will perform the same action + removing vdc so I figured why have both. Wiring is probably the same as previous gen if you go that rout but you should double check. With the cvt if you are already in drive and hit the button it won’t lock you in park until you shift into it. You will have to restart to get it to recognize the fuse is back in anyways. Also in the cvt it acts as a security lockout if you flip the switch while parked people won’t know and won’t be able to get it out of park. Good write up though.

12-03-2020, 09:54 PM	#5
DieselDorf Scooby Specialist Member#: 454773 Join Date: Sep 2016 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Traverse City, MI Vehicle: 2012 Impreza Sport Pearl White	Yes you lose abs and hill start assist since it uses the abs module for it. I used a fuse adapter which was a lot less janky then those people who hack up fuses lol.

12-03-2020, 10:02 PM	#7
DieselDorf Scooby Specialist Member#: 454773 Join Date: Sep 2016 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Traverse City, MI Vehicle: 2012 Impreza Sport Pearl White	Yea I wish it kept it as well. It’s amazing how litte has changed in that area of the car in terms of assembly and sub structure and even wiring. There’s only minute differences and a lot of it is identical.

12-04-2020, 08:49 PM	#8
ZCD Scooby Newbie Member#: 438310 Join Date: Jan 2016	Update on functionality when toggling the fuse: removing the fuse also disables the brake lights (no idea why). The good news is that reinstalling the fuse while keeping the car running (or is what I've outlined above, toggling the switch back) returns brake light functionality while still keeping stability/traction control off.

12-05-2020, 07:32 PM	#9
DieselDorf Scooby Specialist Member#: 454773 Join Date: Sep 2016 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Traverse City, MI Vehicle: 2012 Impreza Sport Pearl White	Hmm that is good to know and really important haha, I’ll have to check that on mine.

12-14-2020, 06:54 PM	#10
DieselDorf Scooby Specialist Member#: 454773 Join Date: Sep 2016 Chapter/Region: MWSOC Location: Traverse City, MI Vehicle: 2012 Impreza Sport Pearl White	The brake lights work with the fuse removed on the 12-17. It also seems if you remove the fuse while driving then put it back in before the stability and abs lights come on than they don’t light up at all but it seems vdc is still disabled. I’ll have to double check.