If there is any kind of fault in the EGR system of the vehicle, then you may see many symptoms of its malfunction. Whenever your vehicle’s exhaust gas recirculation system breaks down, the vehicle engine may face many problems. In this post, we will discuss in detail only the most typical symptoms of EGR valve failure, along with its location and replacement cost.
What Is EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation System)?
The EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation System) is a vital part of a modern vehicle’s engine, designed to recirculate exhaust gases from the engine back into your car’s intake to aid emissions control. So that the exhaust gases returning to the internal combustion chamber of the engine can be pushed back and these exhaust gases can be re-burned. With the efficient functioning of EGR, the performance and power of the vehicle’s engine are improved.
Symptoms of A Bad EGR Valve
Symptoms of a bad EGR valve are an engine check light, acceleration hesitation, poor pick-up, high fuel consumption, exhaust black smoke, low engine power performance, the smell of unburned fuel, rough idle, and engine knocking.
This may result in increased engine emissions. This can cause soot particles, carbon residue, and impurities to build up in your EGR valve. Which can cause the EGR valve to be stuck in the closed or open position. Let’s take a closer look at the symptoms of a bad EGR system so you can identify other engine-related problems and EGR failures.
1. Check Engine Light
Several sensors in the vehicle monitor engine performance, emissions and the functioning of your EGR valve. Whether your EGR valve is blocked, open or closed, if the EGR valve of your vehicle’s engine is damaged or unable to function successfully, then the check engine light in the vehicle’s cluster meter will illuminate.
The check engine light indicates a bad EGR valve. However, there are many other reasons why the check engine light may be on. For which you can get your vehicle scanned through OBD digital scanner. So that you can find out the reasons for the check engine light being illuminated. And you can diagnose and fix these types of problems.
2. Poor Engine Performance
Even though your EGR system is designed to cool the cylinders, you do not want your EGR valve to be open all the time. You will have less flammable air in your engine when the EGR valve is open at maximum RPM, where it is most needed.
Having a faulty EGR valve whenever you press the accelerator pedal, If this results in engine efficiency issues, you will almost certainly encounter acceleration issues and a loss of overall power. Because the air-fuel ratio will be higher than equilibrium. As a result, your engine will require more fuel to generate maximum power, for which you will pay extra. Because you will have poor fuel economy in addition and your vehicle’s engine will perform less even when accelerated, which we recognize as the low pickup of the engine.
3. Increase In Fuel Consumption
A bad EGR valve will most likely cause your vehicle’s engine to consume more fuel than normal. For example, your car typically gets 30 miles per gallon if it has a faulty EGR valve. So your gallon consumption will go up, thereby forcing you to spend the extra dollar on fuel. Your EGR valve helps increase the fuel economy of your car. But if you have a compromised EGR valve, the engine of the car loses its efficiency.
Due to this, the engine of your car is forced to increase its fuel consumption. Your EGR valve returns exhaust gas to your engine while maintaining a constant temperature in your engine. As a result of the combustion chamber if your EGR valve fails to function correctly. So the combustion chamber can reach abnormally high temperatures. as a result of which nitrogen gases are discharged into the environment.
4. Rough Idling
If your vehicle engine has a bad or stuck open EGR valve. So you will experience the rough idle of your vehicle. If your car won’t even warm up. The EGR valve remains inactive after the engine has fully warmed up.
Then you may see additional problems. because your EGR valve is usually open during this period. because it re-circulates the exhaust to lower the overall temperature level of the combustion chamber. This will cause your vehicle’s engine to develop a rough idle.
5. Fuel Odor
A bad EGR valve will cause excess hydrocarbons to be discharged through your exhaust, increasing your engine’s fuel consumption, due to which the smell of fuel will increase to such an extent. Due to this, one will be able to smell the smell of fuel inside the cabin of the vehicle.
And you absolutely would not want to inhale the smell of such fuel, as it is unhealthy. Fuel smell is the main symptom of a bad EGR valve. However, fuel odor from inside the cabin of a vehicle can also be caused by a bad or clogged catalytic converter, for which it is necessary to observe its reasons.
6. Engine Knocking
One of the less common benefits of your EGR valve is that it reduces engine knock while maintaining less heat inside the combustion chamber, preventing premature combustion of your fuel, although this is not always the case with a faulty EGR valve. Then the sound of knocking can be felt from inside the engine of your vehicle.
Engine knocking can also be a symptom of a bad EGR valve. However, engine knocking can be caused by bad fuel injectors or bent engine head valves. To get rid of this problem, the causes of engine knocking should be investigated.
7. Increase In Exhaust Emissions
The purpose of an EGR valve in a vehicle’s engine is to reduce emissions and boost engine power. If the EGR valve on your vehicle’s engine is damaged or unable to function properly, it can definitely increase the level of emissions, and for this reason, your vehicle can definitely fail the emissions test.
