I'm not sure if this should be on the technical section {moved - DD}. My MIL has an Astra Petrol 1600cc which is three and a half years old, FSH and about 50,000 on the clock (she's had it since new). Today it broke down on a roundabout. The AA man said the EGR was stuck open (which he said he had seen loads of) and took it out and cleaned it (it took a few minutes)and said that might do the trick (in the longer term), it is now running fine. Being an elderly woman my MIL is very worried the car will break down again (she also often has her disabled mother in the car). The questions are: what exactly happened to cause the breakdown and should she just get the EGR changed (presumably the labour would be minimal but how much would the part cost)?
Thanks for all your help.
Big Norm
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EGR valve failure/sticking is a very common failure on vauxhall models.As the AA man said ,cleaning is usually only a short term fix. The part costs about £85 and fitting is easy on this car; you will need Torx sockets.
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Thanks for this, I'll advise her to get it done. Out of interest, how does it cause a breakdow ?
Best wishes
Big Norm
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The amount of EGR that an engine can tolerate varies with speed and load. So, if the EGR sticks open, when the engine slows down, the amount of exhaust gas going into the cylinder with the fresh charge is too great, and the engine falters. This excess of EGR then also happens during cranking, and the engine is reluctant to start.
After SWMBO had a near miss because of sticking EGR in traffic, I decided to blank off the EGR on our '53 Astra 1.6 - I don't suggest, or even recommend that you should do this to your car, but it has improved the running of our car.
Number_Cruncher
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Thanks for this, I'll advise her to get it done. Out of interest, how does it cause a breakdow ? Best wishes Big Norm
thats what i dont understand either
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\"a little man in a big world/\"
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Thanks number cruncher. I assume oldman was being sarcastic, I of ocurse meant a breakdown.
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Thanks number cruncher. I assume oldman was being sarcastic, I of ocurse meant a breakdown.
actually no ive never known an egr stay open and cause a breakdown.
--
\"a little man in a big world/\"
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Although our Astra never broke down with me in it, SWMBO did have quite a bit of trouble with it. Eventually it reached the point where you could feel by the engine's response that the valve was sticking to some extent on most journeys.
It never broke down for me, because if I felt the valve was playing up, I would slip the car into neutral, and left foot brake on the approach to any junctions, keeping the engine revving. Also, as I drive in a more spirited manner than SWMBO, getting things a bit hotter, I tended to clean the valve off after 10-20 miles.
One extreme event for SWMBO was that the car cut out with the typical jerky response of a sticking EGR valve on the approach to a roundabout in rush hour traffic, and the car wouldn't start again. After trying to contact me via her mobile phone, she tried again, and after considerable churning, it went. (SWMBO is enlightened, and knows not to keep turning over for minutes on end!)
I suppose, if the EGR valve is stuck fully open, you won't get any sensible manifold vacuum during cranking even with a closed throttle - there'll be so much unmetered air going into the engine that the fuelling will be completely wrong.
After this near break-down, I was told that I'd better fix it, and in the interim, SWMBO drove the old Escort we had. I blanked the valve off, and the Astra has behaved very well ever since.
Number_Cruncher
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In fact I think I'm having one, I meant of course (of course).
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Sorry oldman, my mistake. Does number cruncher's explanation not sound plausible ?
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Sorry oldman, my mistake. Does number cruncher's explanation not sound plausible ?
yes
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\"a little man in a big world/\"
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Mrs Oilburner has a 2003 Astra 1.6. It's on its third EGR valve already and that's showing signs of failure too.
Now the car is soon to be out of warranty, we're budgeting on an EGR replacement every 12 months now. Annoying, buy not the end of the world.
Any ideas on the downsides of blanking the EGR off? Will fuel economy or performance be affected?
Funny how Vauxhall offer an official blanking plate for this specific purpose! ;)
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Here's some of the debate;
www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=33714&...f
and from that thread there are further links.
Number_Cruncher
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Thanks - looks like binning the EGR could be a good move.
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