Hi guys, please someone help me. I bought my van just under a year ago at 61k miles, since I have put 10000 expensive miles on the van. Reconditioned gearbox, new clutch, cam belt and water pump, 2 services. Due to this I am now reluctant to spend much more on the van because I keep having problem after problem with it. Last 2 months I've had my engine management light coming on intermittently but not really giving me any engine trouble. Recently I have been losing power and the engine management light was staying on so I put it on the code reader which told me the egr was not working correctly. Removed egr to find it was completely full of s#*t. Cleaned it and deleted the fault and it was fine again until a few days ago. Another code reader brought up and egr problem and mass air flow sensor. Again egr came off and I found that it was stuck (solenoid I think it was) loosened up the pin and replaced. Deleted both faults and now I have very little power making pulling off an utter nightmare and the turbo no longer boosts but there are no lights coming on to suggest a fault. This has happened in the past but after turning the van off for a while and starting again it resets. I've priced egr at around £70 and mass air flow sensor at £230.

My questions to you beautiful people are
1. Does anyone recommend blanking the egr and do you have a link to website I can get a blanking plate?

2. Could the egr be causing the MAS fault or vice versa?

Thanks in advance
Adam

I read somewhere the air hoses to the turbo can collapse which could be your problem.
I replace my EGR valve completely make sure you dig the crap out of the block's port before you fit the new. The EM light will go out on its own after a few miles if the valve is working OK.

My mechanic has checked the hoses and the turbo I believe. So you recommend not blanking it off?

To my knowledge EGR valves are an emissions thing, with supposedly very little impact on real world emissions. But they still cause significant problems for people, so from a cost-benefit perspective, not great.

I personally would blank it off, although I've heard mention that this might cause problems with getting an MOT in the near future (Still worth a punt imo). It will also mean your engine light will stay on unless you take measures to circumvent that in the ECU (or, clearing codes on the day of MOT works for me). Another option is a catch tank for your engine breather system.

From what I've read, the 'Exhaust Gas Recirculation' valve itself isn't the main issue, it's the oil mist from the engine breather system mixing with soot in the exhaust gas, and the result is this lovely sludge that builds up and clogs everything. So eliminating oily vapours from your intake air should, in theory at least, reduce the build up of sludge, and that's where the catch tank comes in.

With regard to question 2, my understanding is that it could go either way. I'd always go with the cheaper option first though.

That's my thoughts exactly. I've ordered plates to blank off the egr. I can live with the engine management light being on, il just deal with it when I come to sell the van in the future. Il let you guys know of the plates work

put blanking plate on egr and it's like a new van. Drives better than it did before the problem. Engine management light will obviously stay on but that won't bother me. Thanks for your help. So glad I didn't have to buy the mass air flow sensor.

Out of interest, when the EGR was cleaned, was the valve mechanism working freely?
The last time I done my older 05 JTD, the main chamber was cleaned thoroughly of soot but the valve was jammed solid. Soaking in parafin for 5 days didn't even touch the surface. A hour in printers ink cleaner (real nasty stuff) done the trick. So what I'm saying is that although peeps think they've cleaned the EGR unless the valve mechanism is working correctly, for all intensive purposes, the EGR still isn't functioning correctly.

There was a little pin, which I'm guessing was a solenoid that was stuck half way. Managed to get it moving again after a bit of messing about. It was moving freely off but when I replace it the van was constantly in limp mode, no power or boost from the turbo. Blanked off the egr and van now works as normal

Glad your ok now but as it was said there are roomers Mr MOT will soon be after these missing EGR valves as they have with the poor sods who removed their DPFs, that must of cost a lot of diesel drivers a fortune except the b--t--ds who are crawling under parked diesel vehicles and nicking um?.