Active Grill Shutter Problem

[johnnyp12]

So I just did a little walk around my 2014 Ford Fusion Hybrid SE 88k. One thing that I've kind of always noticed is the active grill shutters (AGS) (the main ones behind the fascia) always seem to be shut. I decided to a test to see if I can get them to open.

 

I had been driving around prior so the engine was already fairly warmed up. The temperature outside was 90 degrees. With the car parked I turn the climate control to MAX A/C wait a min and check, shutters closed. I floor the pedal for about 20 sec. with ac still on, still closed.

 

I feel both of these things should have triggered the system to open the shutters.

 

I am very concerned that the AGS system has a fault or something is blocking them somehow. Theres another set of AGS in the lower grill area of the car that have seen better days but this set has a way to chalk them open or closed. The upper/main ones dont seem to have this.

 

I am worried that: fans are working to hard to cool the engine and a/c system, also that the engine isnt getting enough fresh cool air that it should. Both of which hurt MPG.

 

I hear of ford focus st owners removing this system and noticing more steady performance. But on the other hand I hear of Cmax owners installing additional shutters to extend MPG.

 

 

Please Advise

[Waldo]

The shutters are supposed to cycle open and closed every time you start the car. Have someone else start it while you're watching from the front. If they don't open, they're stuck, but that should trigger a DTC.

[johnnyp12]

So I know for certain that the shutters aren't functioning properly. I'm pretty sure this has happen due to some minor repair work I had done to my fusion a few months back. I'm thinking the collision repair shop forgot to reconnect the harness or something is blocking them shut. I've contacted them to see about fixing.

 

I contacted my ford dealer and they're saying its $139 just to diagnose. This system may give an extra 1-2 mpg on the highway, but I wont be paying to repair it. Worse case scenario is I block them permanently open.

[billford]

Checked mine today as a reference:

 

Ignition off: shutters open

Engine cold and running, a/c off: shutters closed

Engine running, a/c on: shutters open, radiator fan running.

 

If they are not working properly, I would get them repaired properly, not just block them open.

[ptjones]

I invented the Grill Covers almost four years ago for CMAX and FFH. I have them on almost all the time and can have them on when using A/C, I will remove the lower cover when going up a long hill. :) Normally they would be closed until WT gets to 210-215*F or if the A/C is on. On the CMAX the shutters are one unit and close and open at one time. I believe the FFH is the same, bottom line is I don't think you have a safety problem here and you can monitor your WT on MyView Smart Gauge to give you some piece of mind. :)

 

That said It sounds like your shutters aren't working to me and should be fixed. ;(

 

Paul

[Texasota]

I invented the Grill Covers almost four years ago for CMAX and FFH.

Wow, I didn't know that. Hope you submitted a patent application for this invention.

[Waldo]

Grill shutters are a great idea but are only cost effective based on the price Ford pays and amortized over the life of the car. There is no way that paying retail price to repair the shutters on a car with 80K+ miles will ever pay off. So unless the fix is something simple using zip ties and duct tape, it would be more cost effective to just lock them open or remove them all together.

[ptjones]

Wow, I didn't know that. Hope you submitted a patent application for this invention.

I did submit it to FORD Reps, but they came back with something like either they already thought of it or it was to expensive. Which means they didn't have time to look at it. :drop: It is interesting that they came up with the update to keep shutters closed to higher temps 8 months after I came up with the Grill Covers. :)

 

Paul

[johnnyp12]

Hey guys so on today on this boring sunday I decided to take my front grill fasia off and have a look at these shutters. Before that I decided to just prop them open for summer, so I removed the plastic over the top of the shutters and I secured a rubber band to the top of the central shutter bar. This didn't last long and it prompted me to fix it myself.

 

I watched a YouTube video, grabbed some tools, and ramped it. It was a pain in the ass to get the bumper off but with some help of my brother who is basically a mechanic, we did it. Then we had to remove every completely misaligned shutter off and re attach. It took a min but eventually everything lined up. Plugged the connectors for the shutter system up and started it up. Everything is working perfect now.

You can all rest assured that my shutters are opening and closing exactly how they should now! Thanks!

 

Something to note: this system is designed to not be used if intended. You can disconnect the shutter motor and place the derelict cable into a convenient dummy connector that Ford designed. So, no warnings will be triggered if the system is faulty or unplugged.

Edited January 15, 2017 by johnnyp12

[Waldo]

 

Something to note: this system is designed to not be used if intended. You can disconnect the shutter motor and place the derelict cable into a convenient dummy connector that Ford designed. So, no warnings will be triggered if the system is faulty or unplugged.

 

That's not completely accurate. The system does trigger DTC codes if it is disconnected, but because they are not directly related to EPA emission requirements, they are not displayed in the cluster.

[JackE]

I have recently noticed that my shutter is always closed. Also I have a A/C issue with it not cycling if it is above about 90 degrees ambient temperature. It looks like several of them are out of wack with each other, but still closed at all times. I'm wondering if this is the culprit of the A/C problem.

