Engine Please Help

I have a 1999 Toyota camry le with 130,000 miles. The car cut of while I was driving so had it towed to mechanic because i wasn't sure if it was the battery or not. the mechanic said it was the battery, but there is also a knocking sound. Before this the check engine light had been on but assumed it was on because i didn't click the gas cap right. Took it to autozone and the code read P0401(Egr insufficient flow) the mechanic said it will probably need a new engine which will cost about 3000. I believe it's something else the car is only six years old. Please Help!

Welcome to the AF!

For P0401, check the following:

EGR valve stuck closed <= Most common - Clean EGR valve
EGR Vacuum Switching Valve (VSV)
Open or short in VSV circuit for EGR
EGR valve position sensor open or short circuit
Vacuum or EGR hose disconnected
EGR valve position sensor
Manifold absolute pressure sensor malfunction
ECM malfunction

As far as the knocking sound and engine dying:

Does the car run with a new battery? If so, does it still knock?

How often do you change the oil and what oil do you use?

When was the timing belt changed last?

First Thank you for replying . To answer your questions, Yes the car runs with the new battery but it is knocking . Change oil every 3000 miles or whenever the sticker tells us to.We use pennzoil 10W30 or 10W40. belt changed 1 year ago. Also i started using 89 gas because of the gas prices instead of the 93 could that have anything to do with or not. Can I check EGR on my own.
Thanks

Yes, you can check these systems if you have a volt/ohmmeter and a vacuum source (for the VSVs).

I don't see how your gas octane would cause this problem.

Even though your oil change intervals seem adequate, I would pull the head cover and see if there is any sludge build-up - particularly if you bought the car used. Your engine is prone to sludge and if it blocks an oil passage or pick-up in the pan, you may have a serious problem. Read the first post in the FAQ thread.

Also, check your PCV valve.

The reason I brought up the gas octane was because the knocking was not occurring before the battery went bad. I have been reading online about knocking and pinging and it seems like everything said use higher octane and I just started using 89 so I don't know. Just very worried, especially since mechanic doesn't know what is going on and is suggesting new engine.

If you are talking about pre-ignition, then that's one thing. I thought you were talking about knocking as in bearing knocking. This tied in with the mechanic's recommendation better than just pinging. If you are pinging, check the timing, see if premium fuel stops the problem. You may need to put some SeaFoam through your intake and get the carbon out of your combustion chambers. In this case, I doubt you need a new engine.

The mechanic said something about a brolken rod, he said the damage is done. What is the next possible step. Please Please help. I am lost

First, be more specific about what the sound you hear sounds like.

More than likely it is experiancing pre-ignition if the EGR valve is stuck closed.


Fix the EGR problem & get a second opinion.

Good idea

^ As is the seafoam. =)

I am sorry it took so long to reply. It sounds like a hammer hitting the bottom of the engine close to number 1 piston. The rattling and knocking is constant. The mechanic said the damage was done because it looked like the rod and rod bearings are loose from the crank. He recharged the old battery and I drove it home rattlling and knocking and stalling. The knocking sounded like it would subside if I tried to go over 40 but I don't know I was afraid to push it cause the mechanic said take it easy. i also believe when looking in where you pour the oil, there is some thick black deposits, is that sludge. I am going out of my mind. Should I get a new engine, I can't believe this is happening.
Thanks

Sounds like your engine is sludged. It is difficult to say since I haven't seen it, but your mechanic may be right. I would get all the documentation on oil changes I can find and tow it to a dealer. Read the 1st post in the FAQ thread in detail.

I believe it is sludge and we are getting a run around already from toyota. There already saying we'll have to pay for them to look at it and then determine if it is sludge. The oil change receipts might be a little more complicated because we bought the car used in 2001 nad have moved twice but definitely oil changes occurred on this car thankfully. Getting the receipts is difficult because I didn't even know about toyota and sludge and I read they sent out letters to customers I didn't receive or hear anything. What is the best oil to use on 1999 toyota camry, I hear its not pennzoil. I want toyota to pay for this since the car is prone to sludge because i've been quoted with repairs of 3000.

The identity of the best oil for any particular car is strictly a matter of opinion. Any oil that meets the current quality standard should be fine.

If I were you, I would pay the dealer to figure out it's sludged. The first step in proving your claim is documenting the problem

Well we called one toyota dealer and they gave us a run around, the other one agreed to fix it, pay for the tow and rental car but they have to see the car to make sure it is sludge. this is exactly what i want but a little leary about whether there for real. they didn't ask for receipts or maybe they will later on but at least they wanted to help. They wanted us to do a comment sheet on other dealer. We're going to have our personal mechanic look at the diifferent areas where sludge might be and get written statement just in case. i saw the pictures posted about sludge. We saw sludge where you put the oil into, where else would it be conclusively, would you have to remove the valve cover too see. I pray this gesture by toyota dealer is sound
thanks
P.S.
Once this is fixed how do we prevent it from happening again, do we have to change oil more often or use something other than pennzoil or go to dealer for oil change.

I believe the main point of sludge deposition is under the head cover. Yes, you will have to remove the head cover to see it clearly. The head cover itself will be trashed by sludge getting in the breather. There will be alot in the pan also. Go to the sludge zone site:

http://yotarepair.com/Sludge_Zone.html

To prevent it from happening, change the oil every 3k miles for dino oil or 5k miles for synthetics. Be conservative. Use the dealer for your oil changes - verifiable documentation. Personally, if I owned a sludge-prone engine, I would only use synthetic motor oil in it.

http://yotarepair.com/How_to_prevent_sludge.html

Thanks so much Brian for all your quicks responses and articles. I will keep you all posted.

You're welcome