Corolla / Prizm EGR Valve

hramm01 · 11-03-2008, 06:45 PM

Hi, I have a 1998 Chevy Prizm (same as 98 Corolla) and i was wondering where the EGR valve is on it. Ive heard that these cars dont have one at all, but i would think that all cars do.
Im having a problem with oil loss and ive tried just about every kind of oil treatment, and ive replaced the PCV valve. nothing has done me any good and the next thing ive heard of causing such a problem is an EGR valve.
I want to clean or replace the EGR valve on the car, but i cant find it!

P.S. if anyone has a link to show my how to take apart the fuel pump assembly that would be GREAT! i need to chage just the little motor in it rather than the whole thing. it would be much more cost efficient.

Thank you for all your help in advace!

jdmccright · 11-04-2008, 11:36 PM

EGR stands for Exhaust Gas Recirculation. As its name implies, it has nothing to do with oil and under normal circumstances, it never touches oil.

Do you see any puddles under the car or oily areas on the engine side? Do you notice smoke from the exhaust while accelerating? Decelerating? Only during startup? How much oil are you losing and how quickly?

Also, take a look at your coolant (while cold). If it is opaque or milky, your oil and coolant are mixing, caused by a bad head gasket.

hramm01 · 11-06-2008, 11:11 PM

i do seem to be having smoke during accelleration. but only what i cant see from my mirrors. if i run 5w-30 it seems like 1.5 quarts every 3000. then i tried 0w-30 (supposed to get better gas mileage, but i didnt notice a difference) and am looking at like 2 quarts. BOTH syththetic.
i dont notice any puddles at all, and the oil pan is clean
coolant is fine too. ive checked that before

jdmccright · 11-06-2008, 11:27 PM

Using a lighter weight oil is not recommended for the older cars...they were designed to have that oil of that level of viscosity so that oil can be retained on and in between the contacting surfaces when you start the engine up cold. Going to a lower viscosity increases the oil's ability to drain out of these areas and making them more prone to metal-to-metal contact.

The increase in oil loss is what I'd expect with the change for similar reason. If it'a less viscous, more can slip by seals and o-rings and be lost. 1.5-2 qts over 3000 miles isn't bad in general but Toyotas are typically better than that. The smoking exhaust is indicative of oil being burned if it is a bluish color. A compression test would tell you if it is due to worn valve seals, worn piston rings, or a bad head gasket. Go to an online repair manual like at www.autozone.com and check the procedure for doing this test. They also will lend you the test gauge...should be pretty easy on yours since the plugs are right on top.

hramm01 · 11-07-2008, 11:56 AM

i will definitely look into that, thank you for your help!

i figured that the thinner oil would get BACK UP into the engine faster versus thicker oil. i figure any oil that sits for some time will run back into the oil pan, and the faster it gets back up there the better. i don't run it normally, i just thought id try it experimentally for the gas mileage. 4.20 a gallon was killing em and i was ready to try anything.
i always run synthetic in it and every time it comes out BLACK when i change it.

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