here is the cause of my problem. the ports in both the EGR valve and the IM where it mounts were well clogged with oily crusty gunk. the pipe that leads from the exhaust also had some carbon buildup where it mounts to the IM, but not as bad.

I dug all the crud out with a small knife and a piece of wire, spraying it with loads of carb cleaner in the process. I also cleaned out the oily residue inside the IM air passage best I could. the throttle body was pretty clean, so I can only presume this buildup came from exhaust gasses passing thru the EGR valve combined with oily stuff falling into it from the back of the IM. (the downside to a closed PCV system is that oil vapors fron the crankcase end up back in your intake air stream.)

 

once I had the clog cleared I filled up the inside of the EGR valve with carb cleaner several times and let it soak and cleaned out the remaining gunk. there's a little spring-loaded piston inside that you can grab with needle-nose pliers to make sure it's moving/opening freely.

there are 6 pins on the electrical connector -- each of the following pairs should measure between 20-24 ohms resistance: A-B, C-B, D-E, F-E. if any are out of tolerance you'll need to replace the valve. unfortunately it costs around $300 in my case they were all in spec so I'll be putting everything back together and my EGR flow problem should be solved.

 

thanks for the description... how many miles and how often do you change oil and what oil weight and brand do you use?

 

it only has 56K miles, and I use Mobil1 5W30 around every 5K miles. but the previous owner always had it serviced at the dealer I'm pretty sure they use dino oil. I was using it to commute a lot and the previous owner was a soccer-mom type, so I'm thinking maybe too many short trips? I'll have to check the manual but I think the PCV valve blows from the valve cover to the intake manifold? if so it could be a contributing factor as the PCV hose connects right next to the EGR valve.

 

sapien,

the procedure and pics are excellent and good to know for the rest of us in case we have the same problem.

The procedure in the link below helps to remove carbon build up inside the engine, plus it lubricates the valves too. It think this is good preventive maintenance procedure.

They did it to a Volvo but I know it can be done to any car. In fact I have done this to all my cars several of my relatives.

Chinese Water Torture (a SeaFoam recipe) - Turbobricks Forums

 

I ran a can SeaFoam thru the brake booster valve prior to taking things apart, but I think the intake/exhaust air paths are such that not much of it would reach the EGR valve. the clog was crusted pretty hard, I had to dig it out with a knife so solvent was insufficient to break it up.

 

I want to thank Sapien for posting this thread, I had the same problem with my 04 XL-7. I followed the directions outlined by Sapien, in fact I took my lap top to the garage with me so that I could use the thread as a reference, the step by step and photos proved to be a huge help in the disassembly and clean up of the built up carbon deposit. Once finished I immediately noticed an improvement in the throttle response, overall power and the shifting of the automatic transmission. It is like driving a different vehicle.

Thanks again to Sapien, the repair was made a lot easier thanks to this thread.

Hoags

 

Thank you for the instructions!!

I followed your instructions, step by step and I was able to clear the clog leading to the EGR valve. I metered the EGR valve at the point you indicated and got 22.6 ~ 22.8 ohms. The response is like new, I have an XL-7, model year 2000, with 146,000+ original km's on it. I'm from Canada, on the west coast, beautiful British Columbia. The reason I tinkered around with the engine, is because the XL failed an emissions test, called "Air care." In BC, you need to pass it every couple of years to get your vehicle insured. I noticed that after the test the dash light was on and I was wondering if all I need to do is get the error code, p0400, cleared at the dealership? Or will it reset itself and I can go through the emissions process again? Your reply would be hugely appreciated, thank you again.


Charles

 

More info

Well I went to the dealer and they were kind enough not to charge me for checking the error codes. However, the EGR valve issue is resolved, the hand held unit displayed it as "complete", but there's a new problem now it shows the oxy sensor, #2 bank 1 is not functioning. My question now is can I do this myself or should I let the service center? How difficult would it be for a novice to attempt?

Komissar

 

Oxy sensor failures seem to be very common. After tackling the EGR I think you'll find swapping an oxy sensor relatively easy.

There's a few posts on it somewhere and how people have changed them - one side is difficult to get to IIRC?

 

Continuation of the repairs

Thanks murcod, I'm not sure if I can do it without some pics to guide me. I found one image of the location for the sensors, but I don't know how to tackle it. I think I would need to put my XL up on a lift to get at the O2 sensor. The service guys at the dealer ship can swap it out for around $340 CDN, for one O2 sensor. I'm leaning that way, but cash is tight at this point in my life. Can the sensor be removed, then cleaned, then re-installed? I'm a novice, so please forgive my ignorance.

