If you see your car engine vibrating when kick starting, a loud bang, or a large amount of black smoke coming out of the exhaust pipe. Then, unfortunately, your car is likely to have a problem with the EGR valve. By understanding the EGR valve structure, you will know can you clean an EGR valve and how to clean EGR valve, therefore preventing any serious damage and costly repairs.
What Is EGR Valve And Where Is EGR Valve Location?
EGR valve stands for Exhaust Gas Recirculation, and plays an important role in keeping pollutants out of the environment and maintaining the overall health of automotive engines and located near the carburetor, usually towards the back of the engine near the firewall. Automotive manufacturers installed EGR valves in cars in the 1960s.
The EGR valve operates on the principle of returning part of the exhaust gas back to the combustion chamber. This reduces the combustion chamber temperature in the cylinder, while also reducing the rate of oxygen and consequently reducing NOx emissions.
Over time, the EGR valve works hard and repeats exposure to heat and other detonation byproducts. It accumulates carbon and causes system blockages or the valve gets stuck when opening or closing.
Why Cleaning EGR Valve Is Important?
If you do not clean the EGR valve or guarantee, it may lead to some damages to your car. First is increasing the amount of NOx emission, a perpetrator of fog and acid rain in the big cities. When the EGR valve gets stuck open or closed, the automotive engine is weak and acceleration is slower. Besides, the amount of energy & oil consumption has skyrocketed. Moreover, the stucking may lead to the high temperature of the engine and a loud bang when starting.
How To Clean EGR Valve?
When you take out the valve, shake it and try to hear the sound of a moving diaphragm. If you hear the sound, it means the valve is in good condition. Then, cleaning is the only thing required in order to build the performance of the engine.
Let’s get started!
1: Take out the vacuum line
First, you carefully take out the vacuum line that connects to the EGR valve. If it looks damaged, fragile, or frayed in one or the other manner, change it.
Vacuum is the major source of several kinds of engine problems.
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2: Open the EGR valve
This step is quite obvious. Open the valve by removing the bolts. In case it doesn’t come out straight away, give a slight tap or use a hammer.
3: Take off the gasket
If your gasket is cracked or disintegrated, you need to remove it as soon as possible. However, if it works fine, you won’t need a replacement for several years.
4: Use water
If you know how to clean EGR valve with water, half of your work is complete. There are two main steps involved in cleaning the valve. But it also depends on how far you want to go.
The first thing to do is soak the EGR in a carb cleaner bowl. Yes, the smell is horrible and it is malicious stuff. So make sure you do the task outside in a well-ventilated area.
Note: If the EGR valve has electronic connections, make sure you do NOT submerge it in the cleaner. For best results, soak it overnight. After this step, jump to the next.
5: Cleaning the valve with hands
After soaking the EGR valve in the cleaner overnight, you need to clean the passage, surfaces, and opening with a brush. For this, pipe cleaners and toothbrushes work well. Try to drag out the black curd, which will help fix the problem soon. Essentially, you need to clean everything you can with the help of the brush.
Note: To clean the valve, always use chemical-resistant gloves and eye protectors.
6: Reuse the EGR valve
Now, simply reinstall the EGR valve in its place. Make sure you reattach your vacuum hose along with the electrical connections. This process will work great if you follow the steps in order. In case, you still experience any issues, go ahead to replace the entire valve.
7: Testing EGR valve
This is an important step that you should not skip. After cleaning the valve and putting it back to the car, the engine should idle smoothly. There is no fuel smell and the strange sound, loud bang is no longer lasts. The EGR valve should be cleaned regularly to maintain the working ability of the engine.
Watch in detail how to clean the EGR valve at home.
How Much Does It Cost To Clean EGR Valve?
EGR valve cleaning cost actually is not much of money but it requires the owner to be careful and skillful. Otherwise, you may pay money to replace a new EGR valve. However, having the EGR valve replaced on your car should cost between $140 to $550, which will cover the cost of parts a labor.
Most folks do not know how to clean EGR valve by DIY steps. The above-mentioned process is simple and easy to use. It’s a great thing to clean a few parts of your engine through DIY ways. It saves both time and money. In addition to this, try learning certain car repair tips to increase the life of your car’s engine.
