Quick EGR fix or quickly source a bypass mod?

Had a problem with a sticking/stuck EGR on my 2003 TD4 a little while back. A local garage de-gunked it and has been fine until yesterday. Fortunately it started playing up with only 15 miles left of a 300 mile trip to the north of Scotland. Exact same symptoms as before, no power until I hit 3k revs which means pulling away from stopped and hills are a nightmare.

Was fully intending to look at the EGR bypass and perhaps a Synergy too but Christmas and work sidetracked me. So now I'm in Nairn (near Inverness) with a limited selection of tools and a duff EGR, although I'm not that mechanically minded anyway.

I'm ringing round people selling EGR bypass kits with the hope that someone can arrange delivery by tomorrow (Sat 14th).
Thought I'd take a long shot and see if anyone on here can recommend someone in this neck of the woods?

Failing that it's a bent screwdriver a couple of rusty spanners and the hope I can free it up.

Cheers!

Hi chipfork,

Assuming this is only a sticky EGR, stuck open, you only need the one screwdriver. Stuck shut would be no problem as there would be no bad symptoms.

First up get some disposable rubber gloves as this is a dirty job - the oil in the pipes is carbon-soot laden and very difficult to get off your hands or clothes.

Take off the 90degree bend turbo hose, and using the screwdriver push the valve back as far as it will go to close it.

Then pull off the little braided vacuum hose from the EGR to disable it.

Find a suitable screw and screw it into the little hose to block it off.

Try this, and let us know how you get on.

Good luck, Singvogel.

Hi Singvogel,

Many thanks! I'm assuming it's a sticky EGR, exactly the same symptoms as a while back.

I've actually just come in from the cold after attempting successfully to take the EGR valve off, overkill by the sounds of it but proves I can least do the job.

Does the solution you've suggested mean the EGR bypass kit isn't really necessary? I've tried some freeing agent on the valve, just letting that work its way in. However chances are it'll stick again so will try the solution suggested.

No gloves to hand but a 10 year old pot of swarfega has worked wonders.

Thanks for the that, very much appreciated.

Iain

What you've done should be enough to get the engine started with the valve closed.

If you can shut the valve then no exhaust gasses will be able to enter and it should stay clear of gunk.

But only if you leave the little braid pipe off. That means that the valve is not able to be activated.

The permanent solution is definitely to fit a by-pass, as all the valve gubbins reduce the internal diameter and therefore restrict the air-flow.

Just make sure the valve is pushed fully home into the closed position.

If you get really stuck PM me as I am only 60 miles away from you, but busy right at this minute. When are you headed south again?

Singvogel.

Thanks again.

I've managed to order a bypass kit for delivery tomorrow morning so not such a pressing problem now.

However I'd like to get out and about today so...

I've found a screw which perfectly fits the end of the little braid pipe.

Its just shutting the valve that I'm not quite sure of. What looks like a valve doesn't look to be pushed fully home, I've applied a bit of pressure but isn't moving. This is how it looks at the moment.

That valve doesn't look to me to be fully shut. The piston needs to be pushed down a bit more i.e. away from the little pipe connection and further down and in towards the big pipe that connects to the exhaust feed pipe.

The screw in the braid pipe is only a temporary thing of course, but we can deal with that very easily later.

Good luck - you're going to fix it - I'm sure.

S.

That's in the fully closed position & in the grand scheme of things is pretty clean, I just checked the one I removed from mine a few months ago & it is much more crudded up than yours but still moves freely against the spring pressure, I'm wondering if the problem might be the solenoid that operates the valve which is sticking. Either way if you put it back in & disconnect the little hose that should temporarilly solve the problem.

What matacaibo is saying is very important about the piston moving against the spring. If yours doesn't move then the valve will just stick again at some point.

Definitely get rid of it. Today make sure its closed and disconnected or you will have the same probs as yesterday.

Keep at it.

ps You may well need a set of allan-keys to fit the new by-pass tomorrow. Mostly they come with 4 new recessed hex-head screws.

Heres a pic of my old one in the partially open position (a bit out of focus !) & the second pic in fully closed position. The spring is quite strong so needs a good shove to open it.

metacaibo: that's horrendous -if ever anyone needed proof that a by-pass was needed - that's it. What mileage was that at?

chipfork's problem seems to be just the sticky valve rather than being blocked, and the valve was open all the time, or perhaps just very very slow to react.

He seems well on the way to fixing it though -he's done well to source a by-pass for tomorrow.

It's a lot cleaner than it was before the garage cleaned it out.

The valve wasn't moving any further so I've reassembled everything, small hose disconnected and plugged. Tried the car and same problem as yesterday, absolutely no power or pull. Wondering now whether it is the EGR but the symptoms are identical to that I had last time around and were resolved by cleaning it out. Unlikely that the valve would leak or open a bit now there's no hose disconnected...

Can get by today without the car so will hope the EGR bypass kit tomorrow resolves the problems. Thanks for the tip about the hex head screws on the bypass kit, fortunately there's a shop close by that has a cheap set of allen keys, might grab a set just in case.

