EGR valve not functioning correctly.

[Andr3w]

Hey guys,

I am prepping my car for Cali emissions and have been trying to get the EGR to work. When I pulled vacuum on the EGR valve, the RPM's go down a little bit. According to the smog guide, the RPM's should drop to the point where the car is stumbling and about to cut out. I pulled off the EGR valve and verified that the valve is opening and closing. I also took the time to clean the unit out. After putting the EGR valve back in, the result was the same. One thing I did notice is that if I shut the car down and open up the EGR valve and the start the car up, the car will stumble like it is supposed to.

Does anyone have any ideas on what to check? Maybe the EGR valve or plenum is clogged up?

[Jimvr4]

Do you have a vacuum pump to test with? If the valve is operating and you pull enough vacuum to open it and the EGR passage in the plenum is clean enough then the motor should die. Your EGR valve might still be plugged up.

[dbest671]

Do you get a CEL for the EGR? And does your car have a temperature sensor? I say do the "resistor" mod unless your car won't pass the sniffer test without an EGR. I think I actually have two EGR if you want them, they came on core plenums, however there is nowhere for a temperature sensor if yours has one.

[Andr3w]

I do have vacuum pump with pressure gauge and it looks like it is holding vacuum. I may need to clean the passages in the plenum. Hopefully this can be done without removing the manifold.

No cel because I am using the ProEFI standalone. For the test they just need to verify that egr valve is working by applying vacuum to the EGR valve and see that the rpms drop and the car stumbles a bit.

[Gray Haze]

I do have vacuum pump with pressure gauge and it looks like it is holding vacuum. I may need to clean the passages in the plenum. Hopefully this can be done without removing the manifold.

No cel because I am using the ProEFI standalone. For the test they just need to verify that egr valve is working by applying vacuum to the EGR valve and see that the rpms drop and the car stumbles a bit.

So when you hook the pump to the valve does it do this? Why unclog something thats keeping it from working NORMALLY when you dont want it? :P

[Andr3w]

Cleaned all the passages and cleaned the egr valve with a pick. Still doesn't completely die. Also put in the stock ecu for the hell of it, does the same exact thing. After searching around a bit, some cars just don't completely cut out when the egr valve is opened and it is not required for the car to stall out completely. It looks like the egr valve is functioning since it drops from 850-900 rpms down to 250-400. If they fail me because of this, then I will file a report and find another smog shop.

[Jimvr4]

So when you hook the pump to the valve does it do this? Why unclog something thats keeping it from working NORMALLY when you dont want it? :P

It's just to pass emissions lol. All this stuff is turned off when running Chrome.

Andr3w - what city are you in? I have a favorite smog shop in San Jose that's never questioned my K&N, Greddy type-S BOV, or any of the chrome bling in my bay.

[Andr3w]

Damn I am in San Diego. I had to get rid of all that stuff Yes once smog is passed it all gets plugged up lol.

[mentor97]

i had a car that was doing the same thing, and it had very loose fitting, dried out vacuum lines to the EGR components.