95 Taurus
02 Grand Caravan
Do I need to clean the ERG valve? If so, how?
02 Grand Caravan
Do I need to clean the ERG valve? If so, how?
Cleaning ERG
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Kestas
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I don't think there's a conventional way to clean the EGR, unless someone is resourceful. And this is typically attempted only if it is suspected there may be a problem with the seat. I have scraped deposits from the poppet and poppet seat before as preventive maintenance.
There are a couple of things one can do to the egr valve for diagnostics. First, apply vacuum to the diaphragm and make sure the poppet moves.
Second, remove the unit and try to blow through it. If air gets past the seat, then you either need to clean or replace the unit. An alternative check is to fabricate a piece of metal to block egr flow and see if warm idle improves on the car.
There are a couple of things one can do to the egr valve for diagnostics. First, apply vacuum to the diaphragm and make sure the poppet moves.
Second, remove the unit and try to blow through it. If air gets past the seat, then you either need to clean or replace the unit. An alternative check is to fabricate a piece of metal to block egr flow and see if warm idle improves on the car.
I don't 'think' I have a problem with it, just curious if I could add to the list of small maintenance things that "I" can do.
Thanks for the info.
Thanks for the info.
Just keep using good quality fuel and oil and you'll be doing the best you can.
I'm curious if my EGR-clogging-prone Grand Marquis will clog again, since I've started using synthetic oil and FP60/FP3000. The oil may not be a determining factor, but I'd bet the fuel additives might be.
I'm curious if my EGR-clogging-prone Grand Marquis will clog again, since I've started using synthetic oil and FP60/FP3000. The oil may not be a determining factor, but I'd bet the fuel additives might be.
JTK
$100 Site Donor 2025
I'm not sure how the Dodge is setup, but the 'pneumatic'EGR valve on the Ford's can be a PITA to remove with the plumbing & such attached. The electronic pintle valve style EGRs are a snap to clean. I've done some GMs and Isuzus. To remove them is just a matter of unplugging the electrical connector on the valve, remove (usually) 2 mounting bolts and the EGR valve lifts off it's mounting base. The mounting gaskets are pretty hardy and reusable. What I've done to clean the EGR system is; Remove the valve. This exposes a 'base' with 2 ports. The larger is typically the exhaust side, the smaller is the vacuum side. Plug the exhaust port in the EGR base with pc or rag or stopper of your choice, have a helper start the engine and maintain idle while you spray into the vacuum side port with carb/intake cleaner. For really stubborn, plugged vac side plumbing, you might need to fish a pc of wire through to break up the solidified carbon. Plugging usually happens at the end of the run in the intake where the nice wet, dirty exhaust gas cools and condenses at the outlet point(s) in the IM, at which point you will get EGR insuffient flow or assoicated EGR OBDII codes. Cleaning the valve itself it just a matter of spraying or wiping it clean with a cleaner of your choice.
Joel
Joel
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The EGR valve on my Honda Civic Hybrid is easy to take off. I can tell it is starting to get clogged when my car starts to do this little chugging thing on start-up. I think it wants to be a train. I have taken it off once a year and spray carb cleaner in it and let it soak for an hour or so. It has cleared up the chugging thing. My dealer told me that they can't be cleaned and that a new one installed was about $300. Canadian!! That $5. carb cleaner works just fine.
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