Thanks very much for the help and assistance, very much appreciated!

Will let you know the outcome tomorrow.

I've just fitted a bypass today, the original from an 06 TD4 Sport is still on the garage floor, if your stuck tomorrow 'cause the next day delivery failed (as it usually does up here!) youre more than welcome to borrow it to get you home. I'm in Elgin only about 20 miles from you, if you need it PM me in the morning with contact details. By the way, fitted new MAF and Synergy2 at the same time, well worth doing!

freely3 said:

I've just fitted a bypass today, the original from an 06 TD4 Sport is still on the garage floor, if your stuck tomorrow 'cause the next day delivery failed (as it usually does up here!) youre more than welcome to borrow it to get you home. I'm in Elgin only about 20 miles from you, if you need it PM me in the morning with contact details. By the way, fitted new MAF and Synergy2 at the same time, well worth doing!

Click to expand...

Hi freely3,

Well done, another Synergy owner, and just 40 minutes away from me.

Offering help too - that's what I like about this forum - when it comes down to it we help each other.

I agree, next-day deliveries don't often happen on a Saturday - except maybe in Aberdeen. Certainly not where I live - that's for sure

Have you done the mod to counteract the 'trapped dying duck' after fitting your EGR by-pass? I didn't notice the quack at first, until I read about it on here and fixed it easily.

Singvogel.

Singvogel said:

metacaibo: that's horrendous -if ever anyone needed proof that a by-pass was needed - that's it. What mileage was that at?

chipfork's problem seems to be just the sticky valve rather than being blocked, and the valve was open all the time, or perhaps just very very slow to react.

He seems well on the way to fixing it though -he's done well to source a by-pass for tomorrow.

Click to expand...

Ha ha !, yes it was quite bad , had about 80,000 miles on & I don't think it was ever cleaned. Saw some improvement after fitting the bypass, it picked up better from low revs but didn't see much of an improvement at the top end.

freely3 said:

I've just fitted a bypass today, the original from an 06 TD4 Sport is still on the garage floor, if your stuck tomorrow 'cause the next day delivery failed (as it usually does up here!) youre more than welcome to borrow it to get you home. I'm in Elgin only about 20 miles from you, if you need it PM me in the morning with contact details. By the way, fitted new MAF and Synergy2 at the same time, well worth doing!

Click to expand...

Thanks very much for the offer! Will keep my fingers crossed that the 'guaranteed next day delivery' materialises, will certainly PM you otherwise.

Once this little problem is solved I'll be looking to join the Synergy 2 club ;-)

chipfork said:

Thanks very much for the offer! Will keep my fingers crossed that the 'guaranteed next day delivery' materialises, will certainly PM you otherwise.

Once this little problem is solved I'll be looking to join the Synergy 2 club ;-)

Click to expand...

Keep us posted because if your EGR valve is in the closed position & you have disconnected & capped the tube, if you are still having the same problem then it looks like the fault may be somewhere else.

If the EGR is no longer working and you still have the same faults it could be one of the turbo/intercooler hoses have failed. Check for splits or holes in the rubber hoses especially on the drivers side hose (uk) which rubs through on the phillips headed screw on the plastic inlet manifold, temp solution is to tape up the split hose.

Special delivery appeared bright and early this morning, that's one positive.

EGR Bypass now fitted and as I feared following the results from yesterday's work, still no better. Just heading back out to check the turbo/intercooler hoses. Other than that any other suggestions. When I originally had it in the garage when I first had the problems there was a MAF error logged but they said that wouldn't be unusual if the EGR was sticking.

Thanks.

Checked the hose on the driver side especially around the screw on the plastic inlet manifold. I assume I have the right place, please excuse my ignorance, the inlet manifold being the plastic bit of kit that comes off to get the EGR out? There is a screw there that looks like it could foul the large turbo pipe. Also noticed a bolt further down on that side which looks as though it might rub, hose looks and feels ok.

Don't know if this is a valid or worthwhile test but while the car was being slowly given revs up to 4k I checked the turbo pipe that goes into the plastic 'inlet manifold' and then the other short loop of pip that routes into what was the EGR (now bypass). As the revs build the pressure builds on both pipes until they're solid.

At a bit of a loss now. I have RAC cover so I could call them out, they may get lucky but then if not they'll simply find a garage close by which may be my only option anyway.

I should add a bit more detail on the symptoms. The car starts fine and idles at consistent revs. I have noticed quite a lot of white smoke from the exhaust this morning, it does tend to smoke a little from cold, maybe I just noticed it more this morning.

That initial pull away from the kerb feels relatively normal, but after a few yards you notice there is no power or pull whatsover, the car feels like it's towing a bus...towing another bus, 0 to 30 would be about a minute. What I found when the problem started (on the A9) was that a hill would sap all power, meant changing down to just keep moving. However once I could get it to 3k RPM then it would start pulling, not as strong as normal but enough to accelerate up to a reasonable speed.

Fortunately there weren't too many roundabouts between there and Nairn as pulling out meant a quick initial surge and then floundering, hardly moving until the revs kicked up to 3k.