Can this work be done on our own?

Question

My son went to get his 98 Ford Escort SE inspected today. The mechanic told him that it won't pass emissions because of three hoses being partially clogged. Is this a job that we can do ourselves?? (The mechanic didn't even do the regular inspection.....said it was useless till he gets this taken care of first.)

By the way, the mechanic said it would run about $400 to fix this.

First the mechanic said 3 hoses, now he is saying the "egr valve needs to be replaced."

Answer 1

Which 3 hoses are partially clogged?

The most likely ones are related to the EGR valve system.
You can do anything yourself if you've got the time and patience.

Answer 2

The only hoses I can think of that would make a car fail emissions are the ones pertaining the egr. I don't know why they would cost 400 dollars to fix unless that mechanic is a bandit in disguise. If the metal tubing is bad 400 dollars would probably be in the ballpark for major components. If the tubing is plugged it can be cleaned with the right tools just as long as there are no cracks or warpage. Good luck.

Answer 3

i susspect this may well be the crank case ventilation hoses, im not 100% but AFIR these do have a small difference on emmisions, they should be pretty substantial pipes on the engine head, obviously check that they dont go to the radiator or you will have a bit of a puddle form under the car. carb cleaner should do the trick and in most cases is safe to use on the pipes spray type is most usefull and you should be able to get it at any of your local auto shops (sorry dont know what your national retailers are as im in the uk)
if in any doubt get somebody elses opinion as that price does sound a little high.

one other little trick to try is fuel system cleaner, this is put in as an additave to your fuel, give the car a good run and highline the rev counter a couple of times to clear out the rubbish that may be in the system.

and most of all have fun car maintanance is an excelent way to waste away weekends :P

Answer 4

If you are mechanically inclined you can take the egr valve off clean it with a wire brush and carb cleaner (also the metal lines) and reassemble them. This is a temporary fix to pass emmissions. If will clog again hard telling how long.

Answer 5

Add the CRC emissions formula below and take the car to have it emissions tested. Don't worry about flunking the emissions test because it tells you what problems you have and then you simply go get them fixed and return later for a retest. The mechanic might be trying to sell you repairs you don't need. I'd try another shop once I got it emissions tested if it flunks.

http://www.crcindustries.com/auto/content/prod_detail.aspx?PN=05063%2D6&S=N

Answer 6

yes you can, if its vacuum hoses then its an easy job, $400 is what they would charge + labor, parts are cheap....

whats the hoses for?