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Grille Shutter Inoperative and Check Engine

Discussion in 'Gen 4 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by Kremtok, Jul 18, 2016.

  1. Kremtok

    Kremtok Smug Alert!

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    Greetings,

    Relatively new 2016 Prius Four with all the boxes checked was working just fine this morning. At the end of the work day I got in the car to drive home and I got a warning - 'Grille Shutter Inoperative Visit Your Dealer' - accompanied by a check engine light.

    Since I'm a little over 200 miles from a dealership I'm in a bit of a spot. They have a local shop that they contract with but they can't get me in until Thursday.

    Has this happened to anyone here before?
     

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    #1 Kremtok, Jul 18, 2016
  2. MrMischief

    MrMischief Active Member

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    I'd peek down at the front and see if the shutters are open or closed. If they're stuck open, not that big of a deal.
     
    #2 MrMischief, Jul 18, 2016
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  3. Kremtok

    Kremtok Smug Alert!

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    They are open, but is the check engine light related to or independent of the grille shutters?
     
    #3 Kremtok, Jul 18, 2016
  4. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Can you read the CEL code to find out?

    I'll vote with MrMischief -- if the shutters are open, then no need to quit driving or rush to service at an inconvenient time. Closed shutters would be a greater concern.
     
    #4 fuzzy1, Jul 18, 2016
  5. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    CEL usually is a "catch-all" light. It doesn't literally mean check the engine. It's there to indicate a malfunction. Fortunately for us, Toyota included a multi-info display that tells us the error (in this case, your active grille shutters).
     
    #5 Tideland Prius, Jul 19, 2016
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  6. Kremtok

    Kremtok Smug Alert!

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    Thanks for the replies.

    After sleeping on it I was able to approach the problem with a clearer head. I had a buddy get in and start the car while I watched the shutters and the problem was immediately apparent. When they installed the block heater before delivery, they routed the cable through the grille shutters, which stopped them from closing. The only question that remains is why it took 311 miles for the problem to manifest.

    Anyhow I rerouted the cable and the problem is corrected. Now I just need to get the code read and cleared and everything will be peachy.
     
    #6 Kremtok, Jul 19, 2016
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  7. fotomoto

    fotomoto Senior Member

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    Since the dealer is so far away, try your local auto parts stores. They can usually read (some hybrid codes) and clear them. If it comes back, then a trip to dealer is called for.
     
    #7 fotomoto, Jul 19, 2016
  8. booke02

    booke02 Active Member

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    Glad to hear a happy end to the saga.
     
    #8 booke02, Jul 19, 2016
  9. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    Good sleuthing! Maybe Toyota should put out a service bulletin on this.
     
    #9 Mendel Leisk, Jul 19, 2016
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  10. fuzzy1

    fuzzy1 Senior Member

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    Many codes should self-clear after a certain number of Ignition-On cycles without the problem reappearing. This ought to be one of them.
     
    #10 fuzzy1, Jul 19, 2016
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  11. rdgrimes

    rdgrimes Senior Member

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    Only a dealership knuckle dragger would route a cord through the louver vanes. Seriously stupid.
    Anyway, I'd wager that nearly every possible failure mode on those louvers is to default open.
     
    #11 rdgrimes, Jul 19, 2016
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  12. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk EGR Fanatic

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    To be fair, these active grill shutters are new and pretty rare. For sure let the dealership know, for next time.
     
    #12 Mendel Leisk, Jul 19, 2016
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  13. Kremtok

    Kremtok Smug Alert!

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    Thanks guys. I notified the dealership so they can change their installation practice. With 30 or so Priuses on the lot right now, they may even have to correct the installation on a few of the cars they have in stock.

    For the record, the check engine code was P05A0, which I understand is 'Active Grille Shutter Stuck On.' A buddy had a port reader so I just cleared it and it's all good now.
     
    #13 Kremtok, Jul 19, 2016
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  14. Arturas

    Arturas Junior Member

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    Hello, guys! I have the same problem here in Lithuania. I get the message "Grille shutter inoperative. Visit your dealer". But the problem is that grille shutters are available at USA market only and it's hard to get the piece (curtains and motor) here in Europe. Even though, it cost's about 500 EUR. I'm not sure if I need this "Grille shutter" as it is unnecessary for my eco-friendly driving.
    So maybe someone knows how to disable the error message, because it pop-ups every 4-5 seconds on my screen. How can I tell my Prius: "You don't need Grille shutter. You look better without it, babe"? :)
     
    #14 Arturas, Aug 15, 2017
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  15. bequa

    bequa Junior Member

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    Hello Arturas,

    Have you found any workaround ?

    Has anyone idea of motor resistance? or ways of spoofing it?
     
    #15 bequa, Sep 25, 2017
  16. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    you folks have grille shutters on the 2004 and 5?
     
    #16 bisco, Sep 25, 2017
  17. sillymike

    sillymike Junior Member

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    #17 sillymike, Sep 25, 2017
  18. bequa

    bequa Junior Member

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    @bisco

    Lol no, its 2016 Pri, profile info is outdated.
     
    #18 bequa, Oct 1, 2017
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  19. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    (y)
     
    #19 bisco, Oct 1, 2017
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