Question on Active Grille Shutters:


So my new truck has them. I believe that I understand how they work in principle, and I'll assume that Ford put them in, because it resulted in a slight decrease in the drag coefficient.


How can I tell that they're working? Is there a setting that tells me that they're 100% or 50% or 0% closed? I see that they're sometimes open or closed when the truck is shut off or idling.


Does anyone know the parameters that control their operation? Is temperature the deciding factor? For instance, coolant temp above x degrees means that they're 100% open? Or speed? Or what temp the coolant has to hit for them to open up on the highway?


Not a big deal in the grand scheme of things, I just got curious when looking at them, and the other threads that I found on this subject were more about whether they were worth it or not.


Thanks in advance...

 

I believe when you start your truck they move up and down to show there working

 

You are correct. I can see them move up and down when I start the truck. I was more curious about how they act while driving.

 

you must have to get out to look they are moving up and down?

 

Hit your remote start (if equipped) & watch the grille.

 

I noticed on mine, when I use the remote start when it's cold, they stay open.
But as soon as I turn the key to on, they then close.

 

You could strap a gopro to the hood. I've been thinking about doing it for a while, as I am also curious. Just haven't got around to it yet.

 

When it's cold outside, and your pickup is warming up they will be closed. This is so the engine can warm up faster and not have cold air blowing in. I've noticed my pickup warms up pretty quick with these shutters. Then when you're pickup is warmed up it should open the shutters. I'm not sure where it reads the temp from but that's the whole idea behind it.

 

While I really like how quickly my truck warms up, I see the shutters as a problem in the future. 40 years ago many semi trucks had these as original equipment. They worked good until they didn't. Then you had a burnt up engine. Nowadays the computer should shutdown the engine if the coolant gets too hot. Everyone loves them now, but 8-10 years from now guys are going to be disabling them so their trucks will run.

 

Didn't know I had em!!. . Thought they were an ecoboost thing