EGR valve replacement 1997 Ford E350 V-10

[jillhop]

I've had my "check engine" light come on twice now, the code indicates a bad EGR valve. Each time I had the code cleared, and drove it for a while (100-250 miles) before the light came back on. It still runs fine. I'm planning a long trip (1000 miles round trip) in a couple of weeks, and want to get this taken care of before that.

Here's my dilemma. My trusted mechanic has followed through with his threat to quit the garage, and his replacement is an unknown quantity. I may be able to track down the old mechanic (it's a small town ...) but perhaps not in time to do this fix before my trip. How difficult is this, do you think I should take a chance on the new guy (who is very young ...)?

[SRockwood]

jillhop wrote:
Thanks for the input. A couple of questions:

rockhillmanor: I think the code is real. When it came on just before my last trip, I think I felt a slight hesitation just before the light came on. The new mechanic read the code, turned off the light, and I went on my way. Drove 250 miles, camped for the night, then 10 minutes into my drive the next morning the light came on again. Drove about an hour to the next show (from Morris & Essex to Hatboro, if you're a dog show person), then yesterday drove 250 miles home. If the computer just needed to "clear", would it have gone all that time before the light came on again? This may be a stupid question ...

carringb: Is there a way for the mechanic to determine if it's the EGR valve vs. the sensor?

The link he posted walks you through the method you would use to determine if the sensor is faulty. If the sensor checks out, use deductive reasoning. :B

[rockhillmanor]

donn0128 wrote:
Code returns tells me there is a fault. EGR clogging is not uncommon. New EGR is cheap and easy to replace. Install a new one, clear any codes and go on your way. If it is by chance a sensor the error will come back and you will know.

Do the codes explicitly deceiver between O2 sensor and EGR?

[donn0128]

Code returns tells me there is a fault. EGR clogging is not uncommon. New EGR is cheap and easy to replace. Install a new one, clear any codes and go on your way. If it is by chance a sensor the error will come back and you will know.

[jillhop]

Thanks for the input. A couple of questions:

rockhillmanor: I think the code is real. When it came on just before my last trip, I think I felt a slight hesitation just before the light came on. The new mechanic read the code, turned off the light, and I went on my way. Drove 250 miles, camped for the night, then 10 minutes into my drive the next morning the light came on again. Drove about an hour to the next show (from Morris & Essex to Hatboro, if you're a dog show person), then yesterday drove 250 miles home. If the computer just needed to "clear", would it have gone all that time before the light came on again? This may be a stupid question ...

carringb: Is there a way for the mechanic to determine if it's the EGR valve vs. the sensor?

[carringb]

It's most likely not the EGR valve. It is almost always the EGR control sensor that causes that code.

http://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/342419-how-to-test-your-dpfe-sensor.html

[rockhillmanor]

The time it takes to clear varies. On some vehicles You have to put miles and miles on the vehicle for the computer to clear after replacing an EGR and or O2 sensor.

I drove 3,000 miles back to home state to get my vehicles emissions tests to get my plates, only to find that they needed egr and o2 sensors replaced to pass. Took to mechanic and had new ones installed.

Trip back scheduled for one only 1 week. Took it back to emissions and they both failed again.

The state emissions guy said that taking it back and forth to work for a couple of weeks would clear the computer.:S

Duh, I am parked in a CG and don't 'have' a job to drive to!

The Chevy Tahoe took a week of driving before the computer cleared.

My Toad a Chevy Tracker? Week of driving it and it still would not pass. Mechanic said he sees a lot of cars that take a lot more miles to clear the computer. I was not the lone ranger.

The replacements were done properly. It's the vehicles computer that needs to clear. And just turning the light off doesn't work it will come back on.

Here is what I did to resolve the situation with the toad so I could get back to Florida before the snow started to fly .

I filled the Toad up with gas and told the repair shop owner to give it to one of his mechanic to drive back and forth to work and I would pay for the gas. It took 'another' full week of him driving it every day long miles for it to clear and pass emissions and for the light to stay off. :R

Sooo, if you don't need to pass emissions to get plates, I'd just go on your trip and the computer will clear after you put enough miles on it and the light will stay off.

BTW: If you show dogs there is 'always' an RV mobile guy on the grounds. IMHO better than any mechanic in a repair shop. I have ALL my work done on the MH while I am at the dog shows.

[darsben]

Buy the part, Take it with you.
If it fails find a mechanic and have it installed.
If it does not track down your guy when you return

[jillhop]

Hey, I'm no mechanic. 🙂

[donn0128]

Two bolts, a gasket and usually one wire. How hard can it be?