EGR valve and cooler lifespan, how I managed to clean the blocked valve the easy way.

[Davejo]

Hi, I know it’s been gone over a few times now but my 2015 150 t32 has just had its 3rd replacement Egr valve and cooler. That means they are lasting about 30,000 miles each. Yes I know about cheap fuel and yes I use additives. It’s not over fuelling and not using oil. It’s just a pants design ( although if someone wanted to build a really efficient carbon particle condenser that makes compacted carbon they have made a great one!). At £800 ish a time this is really bad.

So, I took the old one and determined that the carbon build up firstly seizes the butterfly valve which prevents the gas flow circulating this clogs up the little plunger valve which in turn causes greater build up of carbon. Once this happens it just carries on compacting in the tiny matrix of tubes till it blocks totally.

I decided it could be cleaned and used 5 litres Wynns off vehicle DPF cleaner ( just really strong detergent) dunked the 2 parts in the bath and left for 24 hours. Just using a plastic tooth brush the valve unit cleaned up like new, the cooler need some assistance with some poking in the holes, I used some small t bar hex drives. Don’t think of using a drill! Just gently taking the softened carbon out then back into bath of fluid. After cleaning and flushing a few times it came up like new.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07ZDQ2J8B?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share

So for £29 I have a new serviceable Egr valve and cooler…… ready for another 30k!

Ps. Wear old clothes it makes a lot of very black mess!

 

[Dellmassive]

sounds great . . .

i dont suppose you have a ton of pics to show us all?

totaly in agreement that the EGR should be able to be fully flushed and cleaned. .

just didnt know if the cooling tubes could be unblocked well enough?

sure the valve and actuator should clean up well enough.

the VW fix on a clogged EGR is always to fully replace. . . . normaly a £1k job.

 

[Davejo]

Hi I can do some before and after pics for the cooler. The valve I just dunked in, keeping the black cover for the circuitry out of the fluid… I was amazed that the spindle for the butterfly valve flap thing is so basic and totally open to the exhaust gasses. The carbon just gets into the spindle ends and seizes it!

I’ll post the pics dreckly

 

[jimc91]

I think more people would remove these parts and clean them as part of a maintenance routine if only they were more accessible - how easy do you find it to remove

 

[Davejo]

I cheated, my local garage removed the clogged one and fitted the new one….. I took the old one and cleaned that. So when it needs changing again I shouldn’t have to buy a new one, just labour to fit.
They are actually not too bad to remove, once the intake hose and gubbins is out of the way. Just having the right tools is the biggest hurdle. Fortunately my local garage are great.

 

[Davejo]

Some pics

 

[Davejo]

As you can see the casting inside the valve is as rough as rats… no wonder it’s a great key for carbon to stick to!

 

[jimc91]

So I had a new EGR valve and cooler fitted today at Van Tech in Uckfield. Just had a quick poke about with the old one on getting home, interestingly its not that bad, sure most of the little pipes were blocked and you could only get a bit of wire in about a cm before feeling the blockage but the deposits were quite soft not baked hard as others have reported. I sprayed it with some plus-gas I had in the garage and poked about a bit more, already most of the pipes seem to have cleared and I can get the wire into all the holes to about 6 inches. Will give it a proper clean tomorrow.

Also took the black cover off and when I turned the cogged wheels by hand the plunger thing seems to move backwards and forwards easily enough. Not sure if the plunger is actually working as it should as I don't have one to compare it with - the two photos below show the plunger moved in and out.

Interestingly the unit appears completely different to the one picture above (mines a T28 2018 CXGB engine 102hp panel van). Initial thoughts are; had I taken the unit off myself I would have been happy to reuse it once cleaned to see if the fault codes disappear, guess I've got a spare now