Engine comes on after washing when below freezing

[moose4now]

I have a 2025 LT and the engine light comes on after washing the vehicle when below freezing outside. Twice I took it to the dealer, with the engine light on. They let the vehicle thaw out inside the dealership and the engine light went off. The dealer said it is the air flow/dampener in the front grille freezing up when washing the vehicle, and when the water hits it just right the problem occurs. They claim there is no issue with the system all is functioning as specified. Well, it did it again for the 3rd time, and their answer was basically "deal with it" because they don't have a fix.
What really pisses me of, when the light is on the remote start doesn't work. Dealer said it is a common problem in colder climates, but they don't have a fix. Seems like a design flaw to me.

 

[Lee]

If that's true, anyone without a garage would have the engine light on all winter and not remote start.
Even with my attached garage during bad winters there are times it gets below freezing in the garage.
Do you have any car washes in your town that are not drive-through automatics? One where you hose it yourself. If you do, use it and try to avoid the grill.

 

[moose4now]

Yeah, I figured it out to avoid spraying right into the grille. Yes, I do go to the "do it yourself" wash. I guess I missed the warning sticker telling me not to go to the do-it-yourself place and that I must own a heated garage to buy this vehicle. I just feel when you spend 36k for a vehicle, to have this kind of issue and the dealer tells you "deal with it", just doesn't feel right.

The dealer said he has many vehicles with the same issue, but GM does not have a fix. Not an isolated problem and yes, I will figure out a work around.

 

[PoManNox]

It would help to know what the exact trouble code(s) were. Regardless, the icing up of active grille shutters can be a problem with any make/model today. As painful as it is, I don't wash my vehicles in the cold of winter anymore. IMO, it pushes corrosive liquids where corrosive liquids ought not be. I am a big proponent of treating my vehicles with oil, wax, or lanolin based rust proofing though. I do my own treatments with fluid film and/or woolwax in the warm months. I let my vehicles be all winter. If I do wash them on a sunny "warm" winter day, they'll be salty and dirty by the time I get home anyway.

 

[GaryM]

I have a 2025 LT and the engine light comes on after washing the vehicle when below freezing outside. Twice I took it to the dealer, with the engine light on. They let the vehicle thaw out inside the dealership and the engine light went off. The dealer said it is the air flow/dampener in the front grille freezing up when washing the vehicle, and when the water hits it just right the problem occurs. They claim there is no issue with the system all is functioning as specified. Well, it did it again for the 3rd time, and their answer was basically "deal with it" because they don't have a fix.
What really pisses me of, when the light is on the remote start doesn't work. Dealer said it is a common problem in colder climates, but they don't have a fix. Seems like a design flaw to me.

What you have is frozen shutters. First year for shutters on an Equinox. It throws a P059F fault code. Not a good idea in cold climates. Not sure why they need them other than to better control engine temperature for emissions. After being parked in the garage the engine temp thawed them out.

 

[Lee]

What you have is frozen shutters. First year for shutters on an Equinox

I thought 2018 was the first year for Active Aero Shutters and 2021 or 2022 for cold air shutters.

 

[ricklack]

I thought 2018 was the first year for Active Aero Shutters and 2021 or 2022 for cold air shutters.

I think this is correct. I remember another thread somewhere that the guy had this exact same issue, but I don't remember what year he had.

I wash mine often in freezing weather (Canada) and have not had an issue. The RS does have a different grill style, not sure if that has any significance. I go through the automatic wash but do make sure I take my time thru the dryer, maybe that helps as well?

 

[r3p100]

I have a 2025 LT and the engine light comes on after washing the vehicle when below freezing outside. Twice I took it to the dealer, with the engine light on. They let the vehicle thaw out inside the dealership and the engine light went off. The dealer said it is the air flow/dampener in the front grille freezing up when washing the vehicle, and when the water hits it just right the problem occurs. They claim there is no issue with the system all is functioning as specified. Well, it did it again for the 3rd time, and their answer was basically "deal with it" because they don't have a fix.
What really pisses me of, when the light is on the remote start doesn't work. Dealer said it is a common problem in colder climates, but they don't have a fix. Seems like a design flaw to me.

