Egr Valve Question......

[akkuma2k]

hope this is not a dumb question, and if so forgive me. i am planning on cleaning on maybe replacing my egr valve on my 93 es300. i recently saw the amaco service gas station near me does emmisions cleaning and asked the guy what exactly what do. he clean he told me that they clean the intake where they have a bag of fluid hanging and drips into it cleans injectors etc. my question is does this also clean the egr valve? he said yes but he said yes to everything! so i ask the people who know my car the best before i go further.

[dcfish]

hope this is not a dumb question, and if so forgive me. i am planning on cleaning on maybe replacing my egr valve on my 93 es300. i recently saw the amaco service gas station near me does emmisions cleaning and asked the guy what exactly what do. he clean he told me that they clean the intake where they have a bag of fluid hanging and drips into it cleans injectors etc. my question is does this also clean the egr valve? he said yes but he said yes to everything! so i ask the people who know my car the best before i go further.

Search these forums, All the info you ever need is here. Save big $$$ use the http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index...?act=Search&f=7 function and read, read, read.................

[monarch]

The factory repair manual suggests replacing rather than cleaning the EGR valve. The EGR vacuum modulator is very important too and should be replaced at the same time for top fuel economy and engine performance.Owners who don't delay tune ups or oxygen sensor replacement and who periodically scrub the throttle plate clean won't have a problem with EGR valve plugging and sticking for over 300,000 miles. Delayed preventive maintenance of this nature causes the engine to burn more gasoline and generate more emissions which in turn causes the EGR valve and EGR pipes to become more quickly fouled with carbon deposits which in turn causes an even greater drop in engine performance and fuel economy. It's a vicious, self reinforcing circle.

[Toysrme]

That's pretty much the story. Most of the time the valve just sticks from carbon build-up from the exhaust running through it.

I highly doubt their idea of a service is cleaning the throttle plate, EGR valve, or upper intake for that matter. Practically the same thing as sucking seafoam, ATF, or throwing some water injection on it. About the only thing you clean is the area immediately around the intake valve face (The bowl) and the combustion chambers.

It kinda depends on how far along the EGR valve is. If you can catch the carbon before it causes a big problem where you need to replace it (or there is some other problem that you can't fix by cleaning). Then you can keep them working a long time. Otherwise, ya. You gotta replace the whole thing.

Sometimes the modulator's diaphram splits. Sometimes the controlling vacuum lines get old & split. All are stuff to check.

For the most part, as cheap & "not difficult" as cleaning something like an EGR valve is, give that a try before spending $$$ on a new valve + modulator + vacuum lines. Unless you have the moeny to spend & don't mind doing so.

^ Werd on EGR causing running problems. The ECU is use to EGR being on & off at certain times. If it's off when it shouldn't be, the A/F mixture is slightly lean (Part throttle/cruising) and you can wind up with some mild pinging. If it's stuck open when it shouldn't be, you're running rich & dropping power.

[akkuma2k]

Thanx Toys, you seem to be the leading athority on es300's, not trying to be funny either but did you once work for toyota? boy, this site taught me MORE and knows more about my car than my mechanic, thats for sure.

[Toysrme]

Na, I just keep rebuilding the damned things left & right. Thanks tho!

Want a story?

IDK My #2 best friend of all time completed a local Toyota program a few years back that was one of the tops in the country while he was there. He calls me anytime something say pre 96 breaks & he can't figure it out hah. He tries to get me to come work at the dealer changing oil & doing some tech work, but eh... /me is tired of lots of oil & no real work & that's exactly what they want.

I really should go get certified so I can go anywhere & be a tech. I've been thinking about it for over a year now. I just loath more school. Not that any of that *BLEEP* means *BLEEP*.

My best friend's dad is the manager & life-long mechanic at a big local garage. I do alot of fill-in work for them. I've spent a lot of spare time doing a lot of tech work on imports for him over the last few years.

I spent a summer a couple years ago doing lots of grunt work at a transmission shop. Learned some good stuff there... Transmissions are the biggest racket in the car industry. hah!

Don't get the wrong impression about anything tho... Forums are just a place for people to partake in opinions. I like troubleshooting alot, so I do it. Helps me with what I choose to do. That doesn't mean I'm *ever* right about anything.

Besides.... Atleast 75% of the problems people complain about are either very common to the basic platforms, or common to nearly all similar cars to begin with. Anybody could hang around a few forums for week reading & be able to answer the majority of the questions on it. What's fun is when somebody comes up with something off the wall & you either nail it, or you learn something new.

Even when you're wrong about something. So? Just opinions. Just make sure if you're going to tell someone something that you're not sure about, you should say something to that affect when you say it.

Right, or wrong - people don't hold grudges when you're troubleshooting.

win-win-win for everybody.

[lenore]

hey toys yu are so right about transmission being a big hoax. After I personally rebuilt a Ford A4Ld tranny and made my own tools to remove and adjust the clutch packs, I discovered they try to scare you into thinking they are extremely complicated. The valve bodies are a little nerve racking but just require attention to detail and cleanliness. Making notes and now with digital cameras some quick pictures make it a piece of cake. I to enjoy your responses and posts. Lenore (tom)

[Toysrme]

Ah, thanks.

The valve body is only complicated the *first* time you take it apart rotfl! After that, it's really straight forward. There's only like 6-7 sizes of bolts all over the thing, but after you look at it while you take it apart. It's obvious what bolt goes where.

'cept for that one I stripped some threads out of. Eh... That's why god gave noah taps & dies. So Brandon can put a big bolt where a 1.1mm smaller bolt goes, strip it out 3-4 aluminum threads from the transmission. Then fix it!

OMG!!! Digicams do own re-assembly time! :)

^ That picture is *much* easier to interpret than the nasty one in the A/T FSM's.