lincoln_blake

PLease help me. I have Audi A6 Quattro 1995 68K with intermittent check engine light on. Dealer tested it out to be notorious EGR problem. I have a question, will having this port clogged reduce car performance and cripple/damage the car further?

Ben2

It won't damage anything, just make it run lousy w/ lousy gas mileage. Here's a walkthrough on cleaning your EGR:

http://forums.quattroworld.com/a6100/msgs/69.phtml

BTW- Don't take this car to a dealer, you'll get gouged 10 ways till tuesday. Either work on it yourself, or find a good independent shop that works on imports. They'll do as good if not better work for half the price.

lincoln_blake

I took it to AUDI dealer here in Seattle, and they quoted me $600 for parts and labor. That's replacing the valve and cleaning the port. Then I went to FAT CITY MOTOR in downtown Seattle, they work on German cars exclusively and the guy seemed quite knowledgeable about this EGR problem. So they told me $354 for EGR valve and $300 for labor. He also said if I just want to clean it out the ports it will be $284, but since EGR valve is "probably" also bad, I need to replace it, so just cleaning it out won't solve the problem.

I really need some help. I know this car is capable of driving way better, because right now acceleration up hills sucks, and it doesn't go above 4-5000 RPMs.

What should I do? Do I have to fork out $670 for this. I would love to do this myself, but I've never worked on cars, I am computer geek, I can take that apart and so on, but cars..... I WISH!!!!!

Ben2

The EGR valve probably doesn't need to be replaced, only cleaned out. Most shops won't take the time to clean them as it's much easier just to replace.

This isn't too difficult of a repair, you could do it pretty easily in an afternoon. I'd recommend getting a service manual and a basic set of craftsman tools plus metric hex bits (I can give you sears part #s if you need them). Don't go cheap on the tools, it'll only make work much harder.

I too am a computer nerd and pretty much taught myself basic auto repair. Just go slow, be careful not to force anything, follow the procedure, and ask questions on the forum (personally I prefer quattroworld, there are a lot more knowledgeable folks there).

4N 4RING

My CEL came always because of the clogged port in the intake manifold. In 260,000 miles I never had a clogged EGR. To check the EGR port, start the engine, disconnect the end of the vacuum tubing at the plastic rigid tubing (but keep the end at EGR). Suck air and if the engine stalls, the EGR passage is OK, the vacuum is the problem. Then disconnect the EGR from IM and exhaust and clean it. Repeat the test, if the engine still does not stall, than the passage in IM has to be cleaned. best is to take the TB and the whole IM off, scary but not difficult.

a6hcw

I have never replaced the egr valve itself, since it has always been carbon in the EGR valve passage at the bottom of the intake manifold behind the throttle body.
Before doing any work, test the EGR valve with a small hand held vacumm pump. If the engine stalls, then then the EGR valve passage is not plugged.
The EGR temperature sensor is on the opposite side from the EGR valve on the bottom of the intake manifold.
So, you will need to buy a throttle body gasket, an EGR valve gasket, antiseize compound, and some tools.
The trottle body is held on by four allen bolts, so you need a long 6mm allen socket cut short enough for your socket wrench to clear the plenum firewall. You need an offset oxygen sensor wrench modified to clear the coolant pipe. You need a 7/8" (or 22mm) closed end 12 point wrench modified with a notch on the closed end to fit over the EGR valve tube and short enough that the wrench clears the brake master cylinder. I used a 3" diameter pnematic cutoff tool to notch and shorten the wrench. Use this wrench to untighten the EGR valve pipe nut at the exhaust manifold. You need a small 10mm socket to remove the EGR valve from the intake manifold. You need a 14mm deepwell socket for a 1/4" socket wrench modified with a slot for the EGR temperature sensor wire. I used the 3" cutoff tool to make the slot. The sensor was so tight that I put a hose clamp at the tip of the socket and a small piece of pipe on the 1/4" socket wrench handle. You need several sizes of drill bits to ream out the carbon by hand. You need a pick to break the carbon off of the EGR passage hole at the bottom of the intake manifold opening. You need antiseize compound on the oxygen sensor, on the EGR temperature sensor, and on the EGR valve pipe nut.
One reason that there is so much carbon is that the valve covers have screens inside that get plugged badly with carbon over time. When this carbon breaks loose from these screens it goes into the intake. So, you may want to clean you valve cover screens.

dtorrey

I am experiencing a rough idle as well. Tested my EGR valve with vacuum pump and it's o.k. Egr valve holds vacuum and engine begins to stall when a vacuum is applied. Vacuum is present at idle in the vacuun line that connects to the EGR valve. Disconnect the vacuum line from the EGR valve and the idle is smooth. Re-connect the vacuum line and the idle is rough. Has anyone had experience with the vacuum regulator solenoid valve? Could this be the culprit? Thanks for any insight.

David

Ben2

dtorrey: The very first thing I'd do is read your codes. What year is your car? If it's 95 or older, the procedure is here:

http://forums.quattroworld.com/a6100/msgs/6211.phtml

If it's newer than that you need a code reader or a VAG-COM cable.

dtorrey

I have '93 100 CSQ Avant. I have read codes with MIL. I am getting 2411. EGR / vacuum / EGR thermo sensor as possible sources of the DTC. I am only getting the one code repeatedly. I assume the pointer scrolls if there is more than one? How do I test the vacuum regulator solenoid valve for proper function?

Thanks
David

dtorrey

I have read the codes using the MIL. I have a '93 100CSQ Avant. I am receiving DTC 2411. This is a vacuum/EGR valve/vacuum regulator solenoid/thermosensor issue. I assume the pointer scrolls through all DTC's and that's the only one I am seeing. Because there is continuous vacuum on the brown line going to the EGR valve at idle, I suspect something wrong with the vacuum regulator solenoid valve. Does anyone have a test procedure for this device?

Thanks
David