Thats right EGR not ngr. I had a engine light on my 95 legend; got the code pulled and its for my EGR system. Shop I had it pulled at (tech auto on Six Forks) wants $65/hr to run thru diagnostics and pinpoint the problem. I feel like they oughta at least quote me a max no. of hours it'll take, so i know i'm not gettin jacked with a $180 bill just to figure out the problem when it really only took em 5 minutes.

anyone know of a local mechanic with a cheaper billable hour, or one who could quickly diagnose the exact problem (egr valve, sensor...)? oh yeah it took tech-auto over an hour to pull the damn code, i might me look at a week to find the damn problem

10/24/2005 4:18:26 PM

You might want to give Rex @ Happy Jap's in Cary a call: (919) 467-2884.

If I'm not mistaken, the EGR system on your car is incorporated into the upper intake manifold section, and has a couple of passages that get plugged with time. I know that the 3.2's in the TL's are bad for this; not sure about Legends.

I can pull the manifold and clean everything, but I don't have the proper scanner to run diagnostics on this car, unless it's like a lot of the OBDI Hondas that only requires a paper clip to pull basic codes...the catch here is I don't get any in-depth realtime info.

Oh, by the way, $65/hr is CHEAP labor time, even for diagnostics. You do need to make sure that the shop has prior Honda/Acura V6 experience, otherwise the time they spend will most likely be double that of a shop with experience on these engines.

[Edited on October 24, 2005 at 4:34 PM. Reason : more info...]

10/24/2005 4:32:55 PM

rofl, Happy Jap

10/24/2005 4:33:25 PM

^^ hell thats basically what they did. pulled out the scanner and never plugged it in. when they finally found the connection, they plugged a bent up paper clip in there with the ignition in the on position (but the car still off) and counted how the check engine light flashed (long, short, short, repeat), then checked it in their computer and said code 12- EGR.

you think an intake cleaning might solve it? the car has been noticeably hesitating at some throttle points over the last week. i figured that was due to intake/fuel issues, but didn't realize the CEL could be connected to that too.

10/24/2005 5:06:13 PM

Not the run of the mill intake cleaning that they do for 79.95 at Jizzy Lube.

That motherfucker has to come APART.

10/24/2005 5:27:10 PM

figures i wouldn't be lucky enough to get outta this cheap. what kinda $ and time could you do it for?

10/24/2005 5:45:40 PM

isn't there a carquest open till midnight in raleigh?

10/24/2005 10:54:04 PM

Well if you are flashing an EGR code, then you know it's either the EGR valve or the vacuum modulator. I'm assuming it's vacuum actuated like all that I've worked with. On some vehicles, you can just pull off and plug the vacuum line, pull the efi fuse or take the + battery cable off, wait 10 seconds, crank it up and see if it cleared the code. You can try the EGR valve, and then the vacuum modulator to pinpoint the problem. My experience is limited to 4x4's, mostly yotas, so don't flame me if i'm wrong, just tyring to help.

10/25/2005 11:17:29 PM

Does the EGR even matter? Emissions? I would just find the wire that runs from it and put a resistor in it so the light doesn't come on.

10/25/2005 11:35:47 PM

Yeah, it's pretty important for emissions. On a 95 legend, i'm not sure of the impact bypassing it would have, you could probably still pass. After January 1st, it won't matter anyway. 95 and older vehicles will no longer be required to undergo any emissions testing. Basically it pumps exhaust into the intake so that you're not getting 100% cool, clean air for combustoin, so all those little bitty explosions are less intense, lowering combustion temps, and blah blah blah...

Here's a blanket EGR definition taken from some random auto website:

Definition: The EGR valve is the main emissions control component in the exhaust gas recirculation system. The valve is located on the intake manifold, and opens a small passageway between the exhaust and intake manifold to allow a metered amount of exhaust to flow back into the engine. This reduces combustion temperatures and helps control the formation of oxides of nitrogen. The EGR valve is opened by the application of vacuum to its control diaphragm. Some also require a certain amount of exhaust back pressure before they'll open. On newer vehicles, the valve is electronic and uses one or more solenoids or a small stepper motor. The valve should remain closed while the engine is cold and at idle. It should only open once the engine has warmed up and is running at part-throttle. If the valve sticks shut (or is disconnected), NOX emissions will soar and detonation will often result (See Detonation and Spark Knock). If it sticks in the open position or fails to close all the way, it acts like a vacuum leak resulting in a rough idle, hesitation and possible stalling.

10/25/2005 11:41:03 PM

Quote :

"Not the run of the mill intake cleaning that they do for 79.95 at Jizzy Lube. That motherfucker has to come APART."

yeah, i know what you mean.

i did that to my 3.2 and it took fucking forever.

having a parts washer will make things a whole lot easier and faster.

10/26/2005 1:20:29 AM

I know in my car, we just disconnected the EGR valve attached to the system... We've cleaned out the manifold once, but it really hasn't helped any because of the constant clogs that are in there with the excess carbon waste. Now, I've heard that putting a higher octane in your car can help clean out the system, but I don't know if this is true or not.

My car's a 95 and passed inspection with the check engine light on, but thankfully it's registered in a county where they don't require the safety check.

10/26/2005 6:09:36 AM

well i run premium, so i doubt its the gas octane. the car has almost 140k miles on it, and i doubt the egr valve has been changed (i've only had it about 20k). I doubt even more that the intake has been cleaned. I think i'm going to take it apart this weekend, try to clean it and if i fuck up the valve i'll just have to shell out for a new one (~$160, no luck on a core exchange).

10/26/2005 8:22:40 AM