Can an EGR valve be cleaned?

Question

WD-40? Gasoline? Bleach? Cherry bomb?

Mine's gone bad, says the codes the gal at Auto Zone said. She says they get corroded with carbon and just stop working.

Would pulling one out of a junkyard wreck be worth a try?

Should I just stop being such a cheap bugger and go buy one for $130?

Answer 1

pay the $130. make sure it is a "life time" warranty. otherwise you will be taking and unsticking the valve every 4-6 months. once they stick once they will do it over and over. Your time is worth something--and it may have a hole in the diaphragm--so even cleaning it won't help-
junk yard--not the best choice. you spend all day there running around and get one for $25. You install it and it last for a week (been not moving in the two years the car sat). Then another day running around.

also if this doesn't work by fixing the problem. you just return the part "that you said was bad". Rather than buying a $140 scanner, $80 volt meter, $110 vacuum pump and a $200 manual that gives you all the voltages, return, supply, and grounds over the cost of a EGR valve --- all this to realize that the EGR sensor (which didn't have fault for) is right in telling you that the EGR valve is not functioning. Not to mention that this car is over 5 years old--because emission control devises have this warranty.
Most cars will give you a fault for the valve, and one for the sensor. there is no point in making this difficult when your at the easy stage. if the sensor was not getting voltage there would be a sensor fault too.
you don't need a mechanic to tell you what is wrong---he has code reader that he will work with. He will see the same code. Rather than charge you $109 per hour to reinvent the wheel--the first thing he will try is a new EGR valve. If that fails to fix it--- then you have to go deeper.

Answer 2

Remove your old one first, and see if it functions, moves up and down, etc. Also would be a good idea to clean all the carbon build up you can out of it. Best to use like carb cleaner and such. Also clean the tubing that goes to the intake. Some vehicles are notorious for having massive carbon build up there as well. Hope these help some. Good luck.

Answer 3

Cherry Bomb. Really......its not worth cleaning. Too hard. You could get lucky with a junkyard replacement. But, in my opinion, the peace of mind afforded with a new one is worth the $130.00 and then some. Good luck!

Answer 4

Check the junkyard for a car with lower miles, or a car with extremely high miles. You ask why the difference? If extremely low miles should be good if extremely high miles is probably better because the chances of it already being changed recently is more likely. compare to the miles you have on yours. if close stay away and look further

Answer 5

First off...dont buy a new one on the advice of a parts store employee. They are out to sell new parts, and that's why they do code checks for free. You'd be better off to buy a service manual and do the troubleshooting for the code. It may be a wiring circuit problem instead of the valve itself.

Answer 6

cleaning is a no go, when they die, they die. A junkyard is worth a shot, but I have no idea how to test a good, from a bad one, so I'd say look for the newest looking one in the bunch if more then one exist there. 130 is a bit steep, so a junkyard browse wouldn't hurt I'd think.

Answer 7

I've cleaned them, I found that carb cleaner will do a fine job cleaning all the carbon out of the ports and flapper.

Answer 8

You said it, not me :)))
Get a new one. You may not pass an emissions test with a used one (because you don't know if its good).