Nathan HubbardMay 31, 2023
After a careless lawn dude 'fertilized' the highway with debris today, I got to learn all about the "shutter grille problem" warning message. Turns out, modern cars have another gizmo I can hate: a set of variable vanes to adjust airflow to the radiator. And when it malfunctions (or gets a twig/rock stuck in it), your vehicle can run too cold or overheat. Dealers recommend you "bring it in immediately" of course.
Show threadJon BMay 31, 2023
@n8foo 🤦‍♂️ So what do these fancy vanes accomplish? It’s not a cold enough climate to worry about, is it just aerodynamics? I can’t imagine the extra weight/complexity is worth it unless you’re driving an F1 car. In which case, maybe get it checked 😂
Show threadNathan HubbardMay 31, 2023
@pufferfish the marketing around this feature mentions aerodynamics and temp regulation. I don't believe the aero story (or care) - I think it's engine temp primarily, so they can squeeze an extra tenth of a mile per gallon out of it or something. in our case, the vanes remained closed, which means it could overheat in traffic/hot summer days that we're about to have. I read threads about them freezing open in the winter due to slush, causing the opposite problem.
Show threadJon B
@n8foo huh, interesting- I thought coolant and a regulator valve did a pretty good job keeping the core at a constant temp but yeah maybe all about efficiency/emissions. Hopefully you can just pull the crap out and fix it on your own.
May 31, 2023 at 11:51pmWeb
Show threadNathan HubbardMay 31, 2023

@pufferfish tell me about it. I don't get why this needs to exist. We have over half a century of the old simple mechanism working just fine.

In my case, I couldn't find the jam and it appears to be back to normal after 2 start cycles. Maybe the debris fell out on the road.