EGR valve cleaner

[bigstraight6]

The EGR valve on my Volvo S60 D5 needs cleaning out, I know it should be taken off the car and cleaned but this is not an easy job.

My local motor factor said they can get a cleaner which apparently is just sprayed into the air inlet thus saving on taking the valve off the car which sounds appealing.

Has anybody on here had any experience of using this type of product? Does it work? Any potential problems?

[drivewaymyway]

1, Motor Factor wants to sell you something.. I always ask the seller how to do it and how quickly it takes to work and did it make a good job when you used it..  They generally reply with " errmm I 've not used it before "..

 

2, If removing the EGR means peace of mind that it is completely clean and functioning That would be my course of action..

 

3, If the EGR is blankoffable then I would consider it but be aware of the new MOT rules say that the emissions must be close to factory and be standard operational condition but in reality they have no way of knowing if the EGR is working other than what the emissions tell them or someone has physically removed the EGR but this is for vehicles after 2014 I think, look at the MOT rules though because there are some rules that are back dated 7 years !! to 2011..

4, is a spray will shift carbon and shit from the 'induction' then there is only one place the shit can go and that is into the cylinder, do not pass go, do not collect £200... If the engine doesn't suffer the Cat might.. Also you will be introducing something into the engine that it isn't designed to cope with.. I have watched a few 'decoke' videos on GooTube where they just spray water into the airbox which recreates the effect a blown head gasket has by steam cleaning the piston crowns, not the valves or exhaust tract or inlet etc...

 

5, Your choice, nothing that is worth doing is easy.. Just my view on all these fancy 'new' products that only exist because there is so much pointless meckackinal added weight to modern cars along with all the techbolocky that I long for the simple days of points, mechanical fuel pumps and cloth seats..

 

  Good luck with your choice.. and no I've never used this product...

[sierraman]

Its like these turbo cleaners, no way they'll unstick son VNTs, wrong side of the turbo for a start. You'd need to chuck a gallon of the stuff in there to free them off. Sometimes its got to be the Mr Muscle and taking it off to clean it off.

[PiperCub]

I've seen these wonderous potions for sale and agree with the scepticism above!

 

They are a lovely idea in theory, conventient, cheap, no hassle answer but reality sadly is seldom that simple. I've seen various tests on similar decoking-type sprays etc and at best they are only ever partially successful, at worst, make no difference (other than the hole in your wallet!). 

 

Personally, I'd bite the bullet and haul the thing off and clean it mandraulically, yes, I know it's a PITA but at least you'll know it's been done properly and you can look forward to not having to jack with it again for some considerable time/mileage. 

[richardthestag]

wynns stuff worked on 1.6 dizzle citroen I used to have. EML went out after. etc etc

 

short term fix though.

 

long term is new egr valve

[iainrcz]

I've used oven cleaner on my 3 cement mixer Peugeots.

On intake manifolds and EGR valves.

 

 

Sent from my VFD 710 using Tapatalk

[dave21478]

EGR valves only open under certain conditions, allowing exhaust gasses to be drawn into the inlet for re-burning.

 

HOW THE FUCK CAN SOMETHING SPRAYED INTO THE INLET POSSIBLY WORK?

 

Seriously - spraying anything into the inlet will just get sucked straight into the cylinders and burned. How can it go AGAINST the flow of exhaust gasses backwards through the EGR valve? Assuming the valve is even open in the first place!  or are they suggesting it somehow survives combustion, goes right through and drawn through the EGR the proper way? again, assuming the EGR is open and large enough quantities get drawn through the valve and not just shat down the exhaust? yeah, no.

[twosmoke300]

Its like these turbo cleaners, no way they'll unstick son VNTs, wrong side of the turbo for a start. You'd need to chuck a gallon of the stuff in there to free them off. Sometimes its got to be the Mr Muscle and taking it off to clean it off.

The turbo cleaners that you pump directly into the hot side of the turbo while you move the actuator defiantly work . Done loads of them in the last few years

[twosmoke300]

But yeh the ones you spray in the inlet or in the tank - snake oil

[I_am_Diesel]

I used the Wynns stuff on Mrs Diesels Golf and it did the trick.

[Bren]

I removed and cleaned the egr from the v6 vectra cdti we had - no spray would have cleaned it as thoroughly. It had a light dusting of carbon but it was enough to make it stick.

[bigstraight6]

Thanks for the replies, It looks like I will have to remove the EGR valve for cleaning after all then! It’s a bit of a job but well within my capabilities....

[chaseracer]

This is the cause of the EML on the Blingo.  

 

[srad34]

Do it but have plenty of rags and gloves, its a messy bastard job!

[MikeKnight]

Remove. Scrub. Put back on.

 

Or get the engine warm and bounce it off the red line to make a huge cloud of black sooty smoke that the car behind you will adore.

 

One of these is a long term fix. One is just fun.