Exhaust valve sticking

[MikeMM]

So I have a Borla exhaust on my 350 and I couldn't find a thread with this exact issue so I started a new one. Shortly after installing it I started to get a "Exhaust Mode not available" message which also prevents me from swapping the drive modes, and the passenger side valve will get stuck either fully open, fully closed or halfway. It's always the passenger side and never the driver's.

Usually turning the car off and back on a few times, letting it run through it's valve cycling will fix it. Sometimes it have to cycle it 20+ times. Once it fixes itself and decides to start working again it will open and close the valves via the toggle, mode switch, and 5-6 and 6-5 gear shifts no problem; until the next time it wants to be temperamental after I shut it off. I installed the exhaust myself and took extreme care when mounting the valve motors and reconnecting the electrical connection. Anyone have any ideas before I get it up on jack stands and rip the muffler back out? My only thought was a loose electrical connection but I did check the connector and it appears to be tight. Of course to do that I had to contort my arm around everything so I don't know how accurate that is..

As a note: I have checked for pebbles, burrs, debris and anything else in, on or around the butterfly itself and I can never find anything. Gently poking the valve with a rod shows me that it can move and isn't seized when it's stuck in any of the 3 positions I mentioned earlier. It seems to mostly do it when it's hot after driving it for a while, but it has done it cold too.

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[Austinj427]

Id almost wonder if one of the connector prongs inside there isn't making good enough contact and it's creating the issue.

 

[GrabberBootyBlue88]

I know of an owner who is also experiencing this malfunction on her 2018. FYI, she did a resonator delete with Corsa pipes install.

 

[MikeMM]

I know of an owner who is also experiencing this malfunction on her 2018. FYI, she did a resonator delete with Corsa pipes install.

So when she did that install did she change the mufflers too or leave them alone? If she didn't touch the valve motors then that makes me think it's more of a connection issue.

 

[GrabberBootyBlue88]

So when she did that install did she change the mufflers too or leave them alone? If she didn't touch the valve motors then that makes me think it's more of a connection issue.

Just the Corsa resonator delete pipes. Stock everything else.

 

[MikeMM]

Then it’s gotta be the connector. That kinda rules out improper installation of the motors themselves.

 

[Yetitime]

So I have a Borla exhaust on my 350 and I couldn't find a thread with this exact issue so I started a new one. Shortly after installing it I started to get a "Exhaust Mode not available" message which also prevents me from swapping the drive modes, and the passenger side valve will get stuck either fully open, fully closed or halfway. It's always the passenger side and never the driver's.

Usually turning the car off and back on a few times, letting it run through it's valve cycling will fix it. Sometimes it have to cycle it 20+ times. Once it fixes itself and decides to start working again it will open and close the valves via the toggle, mode switch, and 5-6 and 6-5 gear shifts no problem; until the next time it wants to be temperamental after I shut it off. I installed the exhaust myself and took extreme care when mounting the valve motors and reconnecting the electrical connection. Anyone have any ideas before I get it up on jack stands and rip the muffler back out? My only thought was a loose electrical connection but I did check the connector and it appears to be tight. Of course to do that I had to contort my arm around everything so I don't know how accurate that is..

As a note: I have checked for pebbles, burrs, debris and anything else in, on or around the butterfly itself and I can never find anything. Gently poking the valve with a rod shows me that it can move and isn't seized when it's stuck in any of the 3 positions I mentioned earlier. It seems to mostly do it when it's hot after driving it for a while, but it has done it cold too.

I have the exact same issue on the same side, with the same exhaust. I took mine to my local Ford dealer, I know the shop manager and foreman. He did the work personally and he is the only one that works on my car. He said during the install the passenger side was tighter than the drivers. He lubricated it and it will work for a couple weeks then starts to have this problem. Had him lubricate again, and it works normally.

Long story short, he thinks it needs a new valve and he ordered one under warranty and will replace once it gets in.

Interesting through, same exhaust, same issue, same side.

 

[7litergt]

I have the same issue with my ATAK as well. Passenger side valve will stick open once in a while and it might take a couple of cycles to get the valve to cycle correctly. I've tried a couple of different things and lubricating the pivot seems to help (as Yetitime mentioned). I suspect the valve itself could be a little out of tolerance, or maybe a tiny bur that catches on the inner wall :shrug:

Either way, now that I have more mileage on the system and the valves have modulated a bunch, the sticking valve seems to happen less often.

 

[MikeMM]

I have the same issue with my ATAK as well. Passenger side valve will stick open once in a while and it might take a couple of cycles to get the valve to cycle correctly. I've tried a couple of different things and lubricating the pivot seems to help (as Yetitime mentioned). I suspect the valve itself could be a little out of tolerance, or maybe a tiny bur that catches on the inner wall :shrug:

Either way, now that I have more mileage on the system and the valves have modulated a bunch, the sticking valve seems to happen less often.

Very interesting. Well I’m about to head down and start tinkering with it once I get the muffler off. I’ll try to lube it and see if that helps. I’ll post an update later.

 

[MikeMM]

So. Midway through Exhaust Valve and chill, I’ve come to the conclusion that the valve design is flawed, and it’s allowing dust to get into the housing top and bottom of the stem, and that is just making the valve harder and harder to turn. I’m soaking it in lubricant to see if that helps and it does seem to be loosening it up some. If this keeps up I’m just going to get the defeater they sell and leave the valves open permanently because I’m not ripping the muffler off every 1300 miles to lube the valve.

 

[UnhandledException]

Interesting. I have the same exhaust for 15,000 miles now and including -20F weather, this never happened

 

[5.Oh Crush]

I have stock w/resonator delete and having issues at start up. It does not always give that initial opening at start up. I think dust issues cause my valve to stick. No issues once I hit the open button.

 

[MikeMM]

I have stock w/resonator delete and having issues at start up. It does not always give that initial opening at start up. I think dust issues cause my valve to stick. No issues once I hit the open button.

If it was a valve sticking issue it would throw a soft code and you wouldn’t be able to change drive modes or open/close the valves with the toggle switch. Plus you’d get a message on the dash telling you exhaust and drive modes were unavailable. If you just start the car without waiting for it to cycle, it still cycles it just doesn’t open as far. I honestly think Ford should have just let us choose the valve position all the time and remember what mode we left the car in like the corvette does. Plus on the vettes the valve motor is a completely sealed assembly unlike ours. Why it’s like that is beyond me, and I wish it were sealed so I could pack some grease in there to keep the assembly lubed. But on top of it all they put 4 holes in the bottom of the housing to let water and whatnot out (I assume) but all it really does is let dust and road debris up into the top of the housing and bind the spindle at the top. As for the bottom of the valve spindle, it just sticks through the bottom of the pipe with metal on metal contact so any dust kicked up off the road is going to lodge itself in there and bind the valve also. I’m my case, I had to deal with both. At bare minimum they could have made the bottom hole for the spindle a little bit bigger so the dust and stuff could work it’s way out, or considering it’s a $2,300 exhaust they could’ve put some sealed bearings on the spindles. My bottom line is I’m going to see how long my lubricting job lasts and if it doesn’t then I’m just going to spent the $30 on the defeat module and leave the valves wide open.

 

[rick81721]

Is there a way to have the stock exhaust valves permanently "stuck" open? A friend wants to know...

 

[MikeMM]

Is there a way to have the stock exhaust valves permanently "stuck" open? A friend wants to know...

Grimmspeed sells a defeat module that you plug into the valve motor wiring harness for $30. It’ll keep the valves wide open and the car won’t throw a code and lock you out of swapping drive modes.

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