EGR Replaced & Still Rough Idle & Stumble

[Dino1956]

OK, so I finally buy a Rebuilt EGR Valve on eBay (I know...but let me give you details). My Car has had a Rough Idle when it starts up & at Stop Lights, especially when it's Cold. The Code was the "EGR Excessive Air Flow" code. I brought my Rebuilt eBay EGR & I had a shop put it in & they cleared the Code. Now the Car is doing the same thing & I'm waiting for the Engine Light to come back on. I'm a dummy at Cars so be easy on me. There are many articles saying it could be DPFE sensor or o2 Sensor. What do you think ? Thanks in advance!

 

[Joost27]

No way to tell fi its still the EGR until it throws a code, but do a quick search on the vacuum lines around the engine bay and make sure there arent any that have popped off.

 

[slavrenz]

The EGR Excessive Flow Code only has three possible causes according to the repair manual: a bad EGR valve, a bad EGR valve gasket, or a bad PCM. You knocked out the first one, so you've either got a faulty gasket or your car computer is bad.

And actually, while I really hate to suggest things like this, are you sure that the shop that you took the car to actually did the work that they charged you for? Your shop may be very trustworthy and this isn't an issue, but it wouldn't be the first time I have heard of a place charging people for parts that were never replaced. If I were you, I would see if I could get the old EGR valve back to be sure.

 

[TheMAN]

either you a) got screwed with a bad EGR valve or b) the rebuilt went bad again... either way, time and time has proven again that "rebuilding" (cleaning) them won't fix the problem and it will eventually come back

this is one part you can't be cheap on and buying a new one will get rid of the headaches

 

[slavrenz]

either you a) got screwed with a bad EGR valve or b) the rebuilt went bad again... either way, time and time has proven again that "rebuilding" (cleaning) them won't fix the problem and it will eventually come back

this is one part you can't be cheap on and buying a new one will get rid of the headaches

Unfortunately, you've got one of the very expensive EGR valves - the ones for the 1.8L and 2.0L proteges are a lot cheaper. the cheapest I could find was on RockAuto.com for like $215, but you can get the OEM valve at OnlineMazdaParts.com for only $230, so I would go that route.

 

[TheMAN]

buying the redesigned canadian one is hell of a lot cheaper even after shipping and customs

 

[Dino1956]

Ok Check this out. The shop that put the rebuilt EGR is my friend's Shop. So that's all good. I've been driving around & waiting for the Engine Light to come on. It usually shows itself at the 30 Mile point. Well no Engine Light & over 100 Miles. But still the stumbling & rough idle. My friend & I open the hood to shoot some throttle cleaner into the Air Intake hose & it won't loosen to come off. We then notice there is a big long Crack along one of the seams of the Hose. We tape it up & when I drove home last night, the Car ran better than I ever remember it ever running. Went home & redid the tape patch up job with Electrical Tape meticulously & again the Car drove perfectly to work this morning. The thing is, I don't think that hose has been cracked all along. Maybe the old EGR was bad, & caused the old Hose to somehow give out. Now the new EGR gives no Engine Light (thus far). Of course I want to believe I did have a bad EGR in the first place, & I did not waste my money on something I did not need in the first place.

 

[slavrenz]

The EGR valves typically go bad eventually regardless, so just consider it as insurance for now. And if this one does go bad, at least now you have an extra

I have heard more people talking about their air hoses with tears in them - kinda makes me wonder why it hasn't happened to my '01 Protege at 95,000 miles. If you look around this forum, God knows that everything else on my car has gone to s***

 

[edumspeed]

The intake hose that was on my car was cracked @ 73k miles.

 

[TheMAN]

the hose cracks because the rubber gets dry and heat cycled so many times... rubber conditioner usually extends the life of it... more than likely it was already failing or failed and replacing the EGR caused it to break (usually you take off the intake hose and battery to get to the EGR)

 

[Dino1956]

I think mine cracked because of it's age (2000) & the hot & cold Weather in the Gulf Coast of Florida & even possibly from spraying throttle cleaner into it which may have caused it to become brittle. All & all all I hope your (TheMan) wrong about my rebuilt EGR going bad again. I'm sure you speak from experience, I just hope it does not go bad on my Car again. Thanks for all the help.

 

[Dino1956]

slavrenz,

Don't feel too bad. After buying the car at 90,000 Miles from a Coworker, I've replaced Radiator, EGR & now the Oil Pan Gasket needs to be replaced, which I'm told is a very Labor Intensive job on my Car. I'm now at 115,000 Miles.

Dino1956

 

[Dino1956]

theman,

My rebuilt EGR came from Canada, it was $65.00 on ebay with Shipping which took 15 long days to get to me in Florida.

Dino1956

 

[TheMAN]

it makes sense it came from canada doesn't it? they have so many of these original ones taken off the cars that they either go into the dumpster or someone entrepreneurial comes along and "rebuilds" them and sells them on ebay

they're worthless to canadians now as people with EGR problems have upgraded to the new redesigned one: http://www.msprotege.com/forum/showthread.php?t=123732861

 

[AzteCypher]

Good to know. Thanks for the info.

 

[slavrenz]

slavrenz,

Don't feel too bad. After buying the car at 90,000 Miles from a Coworker, I've replaced Radiator, EGR & now the Oil Pan Gasket needs to be replaced, which I'm told is a very Labor Intensive job on my Car. I'm now at 115,000 Miles.

Dino1956

Dino, by know means am I trying to show you up (this would be like the worst possible topic to have a competition on), but this is what I've had to do to my car:

- 2 ignition coils: both went out 150 miles apart
- 2 pre-cats: one ruined by first coil going bad, next one ruined by second coil (1 day after warranty on the first expired)
- 2 motor mounts (front & back were torn)
- 2 front struts (started leaking oil)
- 2 front sway bar endlinks
- 1 front CV axle assembly (torn boot caused joint to fail)
- 1 front control arm (torn ball joint boot caused joint to fail)
- 3 O2 sensors (2 went bad from ignition coils, 1 heater circuit broke)
- 2 front wheel bearings
- 1 valve cover gasket & PCV valve (valve got clogged, leaked oil all over engine).
- 2 broken wheel studs (asshole before me crossthreaded the lug nuts)
- 2 rear sway bar bushings
- 1 rear muffler and 1 resonator pipe

Granted, my EGR valve is still going strong (as is my intake tube), so you've got me there

 

[slavrenz]

Man, I guess I scared everyone off with my car's problems. Ah well, we're used to being alone

 

[AzteCypher]

Man, I guess I scared everyone off with my car's problems. Ah well, we're used to being alone

A) How many miles are on your car?

B) How hard do you push your car?

Either the car was really mistreated before you got it or you drive to hell and back every day.

 

[slavrenz]

A) How many miles are on your car?

B) How hard do you push your car?

Either the car was really mistreated before you got it or you drive to hell and back every day.

Yeah, there's another post somewhere that I started on this. The car's at 93,500 miles now - I got it a year ago at 84k. I drive pretty gently its just a combo of the previous guy abusing it and bad luck. Oh well, things seem to have slowed down now since I replaced the muffler and resonator pipe.

 

[slavrenz]

you drive to hell and back every day.

Sometimes it feels that way lol