Used the paper clip trick and got error code 32, which from what I can tell is an EGR circuit failure or something similar, based on a couple websites. Would a failing EGR and a broken line cause the stumbling issue like this? I don’t know how it works but seems like it would stumble in all gears if this were the case.
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YEP. fix the vacuum leaks. Stick a vacuum pump on the egr and see if it moves and holds vscuum.
clean the entire egr system.
Lots of posts on this subject.
You dont need a scanner and live data to tell you that vacuum leaks and a stuck egr cause problems.
Fix what you already know is broken
clean the entire egr system.
Lots of posts on this subject.
You dont need a scanner and live data to tell you that vacuum leaks and a stuck egr cause problems.
Fix what you already know is broken
A bad or stuck EGR is pretty easy to diagnose.
Its also a real common problem.
Even if you dont have a vacuum pump,
which you should by if your gonna deal with a tbi.
Stick your fingers in it and push on the metal part of the diaphram,
does it move?
If not its stuck.
If you can push it all the way in does it retract when you let go?
If not, its stuck.
Does it just go back and forth with hardly any effort?
Hole in the diaphragm.
Get a "might vac"
about 40 bucks.
Take the vac line off of the egr, stick the mighty vac line onto it and see if you can pull about 14 inches of vac and get it to hold for at least 1 minute.
If it wont pull a vacuum,
Whack the damn thing a few times with a rubber mallet and try again.
The outer seal on the egr gets carbon cruded and the seat and pintle do to.
Just about any resusitation effort on a factory egr is worth the attempt because the aftermarket ones are garbage.
All of that is just step one.
See if the egr valve works.
Then look at the rest of that system
Its also a real common problem.
Even if you dont have a vacuum pump,
which you should by if your gonna deal with a tbi.
Stick your fingers in it and push on the metal part of the diaphram,
does it move?
If not its stuck.
If you can push it all the way in does it retract when you let go?
If not, its stuck.
Does it just go back and forth with hardly any effort?
Hole in the diaphragm.
Get a "might vac"
about 40 bucks.
Take the vac line off of the egr, stick the mighty vac line onto it and see if you can pull about 14 inches of vac and get it to hold for at least 1 minute.
If it wont pull a vacuum,
Whack the damn thing a few times with a rubber mallet and try again.
The outer seal on the egr gets carbon cruded and the seat and pintle do to.
Just about any resusitation effort on a factory egr is worth the attempt because the aftermarket ones are garbage.
All of that is just step one.
See if the egr valve works.
Then look at the rest of that system
As long as you're dealing with a standard, or negative-backpressure EGR valve, you can vacuum-test the diaphragm just as you've described.
If you have a positive-backpressure EGR valve, they won't hold vacuum unless there's enough exhaust back pressure to seal the internal bleed.
If you've got the original EGR valve, the part number stamped into it would be followed by an "N" (negative backpressure) or a "P" (positive backpressure) If there's no "N" or "P", it's just a plain EGR valve.
If you have a positive-backpressure EGR valve, they won't hold vacuum unless there's enough exhaust back pressure to seal the internal bleed.
If you've got the original EGR valve, the part number stamped into it would be followed by an "N" (negative backpressure) or a "P" (positive backpressure) If there's no "N" or "P", it's just a plain EGR valve.
And, yes you can clean them and make them work again.
In fact, if you keep the tbi tuned and running properly, pull the egr valve once a year and clean it and the throttle body and replace the vac lines.
Mine is stock 1994 with 240k on it and passed my home egr test 4 months ago.
Runs great
In fact, if you keep the tbi tuned and running properly, pull the egr valve once a year and clean it and the throttle body and replace the vac lines.
Mine is stock 1994 with 240k on it and passed my home egr test 4 months ago.
Runs great
While it's running, if you can reach it, squeeze the valve open with your fingers. If your idle doesn't get worse, the diaphragm's torn, causing a vacuum leak. I used to see it all the time on Sentras and that was the quick and dirty way to check.
Yes...IF (big IF) the problem is that it's got a plugged exhaust passage. Clean the passage, it works again.
If the problem is a leaking diaphragm, stick a fork in it--it's done. You'll be buying another EGR valve.
No.
If you force the valve open, and the idle does not get worse, the EXHAUST GAS PASSAGE IS PLUGGED.
A torn diaphragm makes no difference whatsoever when opening the valve with your fingers. It's the addition of inert exhaust gas to the intake manifold's burnable air/fuel mix that causes the roughened idle.
A torn diaphragm would only be the cause of a vacuum leak if the engine is supplying vacuum to the solenoid, AND the solenoid is open, supplying vacuum to the EGR valve. Since the EGR runs off of ported vacuum (no vacuum at idle) there's no vacuum leak when the EGR valve is forced open at idle.
Doh! Right. That's the problem with having worked on so much crap. I can't keep them straight in my head. Can't go look at mine because I'm running a Summit manifold.
Ivan90
OBS Enthusiast
I replaced my EGR valve and EGR solenoid last night, and it fixed the rough-idle-in-gear problem I was having. I'm guessing the problem was the valve and not the solenoid, but I ordered and replaced both parts anyway, and will keep the old solenoid as a spare. Hope you get your rough idle problem solved as well.