Remote Start designed not to work with a check engine light on.
Mine does same thing. Temporarily remove/reinstall the 10 & 15 amp fuses for the ECM and the light will go out and remote Start will work.

 

[Lee]

Could one of the moderators edit the tread title so it says Engine light comes one.

 

[GaryM]

I have a 2025 LT and the engine light comes on after washing the vehicle when below freezing outside. Twice I took it to the dealer, with the engine light on. They let the vehicle thaw out inside the dealership and the engine light went off. The dealer said it is the air flow/dampener in the front grille freezing up when washing the vehicle, and when the water hits it just right the problem occurs. They claim there is no issue with the system all is functioning as specified. Well, it did it again for the 3rd time, and their answer was basically "deal with it" because they don't have a fix.
What really pisses me of, when the light is on the remote start doesn't work. Dealer said it is a common problem in colder climates, but they don't have a fix. Seems like a design flaw to me.

Sounds like you have frozen shutters. I have a 2025 RS and it happened to me as well. Puts out a P059F fault code. The shutters provide two things; better aerodynamics at high speed and improved engine temp control for fuel economy. While the specific details regarding opening and closing were not available it appears they only close at high road speeds but the definition of "high road speed" was not in the detail. If they freeze due to a car wash in cold weather they should be in the open position. Mine thawed out once I parked it in the garage for a while.

 

[acbill]

I would simply wait till temps increase. I never wash a vehicle of any kind when it's below zero temps, You introduce water to all sorts of places that could freeze and cause issues. Before retiring I worked at a car dealership, and all sorts of issues came from that. Frozen power windows and power door locks causing damage when operated, door seals torn off, lock cylinders frozen. Power antennas jamming up the cable, etc...
Road salt wont cause much problem when temps are blow freezing anyways, so just wash it when it warms up, (or immediately park it in a heated garage).

 

[Lee]

so just wash it when it warms up, (or immediately park it in a heated garage).

My attached garage is not heated but most winters the garage stays above freezing. If the garage temp drops below freezing for a few days I do not wash the car during that time.
I have a self serve car wash about 1/2 mile from our house. After washing I let any ice melt, then dry all the door seal areas and around the door handles.

 

[SjM486]

I have a 2025 LT and the engine light comes on after washing the vehicle when below freezing outside. Twice I took it to the dealer, with the engine light on. They let the vehicle thaw out inside the dealership and the engine light went off. The dealer said it is the air flow/dampener in the front grille freezing up when washing the vehicle, and when the water hits it just right the problem occurs. They claim there is no issue with the system all is functioning as specified. Well, it did it again for the 3rd time, and their answer was basically "deal with it" because they don't have a fix.
What really pisses me of, when the light is on the remote start doesn't work. Dealer said it is a common problem in colder climates, but they don't have a fix. Seems like a design flaw to me.

Had the same issue with my 2025 LT with 3,150 km's in Kingston, Ontario. I also received an email from the My Chevrolet app. It narrowed the issues down to "Engine cooling system". Along with thawing the shutter The dealer performed an "ECM required calibration update."

 

[GaryM]

Had the same issue with my 2025 LT with 3,150 km's in Kingston, Ontario. I also received an email from the My Chevrolet app. It narrowed the issues down to "Engine cooling system". Along with thawing the shutter The dealer performed an "ECM required calibration update."

I had that happen to my 2025 RS once. The shutters remain open at low speed and only close at highway speeds. I was not able to determine what defines "highway" but I'll assume it's higher than 45 mph. I get mine washed a lot and the wash facility is about 18 miles away. To 'not' cause a freeze up I stay off the highway and go home on roads that I can keep the speed down and shutters open. If they freeze in the open position at least I won't get an overheat situation. Also by going slower it allows the heat from the radiator to evaporate the water before it freezes. Not ideal but it works. It hasn't froze up again. The shutters are supposed to be aerodynamic impact. Not sure the impact is worth the messing around however.