[rcbaird75]

I realize this is an older topic, but I'm hoping the people who posted on this thread will be able to help me.

 

Recently, my CEL came on and I took it into a local dealership in Wake Forest, NC. They informed me that they traced the problem (using OBD codes) to the active shutter assembly, and that to get at the problem they would need to remove the bumper, disassemble the headlights, etc. to the tune of around $400-$500. I authorized the work, and they later informed me that the assembly had failed, due to being struck from undeneath in an incident two years previous to this. The part would cost an addditional $600. I knew nothing about this assembly at the time; but when they told me the shutters had defaulted to an open position--since I was asking for details--and that if I didn't replace it I could be reducing the lifetime of the car (or something to that effect). I asked if it couldn't simply be removed or disengaged without harm and to remove the CEL display on the panel. They said no. It all sounded vague and a bit suspect to me, but I authorized them to order the part.

 

That night I did some research--including what I found on this forum--and when I learned that the shutter assembly was a non-essential part whose primary purpose was to reduce drag when traveling at high speed, and thus save a few miles per gallon in those circumstances--I was irritated to say the least.

 

Today I called and left a message for the service rep (they were closed) and told him I'd decided not to have the work done. I'll be talking with him Monday morning.

 

My question is this: is there a way to disengage or remove the assembly and prevent the CEL from being displayed as a result?

 

I hope someone can give me information that will assist me when I talk with the service rep on Monday morning.

 

Thanks!

 

Bob

[mwr]

I realize this is an older topic, but I'm hoping the people who posted on this thread will be able to help me.

 

Recently, my CEL came on and I took it into a local dealership in Wake Forest, NC. They informed me that they traced the problem (using OBD codes) to the active shutter assembly, and that to get at the problem they would need to remove the bumper, disassemble the headlights, etc. to the tune of around $400-$500. I authorized the work, and they later informed me that the assembly had failed, due to being struck from undeneath in an incident two years previous to this. The part would cost an addditional $600. I knew nothing about this assembly at the time; but when they told me the shutters had defaulted to an open position--since I was asking for details--and that if I didn't replace it I could be reducing the lifetime of the car (or something to that effect). I asked if it couldn't simply be removed or disengaged without harm and to remove the CEL display on the panel. They said no. It all sounded vague and a bit suspect to me, but I authorized them to order the part.

 

That night I did some research--including what I found on this forum--and when I learned that the shutter assembly was a non-essential part whose primary purpose was to reduce drag when traveling at high speed, and thus save a few miles per gallon in those circumstances--I was irritated to say the least.

 

Today I called and left a message for the service rep (they were closed) and told him I'd decided not to have the work done. I'll be talking with him Monday morning.

 

My question is this: is there a way to disengage or remove the assembly and prevent the CEL from being displayed as a result?

 

I hope someone can give me information that will assist me when I talk with the service rep on Monday morning.

 

Thanks!

 

Bob

Wouldn't that be covered by the warranty on your 2017 FFH?

[rcbaird75]

Wouldn't that be covered by the warranty on your 2017 FFH?

No, unfortunately, since something on the road struck them.

[ptjones]

This is odd, I have my Grill Covers on almost all time and never got a CEL, and I have had the Over heating alarm come on twice going up steep hills and still no CEL. It sounds suspicious that you have had this problem for two years and no CEL till now. The shutters can be closed all the time and you would never have an over heating problem, they really don't work that well and if you had a ScanGaugeII you could monitor your WT and you could see what I'm talking about. :)

 

Paul

[rcbaird75]

This is odd, I have my Grill Covers on almost all time and never got a CEL, and I have had the Over heating alarm come on twice going up steep hills and still no CEL. It sounds suspicious that you have had this problem for two years and no CEL till now. The shutters can be closed all the time and you would never have an over heating problem, they really don't work that well and if you had a ScanGaugeII you could monitor your WT and you could see what I'm talking about. :)

 

Paul

I agree, Paul, it is very suspicious. In fact, I made this same point with the service manager, and he had no comment. I honestly think the CEL is being caused by something else, and I plan to get more details when I talk with him Monday morning. There was no CEL for two years, then one day all the instruments on my cluster flash when I start the car, and it's like all the setting (Lane Assistance, which I leave turned off because I don't like), rain-sensitive washers, etc. act as though they were reset to the default. Then a few days later the CEL appears but goes away the next time I start the car. Then finally it comes on and stays on two weeks ago.

 

Is there an error code that the shutters themselves would throw up? I've not found any reference to that. The manager did confirm that they had defaulted to the full open position, which they are designed to do when there's a fault in the system. So basically, the shutters were doing what front-end grills have done for nearly a century: remain full open, as if they weren't there, and allow air to flow to the radiator. What's wrong with that?