You get an increase in black smoke from the vehicle’s exhaust due to a bad EGR valve, due to which the power and performance of the engine can be badly affected. However, there could be other reasons for the increase in exhaust emissions as well, for which you must first inspect the reasons for the increase in emissions in the engine. So that you can find out the reason for the increase in exhaust emissions and you can solve the problem of increasing exhaust emissions in the right way.
8. Decreased Engine Power
The EGR valve is an exhaust gas recirculation component. The EGR valve opens or closes as per the need and condition of the engine.The EGR valve is opened or closed by an electronic solenoid motor according to engine needs and conditions as permitted by the ECM based on data received from various sensors in the engine.
So when the vehicle is given a sudden acceleration. Then the engine delivers performance with high pickup. Because the EGR valve opens at high rpms of the engine, due to which the fuel combustion process in the internal combustion chamber of the engine becomes faster. Due to this, the engine provides high power. But due to a bad EGR valve, a reduction in engine power and performance can be experienced. However, these symptoms can also be seen when the EGR valve is stuck or the manifold is clogged.
9. Engine Overheating
A faulty EGR valve may cause your vehicle’s engine to overheat. which can cause engine knocking and, at the same time, cause the temperature of the engine to reach a high level. Because a blocked EGR valve does not prevent the emission of nitrogen oxides into the environment, the temperature of your engine may rise to unsafe levels. It will also keep unburned fuel inside your exhaust, resulting in a stronger fuel load, due to which the temperature of the engine may rise to an unsafe level.
How Does EGR Valve Work?
Your vehicle’s EGR system reduces the amount of NOx released from the exhaust. The EGR valve is replaced to recirculate the used exhaust gases back into your engine to cool your combustion chamber. The heat of combustion of the exhaust gas is reduced for a portion of the engine’s specific air-fuel mixture.However, exhaust gases can be put into your engine only under specified conditions. If the EGR operates at the wrong time, your car’s engine performance will decrease as a result.
An EGR valve is included in the engine’s EGR system, which controls the stream of exhaust gases. Your EGR valve is often located on the intake manifold of your engine.In an older automobile, the EGR valve is activated immediately by exhaust back pressure and engine vacuum, although most current cars include one or several solenoids. which are electronically operated. The solenoids can manage the vacuum feed to your EGR valve. The vehicle’s ECM computer directly activates the valve. which controls the solenoid in response to data from multiple sensors.
How Does The EGR Valve Enable Engine Combustion?
When a vehicle’s engine sucks air from the environment, it contains about 20% oxygen, 79% nitrogen carbon dioxide and 1% other elements. Whenever the air-fuel mixture inside the combustion chamber is fired at a temperature greater than 1360 °C, nitrogen oxide (NOx) is formed. When inert nitrogen gas mixes with oxygen at such a high temperature, NOx is an important pollutant. The pollution generated by automobile engines is harmful to our respiratory system.
NOx emissions are diverted into the combustion chamber by the EGR valve to limit environmental exhaust flow. Due to this, the temperature of the exhaust gases from the engine decreases and prevents the increase in the amount of NOx in these exhaust gases. when your engine is started for the first time. So your EGR valve remains closed. Due to this, the exhaust gas does not come back.
And when the engine rapidly reaches its operating temperature, the temperature of your engine rises. So the engine’s EGR valve opens gradually so that the exhaust gases from your engine are allowed to be ingested. Depending on the engine design and function of many vehicles, the EGR valve also opens with greater vacuum at higher rpms of the engine.
EGR Valve Location
The location of the engine EGR valve in your vehicle depends on the make and model of the engine.
The location of the EGR valve is usually behind the top of the engine in some vehicles, where it is connected to the outlet pipe of the air manifold and turbocharger. But depending on the make of some engines, the EGR valve is fitted deeper. You have to look behind the engine to find it. On some engine models, the EGR valve is also fitted to the air manifold in the cylinder head.
EGR Valve Replacement Cost
The average cost to replace the EGR valve in your vehicle may vary depending on the vehicle model and the quality of the EGR valve and other EGR valve parts.
On average, the average cost of an EGR valve can range from $350 to $500, along with a mechanic’s labor costs, and this cost estimate does not include taxes. An EGR valve and parts can cost between $240 and $350, and the labor cost of replacing an EGR valve by a professional auto mechanic can range from $100 to $150.
Replace the EGR valve with an independent mechanic rather than a certified garage mechanic, allowing us to make the mechanic’s labor costs a little more affordable. EGR valve service or replacement involves testing the EGR transducer, clearing all EGR-related error codes, and solenoid This includes cleaning carbon from the pintle and inspecting and replacing the EGR vacuum hose pipe.
FAQ’s
Q. How do you know when your EGR valve is bad?
If you notice a fuel odor coming from a running vehicle or excessive emissions from the exhaust, these may be signs of EGR failure. Additionally, the vehicle’s high fuel consumption also indicates EGR failure.
Q. How do I test my EGR valve?
To test your EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) valve, with the engine idling, disconnect the vacuum hose and plug in the EGR valve. If the engine stutters, then the EGR valve is working. If it’s stuck, it’s damaged and will need replacement.
