Fuel problems-EGR-wife wants to junk it!

Great forum! 93 AWD W Vin 4.3 Liter-140,000 miles. Van has trouble starting in the morning. Takes 4-5 turnovers to start. Then once it starts one time, it will start all day and runs fine for the most part. Also, I drove it for a couple hours at one time one day last week and it shut down on the highway. Steering wheel locked up...completely died. Then 5 minutes later I was able to get it started. Drove it 5 minutes and it stalled again. The longer the van sat in between starts...the farther it could go before it shut down. Recently replaced fuel filter, fuel lines, battery, spark plugs. Had the fuel pump replaced but Advance Auto gave me the wrong pump so the mechanic put the old one back in because he thought it was fine. SES light on---EGR valve. Would the EGR cause any of these problems? Can I clean it or do I have to replace it? Is it under the doghouse?

The hard starting problem and the dying problem are probably not related. Some parts stores will check the engine codes for free. The codes will get you going in the right direction. If the code says the Air Bypass valve is indicated realize that the valve recieves a vacuum signal and an electronic signal to make it work, etc. For the dying problem, its probably electronic because the longer you let it cool the longer it will go before the next failure. Sooner or later it will probably die for good, then someone will be able to find the cause. Intermittant problems are hard to find. The codes can help with this, ie. a technician can let it run until it dies then jump on the possible components with a cooling spray. For the hard starting problem a good place to start is to burn a tank full with fuel injector cleaner or gas treatment and see if that helps. The most common problem with rough running is a failed vacuum hose. It gets very hot in the engine compartment and vacuum lines get dry and brittle. Vacuum signals go everywhere. Good luck.

Code scan says EGR valve---that may take care of half the problem. I suspect the fuel pressure regulator for the other half. Has anybody ever installed one on these? I hear they are very difficult to get to.

The codes should be there for the cause of the engine dying unless the battery has been disconnected or the codes have been reset since then. The EGR valve is usually mounted on the intake manifold. I think yours is behind the CFI ( carb ). I found a bad vacuum line going to mine.

Sounds like my '86 Astro a couple years ago. After replacing a lot of things on the van, it was the fuel filter--totally clogged!! Did not have to replace the pump; thank goodness. The van would just die just driving down the road, and it would restart right away. But when it got to be that you could only go a mile or two and then it would die, I convinced my mechanic to check the fuel filter. Duh! Hope this helps.

The scan indicated an EGR problem. Everything I read says to not replace it...just clean out the carbon and then it will be fine. I pulled the EGR valve and there is no carbon inside the valves. What else could be wrong with this thing?

I had the same problem, My van died on me here and there after traveling highway speed and the ses light would come on right before i knew it was going to stall, It was sort of my warning, but after reading these forums, I realized it was the EGR and Spending the 120 dollars to fix it solved the problem. I was worry free after that and the van never stalled again after. Easy fix.

ok... fuel pump was the problem. It starts great now and doesn't stall. Thanks ya'll!