Ford Explorer: Front End Body Panels / Description and Operation - Active Grille Shutter - Overview

Overview

The AGS (Active Grille Shutter) system is primarily used to improve fuel economy by reducing aerodynamic drag while the vehicle in moving. It is also used to shorten engine warm-up time, which increases engine efficiency and provides faster heat delivery to the vehicle cabin. The active grille shutter actuator receives position commands from the PCM via the LIN.

Each AGS (Active Grille Shutter) system assembly is comprised of a set of vanes, linkage hardware and an active grille shutter actuator (motor).

The active grille shutter system carries out a self-calibration sequence whenever the engine is started, fully opening and closing the shutters before being positioned to the desired opening position as requested by the PCM.

AGS (Active Grille Shutter) will also be active in HEV, during plug-in charging to provide airflow for HEV cabin climate conditioning and component cooling when the vehicle is stationary. In HEV vehicles, the desired AGS (Active Grill Shutter) position request is transmitted by the SOBDMC and received by the PCM.

Regardless of the hardware modules present in a vehicle, the PCM will send the appropriate control signal to the Active Grill Motor.

A vehicle may be fitted with a single or a dual AGS (Active Grill Shutter) hardware system, depending on vehicle type, front end packaging and underhood / powertrain hardware components installed. Each system uses a separate AGS (Active Grill Shutter) motor that can be controlled independently, depending on system requirements. It also provides its own diagnostic status to the PCM for monitoring.