Shutter in front of radiator

[Vaportrail]

I hit a few big tumbleweeds, then noticed the shutter on the bottom-

What a PITA cleaning all the debris out of there...

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[Darnon]

At what temp do the shutters close ,mine is a 2023 hybird ,gettin cold here and never once saw them close.....

They'll typically close at startup, but once the coolant reaches operating temp they'll usually stay open the entire time.

 

[TrailMaster]

Cool. That will be useful on those -40° mornings!

 

[Skyline]

At that temperature, it may not open all day while driving...

Long time ego I had a car in Europe, that had manual control of closing/opening of the "grill", that was more of a window blind than grill. The intended purpose had been to close/partially close it in the winter. I doubt that there had been much of a discussion about aerodynamic of vehicles back then....

 

[bykerhd]

Neat idea. But something for you folks in heavy road salt areas to check every now and again.
My old '65 VW Beetle heater boxes use to freeze/rust open before winter and then freeze closed before summer. Cable operated German engineering.

 

[AutobahnSHO]

We had the windows open one day at about 45mph and when we turned the AC on/off just by chance we could hear a difference in wind noise. Thought it was weird- must have been the shutters open/closed. (2023 Hybrid)

 

[DBHorbert]

Cool. That will be useful on those -40° mornings!

I don’t know about Ford specifically, but they very well might stay partially open at -40° as to avoid risk of freezing shut.

 

[Darnon]

Neat idea. But something for you folks in heavy road salt areas to check every now and again.
My old '65 VW Beetle heater boxes use to freeze/rust open before winter and then freeze closed before summer. Cable operated German engineering.

The system is mostly plastic and would set a DTC if blocked or the actuator failed; it self-tests every start cycle.

 

[Mickeybob]

Shutters are very important for good mileage .I have a Prius as well ,on Prius chat it was common to put pool noodles in the grill to retain heat . I dont believe Shutters on Mavs are for aerodynamics ,tho it could maybe help. When the TSB from Ford to break two shutters out(REALLY DUMB) to prevent a engine fire when the engine blows up, that changed the epa fuel mileage from 42 to 40 ...Heat =fuel, Mavs even have a little radiator on the tailpipe to recover heat .I really want to put the missing shutters back in for heat retention .Hybirds need heat for a lot of reasons .My Prius also has a thermos jug ,when you shut off the car, a pump ,pumps engine coolant into the jug to keep the heat .Mavs shutters should stay closed with engine off or untill engine is warmed up . Having Prius since 08 you learn why heat is so important .Prius does not get good mileage for the first 5 minutes till its warmed up. Using the heater can take off 5+ mpg. hope this helps ....

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