While driving my Hyundai Sonata home, I noticed a warning message, “Check Active Air Flap System.”
As a mechanic, I understand the active air flap system is used to deflect airflow during high speed to improve fuel economy.
Also, I found that this was a common issue with Hyundai. Although there is no recall yet, Hyundai has released several TSBs on how to fix this issue.
This article will examine these TSBs and my experience with fixing the Check Active Air Flap System warning message.
We will discuss this issue’s meaning, symptoms, causes and fix. Let’s begin!
What is the Active Air Flap System?
The Hyundai motor company designed and patented the active air flap system.
It included a duct that allowed airflow into the engine, a motor within the duct that generated power, a hinge shaft designed to transmit the generated power and a flap that regulated the opening and closing.
Also, the system helps to regulate the cooling of the radiator grille using an electronically controlled flap.
A closed flap helped to reduce unnecessary or excessive air flow and improve fuel economy and aerodynamics.
In addition, an open flap allows for cooling by letting outside air into the car’s radiator.
Furthermore, the error message may be triggered because the active air flap system is stuck in either an open or closed position.
The implication is straightforward. An open position means that your car will take in a lot of air which is bad for aerodynamics and fuel economy.
However, a closed position is a more detrimental condition. It means your car isn’t getting enough air to cool off, which can lead to overheating or further damage.
Symptoms of the Check Active Air Flap System Warning Message
The warning error message on your information cluster is a clear symptom of an issue with your car’s active air flap system.
Physical inspection of the active air flap system should reveal further conditions of the flap system. In most cases, the flaps will be stuck in a single position, either open or close.
Other symptoms include stored diagnostic trouble codes, which can be checked via an OBD II scanner. These codes include:
- U1008: Lost communication with radiator shutter (Active Air Flap)
- P1235: Active air flap system fail
- P059F – Active Grille Air Shutter “A” Performance/Stuck Off
- P05B2 – Active Grille Air Shutter “B” Control Circuit Range/Performance
Furthermore, you may notice a decline in your Hyundai’s fuel economy and aerodynamics.
However, this is not a sole sign of a failing active air flap system.
Overheating due to a closed air flap may also be noticed.
Causes of Check Active Air Flap System Warning Message
The causes of this error message can be traced to the malfunctioning of the Active air flap system.
Such malfunction may be due to the following:
- Wiring issues that cause loss of communication
- Active Air flap system
- Outdated softwares
- Particles or objects prevent the active air flap system from closing
- Mechanical damage to the upper or lower active air flap
- Short-circuiting of motor
- ECU fault
How to Fix the Check Active Air Flap System Warning Message
Various methods exist to fix the Check Active Air Flap System warning message. We will examine each fix according to the cause.
Method 1: Physical Inspection of the Active air flap system
Physically inspect the system for stuck particles and clear the contaminant carefully.
If no contaminants are preventing the system from functioning properly, inspect the system’s current condition.
You want to check if the flap is stuck in an open or closed condition. Also, check for any noticeable damage to the active air flap, like dent cracks and more.
The fault might be traceable to an actuator fault.
If there are noticeable damages, the system may have failed, and the remedy is to replace it.
Method 2: Wiring and connection issue
A wiring or connection issue may be the cause of why you are getting this error. Here, you will want to inspect the wiring and plugs.
A burnt or damaged wire could cause a loss of communication between the active air flap system and the ECU.
You can inspect the wiring and connector using a multimeter to read the voltage.
Also, ensure the battery is fully charged and supplies the right voltage.
Method 3: ECU Update and battery check
An outdated ECU and bad battery voltage can cause the active air flap system to malfunction.
Firstly, ensure your 12V battery is fully charged and supplying the right voltage.
Next, connect a USB cable between the GDs and VCI. Connect the VCI to the DLC located underneath the driver dashboard.
Ensure that all lights and accessories of the vehicle are turned off, as this can affect the battery’s voltage.
In addition, a low voltage or drop in voltage can cause a disconnect in the update.
Perform the update via the GDS with the ignition key in position. Please, do not disconnect, start or switch off the engine during the update.
Method 4: Proceed to Clear DTC
It is the last and final method after all methods have been carried out. Using your scan tool, clear all DTC stored within the ECU.
Finally, this should reset the error message, and you should not get it again.
Again, the error code you want to clear includes:
- U1008: Lost communication with radiator shutter (Active Air Flap)
- P1235: Active air flap system fail
- P059F – Active Grille Air Shutter “A” Performance/Stuck Off
- P05B2 – Active Grille Air Shutter “B” Control Circuit Range/Performance
Conclusion
We have examined the meaning, causes, symptoms and fix of the check Active Air Flap System error message.
Also, we examined the three methods to diagnose and fix the air flap system properly. By diligently following our method, you should fix this problem easily.
If you still face issues with this error message, visit a mechanic or technician to help reset the ECU and fix the air flap system.
Thank you for reading through!
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