What does an EGR valve do?
EGR is short for “exhaust gas recirculation.” This system has an important part called the EGR valve. Its job is to lower the temperature of the exhaust gases that come from burning fuel and to stop harmful nitrogen oxides from getting into the air. A pipe and valve send some of the exhaust gases back to the intake side of the engine during the recirculation process. There, they mix with fresh air and go back into the combustion chamber.These exhaust gases have a lot of carbon dioxide and not much oxygen, which pushes some of the fresh air out of the intake manifold and lowers the amount of oxygen in the air. The gases that are recirculated don’t actually burn, so they take in heat energy instead. This helps lower the overall temperature of the combustion.
Job of the EGR valve
Exhaust gas recirculation doesn’t work all the time. When the engine is running lean, it works best in the part-load range. Recirculation is usually not needed when the engine is cold, warming up, or under full load.The EGR valve controls this by turning the connection between the intake manifold and the exhaust manifold on and off. It is usually close to the exhaust manifold. The system only turns on recirculation when the load and engine temperature are just right, and it turns it off when it’s not needed.
When there is a problem with the exhaust gas recirculation system
If the EGR valve breaks, it can let out a lot more exhaust and make driving worse. Common signs are rough idling, jerking, and losing power. The engine control unit might go into emergency mode in some cases. There may also be problems during emissions testing. But most drivers notice the poor throttle response and lower performance and go to a workshop before the problem gets worse.
What makes an EGR valve not work
The most common reason for failure is blockage caused by soot that builds up when the fuel-air mixture burns. Heavy deposits build up inside the valve over time, which makes it stick. This problem happens a lot with diesel engines.Other possible causes are broken cables, bad seals, or hoses and connections that leak. Different problems can happen depending on where the valve gets stuck. For instance, if the valve stays open, too much exhaust gas gets into the engine and not enough fresh air gets in. Because of this, the engine management system cuts back on fuel injection, which makes the engine less powerful. Some cars also show that there is a problem by turning on the engine warning light. WA Auto Parts can also help you find replacement parts and support.
Cleaning and changing the EGR valve
It is possible to clean the valve in principle. This, on the other hand, should only be done as a last resort. If there is a defect, cleaning won’t help anymore, and the valve and the seals on it need to be replaced. Cleaning it wrong can also hurt the exhaust gas recirculation system even more. The cost of replacing it depends on the kind of car. In theory, you can also do the replacement yourself. But it’s best to go to a specialist workshop. The workshop can look at the EGR valve and other parts of the engine control system to see if the part is really causing any problems when you drive.