 

What I want--and what I think they could do--is to remove the assembly altogether. It's hard for me to imagine that the Ford engineers who designed a sophisticated system like the Fusion hybrid wouldn't have made allowances for bypassing a component that serves no real purpose other than to improve fuel efficiency a small bit and make the engine warm up faster in cold weather (I live in North Carolina, so continuous cold weather is not a concern). A CEL light for this seems like overkill, and I don't know why they had to remove the bumper just to trace the problem to the shutters. I owe the dealership $450 just to diagnose the issue? That's ridiculous, but in my ignorance I authorized it. Live and learn.

 

Bob

Edited October 14, 2018 by rcbaird75

[ptjones]

Go to a different FORD Electric dealer when you get the CEL again. I'd leave the shutters alone other than to see if they are plugged in. It just seems like the problem has to be something else. Other owners have had their shutters plugged up with snow so they don't work and I don't remember them getting any codes.

 

Paul

[murphy]

Have you had the 12 volt battery load tested. The strange indications on the dash are usually caused by a failed battery or a corroded ground.

[rcbaird75]

Go to a different FORD Electric dealer when you get the CEL again. I'd leave the shutters alone other than to see if they are plugged in. It just seems like the problem has to be something else. Other owners have had their shutters plugged up with snow so they don't work and I don't remember them getting any codes.

 

Paul

I do plan to have a different shop look at the problem if the CEL is still there when I get the car back. Thank you for the advice, Paul.

 

Bob

[rcbaird75]

Have you had the 12 volt battery load tested. The strange indications on the dash are usually caused by a failed battery or a corroded ground.

No, Murphy, I didn't check that, but I'll ask if that was part of what the dealership mechanic checked prior to removing the bumper. Thanks for the advice.

 

Bob

[Waldo]

Anything that can degrade fuel economy or emissions by law has to pop a CEL. So if the shutters make enough difference to affect emissions (like helping heat the engine faster), then they have to throw a CEL. By law Ford would not be allowed to remove the feature and bypass the CEL. Could be that the 2013-2016 FFH just defaulted to open shutters during the EPA testing and thus they are not technically an emissions/fuel economy part, but maybe for the 2017 they took advantage of the system further and so it does required the monitoring.

[ptjones]

Anything that can degrade fuel economy or emissions by law has to pop a CEL. So if the shutters make enough difference to affect emissions (like helping heat the engine faster), then they have to throw a CEL. By law Ford would not be allowed to remove the feature and bypass the CEL. Could be that the 2013-2016 FFH just defaulted to open shutters during the EPA testing and thus they are not technically an emissions/fuel economy part, but maybe for the 2017 they took advantage of the system further and so it does required the monitoring.

I know owners that used Grill Covers to keep from getting the shutters stuck with ice and snow, they didn't get any CEL's and the car will run fine with shutters closed anyway, they don't block that much air. :)

 

Paul

[rcbaird75]

Anything that can degrade fuel economy or emissions by law has to pop a CEL. So if the shutters make enough difference to affect emissions (like helping heat the engine faster), then they have to throw a CEL. By law Ford would not be allowed to remove the feature and bypass the CEL. Could be that the 2013-2016 FFH just defaulted to open shutters during the EPA testing and thus they are not technically an emissions/fuel economy part, but maybe for the 2017 they took advantage of the system further and so it does required the monitoring.

Thank you for the additional information, Waldo. I get it. For now, the dealership reinstalled everything and left the AGSA unplugged, at my request. They say the CEL has gone away and might or might not reappear. I paid around $500 for this result (removal of front bumper, etc. to get at the part that they said needed to be replaced to the tune of a $600 part, which I chose not to have installed). We'll see what the long-term result is. As long as the CEL stays off long enough for me to get the car inspected before 10/31, then I'll try to find a way to justify the expense in my mind. This has left me with a bad taste for the dealership and the car, I'm sorry to say. I understand Ford needing to shave off miles in order to meet the EPA standards, but to do it in a way that the owner must pay this much to deal with what is basically a non-essential part is just not right in my book. The car just is 2 years old. Had I not voiced my complaint to the service manager, I'd have paid $1200 to fix this with the installation of a new AGSA.

[rcbaird75]

I know owners that used Grill Covers to keep from getting the shutters stuck with ice and snow, they didn't get any CEL's and the car will run fine with shutters closed anyway, they don't block that much air. :)

 

Paul

Thanks, Paul. I feel I've been taken for a ride by the dealership, and I don't like Ford's design as a result. I don't plan to keep this car much longer. We'll see how long the CEL remains off. I'll follow up with a post here later.

[Waldo]

Thanks, Paul. I feel I've been taken for a ride by the dealership, and I don't like Ford's design as a result. I don't plan to keep this car much longer. We'll see how long the CEL remains off. I'll follow up with a post here later.

 

Ford isn't the one requiring increased fuel economy standards. All OEMs are being driven to the same designs, so road debris is just as likely to cause similar issues on any other new vehicle.

 

I ran over a truck tire on the highway once and it caused $1400 of damage to non-essential parts (fender and door were creased).

Edited October 16, 2018 by Waldo