Why do our EGR valves keep gumming up?

D

don caballero

Member
There are many testimonitals about gummed up EGR valves, and alot of them describe how the valve gums up again after only a few thousand miles. My 1st cleaning lasted for 1000 miles, and the 2nd cleaning lasted for about 300.

Does anyone know why these valves keep gumming up? Did the recirculation design pull the exhaust from the wrong place? Is the valve just a catastrophically bad design? I'm really curious!

Thanks,
Mike
 
i use nothing but Chevron and ive never had to do an EGR cleaning.now the stealership replaced it at about 55,000 because of a missfire problem but turns out that wasnt the cause and it runs the same as it did before.
 
See, Good Gas... Don't cheap out. It also stops the Cats from Plugging up, Sparkplugs from getting ******...
 
I doubt if it matters that much where you get gas, as pretty much all gas in the US is equally sh*t.
Using higher than 87 octane is not necessary (on a stock engine) and may make the problem worse.

Was the EGR cleaned properly (should have been soaked in carb cleaner for a few hours at least - a quick spray down won't cut it)?

Our cars run a bit rich apparently, so it is likely to keep happening. Not a lot you can do about it. Just keep an eye on general easy tune up items - plugs, filters etc.
 
falsedawn said:
I doubt if it matters that much where you get gas, as pretty much all gas in the US is equally sh*t.
Using higher than 87 octane is not necessary (on a stock engine) and may make the problem worse.

Was the EGR cleaned properly (should have been soaked in carb cleaner for a few hours at least - a quick spray down won't cut it)?

Our cars run a bit rich apparently, so it is likely to keep happening. Not a lot you can do about it. Just keep an eye on general easy tune up items - plugs, filters etc.
Click to expand...

Your fooling yourself.

91+ is a more pure product..

It has nothing to do with power...
 
Brian MP5T said:
91+ is a more pure product..
Click to expand...

Not to threadjack, but where do you get that information from? Octane is not a function of purity (of what?), but of the hectane/octane ratio.
 
On MP3's it is recommended that Premium gas is used, I never used to buy it cuz it was expensive as hell and well it still is but I'm pretty sure my EGR, and my first cat. went bad and was about to ruin my entire exhaust. so now i'm using premium.
 
For those that have capped off the EGR bung at the manifold,

what did you do with the actual EGR valve? I think it would still open & close right? Did you disconnect it's plug or something?
 
I think the same guy who designed our sway bar end-links designed the EGR valve. Unfortunately I don't know what to tell you as far as keeping it clean. My dealer replaced mine under warranty just before 50k miles. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do when it gunks up again (presumably in 50k miles).
 
Dimitrios said:
Not to threadjack, but where do you get that information from? Octane is not a function of purity (of what?), but of the hectane/octane ratio.
Click to expand...

I never said that... It's commonly refered to as premium due to the way it is made... It does not cost more to make a higher Octaine Gas. It does however get more impure particles removed before it's sold...

Hence "Premium Unleaded"
 
Brian MP5T said:
I never said that... It's commonly refered to as premium due to the way it is made... It does not cost more to make a higher Octaine Gas. It does however get more impure particles removed before it's sold...

Hence "Premium Unleaded"
Click to expand...

...and also makes your car work harder to ignite the air/fuel mixture. 91 octane is harder to ignite than 87 octane fuel under the same pressure and temperature. That's why 91 is recommended in the MP3 so it does not preignite since it has a slightly higher compression ratio.
 
Your fooling yourself.
Click to expand...

Huh?

Octane rating is just a measure of a fuel's ability to resist spontaneous ignition (knock) - the optimum octane rating is determined by the compression ratio of the engine.

Using higher than 87 octane on a P5 engine is not only a waste of money but may well lead to increased carbon fouling and catalytic converter problems due to increased levels of unburnt fuel.

Not sure where you get the idea that premium grade gas gets "more impure particles removed" than regular, because that's just plain nonesense - it just has either a slightly different ratio of chemicals and/or different additives.

Anyway, to reiterate the point I made eariler - EGR fouling (as this is what the thread is about) may be accelerated by the use of fuels with too high an octane rating.
 
Guys,
I read the how-to and wondering "are you sure that's the EGR?" I have a ford escort as well as a P5 and this part reminds me more of a Idle Air Control Valve. Why? Well there is no exhaust hooked to this piece pictured. The value pictured has sensor plug and two holes for the throttle body. Now I am not say this does not help, cause it does and it's obviously been proven. But where is the real EGR valve that is connected to the exhaust?

Magus
 
Magus said:
Guys,
I read the how-to and wondering "are you sure that's the EGR?" I have a ford escort as well as a P5 and this part reminds me more of a Idle Air Control Valve. Why? Well there is no exhaust hooked to this piece pictured. The value pictured has sensor plug and two holes for the throttle body. Now I am not say this does not help, cause it does and it's obviously been proven. But where is the real EGR valve that is connected to the exhaust?

Magus
Click to expand...

Yes, it's the EGR.

The EGR tube from the exhaust manifold runs to the intake manifold near this EGR valve. The EGR valve will open & close via solenoid to let exhaust gas into the intake tract.

If it were, as you say, only connected to the throttle-body, then we would not have the carbon build-up that we all have witnessed. The carbon builds up on the shaft of the valve and prohibits it from sliding smoothly. The solenoid will push it open, but then the return spring is not strong enough to pull it back due to the friction caused by the carbon build up.
 
seancneal said:
That's why 91 is recommended in the MP3 so it does not preignite since it has a slightly higher compression ratio.
Click to expand...

WRONG!!

All 2.0 3rd gen Proteges use the same pistons and therefore have the same CR. Higher octane fuel is required for the MP3 due to advanced timing.
 
Canecreekfreak said:
My dealer replaced mine under warranty just before 50k miles. I'm not sure what I'm gonna do when it gunks up again (presumably in 50k miles).
Click to expand...

we can have a NEPOC EGR valve day. I have clened mine at 45 and 58K. Was replaced at 30K under TSB.......
 
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