EGR stands for Exhaust Gas Recirculation. It is a method to control Nitrogen oxide emissions produced during combustion. As we know, air and fuel are burned inside the engine to produce energy that keeps the car moving.
The air is taken from the atmosphere, so it’s a combination of oxygen and nitrogen. When this air burns with fuel inside the engine, oxides of nitrogen, which are known to be very dangerous, are released.
The EGR system comes into play by returning a small portion of exhaust gas to the engine’s combustion. This lowers the combustion temperatures, and therefore, the amount of nitrogen oxides emitted is also reduced.
If you think that your EGR valve is faulty, then here are some of the common symptoms that you need to look out for:
1) Bad Fuel Mileage
When the EGR valve is not working properly, then your car will burn more fuel than usual. The valve works by opening and closing based on the movement of the throttle and intake manifold vacuum.
When the EGR valve is faulty, then it’s stuck in an open position, which causes the temperature inside the combustion chambers to be lowered.
Due to lower temperatures, the fuel ignition inside the engine is inefficient, which eventually harms your engine in the long run.
2) Loss in Performance
Due to the EGR valve being faulty, it is either stuck in an open or a closed position when you. When the valve is not functional, an incorrect mixture of air and fuel is mixed inside the combustion chambers, causing you to experience sluggish acceleration.
If your EGR valve is stuck and you press the accelerator too harshly, the engine can shut off because a higher amount of fuel will enter the combustion chambers, and there will be less availability of air to burn it.
3) More Emissions
When you are experiencing higher emissions from the exhaust than usual, then your EGR sensor may be faulty. There could be a number of reasons why your car is emitting higher levels of smoke, and EGR is one of them, so it’s better to consult an auto repair in Houston to get the issue diagnosed.
When the EGR valve is stuck in an open or closed position, there will be no recirculation of the exhaust gases, which means the emissions can’t be controlled.
4) Rough Engine Idling
The engine will experience rough idling where the EGR valve has malfunctioned. Rough idling mostly occurs when the valve is stuck in an open position. Due to this, a continuous flow of exhaust gases goes into the intake manifold, and the RPMs are increased.
5) Engine Knocking
If you are experiencing knocking from the engine, then the reason behind it may be that EGR is stuck in a closed position.
When the valve is stuck in a closed position, the fuel will ignite early when it meets a high temperature, but the rpm will be low at that time. You should get this issue checked immediately because ignoring it can cause damage to the other engine components, such as the spark plugs.
6) Smell of Fuel
Experiencing fuel odors inside the car’s cabin is the most common symptom of the EGR valve not working. The smell is very strong and can even be harmful to your health if you keep ignoring it for a long time.
The reason behind this strong smell is that when the EGR valve is not functional, then your engine will burn more fuel; when the fumes of this burned fuel are mixed with nitrogen oxides, a strange odor is released.
7) Engine Check Light is On
Just as the engine check light is illuminated due to a range of reasons, a faulty EGR valve is one of those reasons.
When you see the engine check light on, you should look out for the previously mentioned symptoms, and if any of them overlap, you should visit an auto repair shop where they will run an OBD scanner to diagnose the underlying problem.
8) Car Stalling
When the EGR valve is clogged or stuck in an open position, the ECU expects your engine to demand more fuel. For this reason, your fuel pump extracts more fuel from the tank. However, there is not enough air to burn the fuel, which is why your car starts to stall.
Barry Lachey is a Professional Editor at Zobuz. Previously He has also worked for Moxly Sports and Network Resources “Joe Joe.” He is a graduate of the Kings College at the University of Thames Valley London. You can reach Barry via email or by phone.
