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How to clean EGR valve

110K views 45 replies 28 participants last post by  BikeHelmet 
#1 ·
97 escort lx sport. recently got engine light on and read code P0401 :Exhaust Gas Recirculation Flow Insufficient Detected.

mostly problem come from EGR valve clog, so before you decide replace a new Egr valve or go to auto shop. try to clean EGR valve by yourself, all you need just carb cleaner( around $6) and tools. I am not mechanic and it's my first use tools to remove auto parts. with Jlongoria9 help I did. so happy, share my picture and experience here. Hope can help somebody.

1, remove negative baterry . locate EGR valve , see picture below , it connect with intake manifold.


2. Egr valve connect with a EGR tube and the tube conncet to exhaust manifold, on tube there are two hoses connect to a device mount on firewall .


3. we need take out EGR valve and clean it, so you need unfasten two bolts which secure EGR valve to intake manifold and two bolts which secure EGR tube to exhaust manifold. before you use tool to losent any bolt, disconnect two hoses first. use marker make sure you will remember how to connect if necessary or use my last picture as reference.



4. move air intake side make more room if necessary.


5. use 10 mm socket , ratchet and extent bar remove two bolts from EGR tube.



6. now remove two EGR valve bolts.


7. carefully take out EGR valve with EGR tube. then you can clean it and unfasten tube nut dispart EGR valve and EGR tube.



spray carb cleaner into EGR valve and check and clean tube
very importent thing is check intake manifold conncet with EGR valve hole make sure there is clean , some carb also deposit there. my EGR valve and EGR tube is ok but intake manifold got a lot of carb and clog flow.


after clean , my car get stable idle and engine light not come back so far.
 
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#38 ·
I replaced the two stock studs and nuts that attach the tube onto the manifold with stainless steel M6-1 bolts.
A good dose of Permatex® Nickel Anti-Seize Lubricant is a must.

 
#39 ·
97 escort lx sport. recently got engine light on and read code P0401 :Exhaust Gas Recirculation Flow Insufficient Detected.

mostly problem come from EGR valve clog, so before you decide replace a new Egr valve or go to auto shop. try to clean EGR valve by yourself, all you need just carb cleaner( around $6) and tools. I am not mechanic and it's my first use tools to remove auto parts. with Jlongoria9 help I did. so happy, share my picture and experience here. Hope can help somebody.

1, remove negative baterry . locate EGR valve , see picture below , it connect with intake manifold.


2. Egr valve connect with a EGR tube and the tube conncet to exhaust manifold, on tube there are two hoses connect to a device mount on firewall .


3. we need take out EGR valve and clean it, so you need unfasten two bolts which secure EGR valve to intake manifold and two bolts which secure EGR tube to exhaust manifold. before you use tool to losent any bolt, disconnect two hoses first. use marker make sure you will remember how to connect if necessary or use my last picture as reference.



4. move air intake side make more room if necessary.


5. use 10 mm socket , ratchet and extent bar remove two bolts from EGR tube.



6. now remove two EGR valve bolts.


7. carefully take out EGR valve with EGR tube. then you can clean it and unfasten tube nut dispart EGR valve and EGR tube.



spray carb cleaner into EGR valve and check and clean tube
very importent thing is check intake manifold conncet with EGR valve hole make sure there is clean , some carb also deposit there. my EGR valve and EGR tube is ok but intake manifold got a lot of carb and clog flow.


after clean , my car get stable idle and engine light not come back so far.
Hi, why can't I see the images? Thanks in advance
 
#40 ·
well.. this post was created 13 years ago.. back then photobucket was a reliable hosting platform.. now, they have turned to a highly profit-driven business model.. they fuzz out the images in an attempt to get the 'hoster' to pay for a subscription.
there are rumors of a way to add an extention to your browser that allows them to show up clearly. do a quick google for 'photobucket pictures blurry'
 
#43 · (Edited)
There's good info on these boards. I cleaned my EGR valve myself using the info in this thread. I follow any threads that helped me so that if anyone has questions I can chime in with an answer.

Just happened that the wayback machine has some of the original images. They have a GIGANTIC donation banner on their pages right now though, so thought I'd mention it. Thinking back, archived websites have saved me a lot of expense a few times already.

/shrug

If you don't like that part of it, edit my post.

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
 
#45 · (Edited)
I cleaned mine when I had it all out to replace my head gasket. The intake manifold part were the EGR attached was way dirtier than the EGR valve itself. I wasn't cleaning it out because of any issue or code, just cleaning it because I had it out, and with 256K miles, I figured that there might be something to clean. The tube itself was not dirty at all.
 
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