1998 Camry EGR valve

[durs07]

I took my camry to the dealership yesterday because the ""check enging"light was on. They said the codes told them it was a EGR problem. They tell me that it could cost $600.00 to correct the problem. Is this reasonable. Are there any other solutions?

[burchard]

Originally Posted by durs07

I took my camry to the dealership yesterday because the ""check enging"light was on. They said the codes told them it was a EGR problem. They tell me that it could cost $600.00 to correct the problem. Is this reasonable. Are there any other solutions?

If the EGR is dirty, you only need to clean it. Search this site fro EGR cleaning and/or EGR problems. EGR valves tend to accumulate carbon deposits and get stuck. Is your car showing any signs like stalling at red lights or while idleing?.

[durs07]

The car is running/idleing fine. They cleared the check engine light once but it came back on again. Other than that, there are no apparent problems.

[durs07]

The car is running/idleing fine. They cleared the check engine light once but it came back on again. Other than that, there are no apparent problems.

[don24mac]

If there's an Autozone in your area, bring your car there. They'll check the code for free so you can verify what the dealer is telling you. $600. seems a little steep for an EGR valve. Usually a stuck valve will cause bad hesitation, poor idling, etc.

[jsinton]

Geez, 600$! What a rip off....

What year is your camry? Did you try to examine the codes yourself? It's really easy to do.

Sounds like it just needs a good cleaning.

It doesn't sound like you have an EGR problem. Do you have a problem other than the check engine light?

[durs07]

I was there when they checked the codes. He said there were two of them. I didn't write the numbers down however. There doesn't appear to be any other problems other than the check engine light being on. The car runs/idles etc. well. I don't even know where the EGR valve is located. Does anyone know of an internet site that diagrams how this thing works and where it is.

[jsinton]

Buy yourself a Hanynes manual, and don't do ANYTHING until you do. It sounds like your problem is NOT the EGR, which means probably it is something that may affect the EGR like the Oxygen Sensor. A Hanynes manual will not only tell you what the error codes mean, they will also tell you how to "read them" also (you jumper out two contacts and count the flashes).

It will explain with diagrams where your EGR is also. An EGR is a simple device really, they just get stuck open and don't allow the engine to idle correctly. If you rap it with a hammer it will unstick, but again if it idles ok... IT"S NOT THE EGR.

It idles ok, runs good, gets good gas mileage, etc. Sounds to me like you don't have a problem worth spending much money or time worrying about.

You can see the Haynes manual here:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...category=34233

[don24mac]

The method of checking the codes with a jumper and counting the blinks of the engine light won't work on your vehicle. That only works on vehicles prior to the 96 year.

It is possible to have a stuck EGR valve in the closed position. Then it would idle properly and seem to run OK, but the emissions would be adversely affected. And that would cause the engine light to come on, too.

Knowing what the code numbers are would narrow it down. Can you call the dealer to ask them to check their records and give you the codes they found? They may or may not do this. Otherwise, is there an AutoZone near you?

Also, there's been many threads on this forum about problems with the EGR valve. You can do a search for "EGR" (at the top of the Camry page) and you'll pull up many helpful threads.