Komissar

 

The O2 sensor problem over for now... however???

Sorry for not replying sooner, so here's the update. I found a dealer in Richmond and they replaced the failing O2 sensor, but after 2hrs of waiting, they say it's fixed. I walked out to the parking area started it up and smiled the check engine light was out, finally... I put it in drive and the light came back on... ??? So back into the dealership to find out what has happened. Apparently another O2 sensor has failed, well now that all 4, 2 replaced in 2005 and now the other 2 in 2008. So they charge me for another sensor but no charge on installation. There was a communications failure between the manager and the mechanic. So the manager solved it that way. The problem is gone, no check engine light and I was told zero error codes. I passed air care without a hitch.

Now I have another problem, electrical, complete loss of all power when it rains. I start up the truck, drive about 40KM dist. shut off. Then when I try to start again no power and dash lights flicker very dim, I hear the starter clicking. I check the battery and try to move the connections but everything is tight. I try starting it again and no problem, everything is fine. It has happened twice now and I don't know where to start to see what is wrong. Also forgive me for posting here if this isn't the place, please direct me. Does anyone have any thoughts. Thank you for help and thank you for having this great forum, and it's members.

Cheers
Komissar

 

I was underneath my Aussie spec XL-7 yesterday changing the oil and was pleased to see that we don't appear to get the extra oxy sensors after the cats.

Regarding the starting issue- if it isn't your battery (or a bad connection somewhere) then I'd be looking at the starter motor/ solenoid. When you crank the engine a lot of the circuits that aren't crucial for the engine to run are disconnected (that may explain the dash lights.) The starter motor solenoid would be the clicking sound, but it might not be making proper electrical contact and so the starter motor won't kick in.

Otherwise it could be a case of not enough current being supplied to the starter solenoid and it's dropping out- if you can hear it quickly cycling then that's most likely the problem. It tries to make the contact for the starter motor, but the current draw is too high which results in the voltage dropping and the solenoid disengages; then the voltage rises again and the solenoid re engages and the same thing happens over and over. That can be caused by a dead battery or bad connection.

Try checking the battery voltage while cranking when it is dead and when the engine starts OK. That will help narrow it down.

 

Electrical problems

Thanks murcod I was hoping you would have an idea of what was going on, I'll check the battery tomorrow. I also forgot to mention that the power also cuts out completely while I was driving. Just this past Saturday, I had just turned into my complex when everything went dead, no lights, no power steering, no fan no engine??? I was really startled. I had to put both feet on the brake, and popped it into neutral and stopped. I then put it in park, turned the ignition off then on again and it started. It was really freaky, I was glad it didn't happen when I was on the highway, or in some other traffic. Does this fit with the other suggestions you gave? If not, definitely more help required here. I was wondering if it could be related to the replacement of the 2 oxygen sensors from the week before...

Cheers,
Komissar

 

Hmmmm... happening while you're driving rules out anything I said about the starter motor/ solenoid.

I'd suggest checking all the positive and negative cables (including earth cables that run to the engine), fuses in the engine bay fuse box etc. It could also be something silly like your ignition key switch playing up? If it's only happening in the wet it could also be a water leak somewhere that's affecting the ECU?

Does everything die (aircon/ heater fan, radio, headlights etc. as well) when the engine dies?

 

Yes everything dies, power steering, fan, AC, radio, interior and exterior lights, it's really strange.

Two months ago it happened after 1 week of rain. The whole electrical system just cuts out. So I thought moisture was creeping in somewhere. I thought, rather simply, that it was the battery. I cleaned the terminals and the connections. Then started the vehicle, success! So I drove around believing the battery connections were the cause. Well they are fine and the battery is healthy. But still a problem. Do you know what it could be?

Cheers,
Komissar

 

It has to be something major to take everything out

What's the condition of the terminals and wiring near the battery? Are they old and corroded? Have you had a poke around in the fuse box in the engine bay- there are some heavy duty high current fuses in there.

Check your earth lead/ negative battery terminal and follow it down to the body and make sure all the surfaces are clean and tight.

 

What's the condition of the terminals and wiring near the battery? Are they old and corroded?
==== They were, about 5 months ago, I cleaned and sanded posts and connections, everything fine since.

Have you had a poke around in the fuse box in the engine bay- there are some heavy duty high current fuses in there.
==== No I haven't, I wouldn't know what something bad would look like. Is there anywhere in particular I should pay attention?

Check your earth lead/ negative battery terminal and follow it down to the body and make sure all the surfaces are clean and tight.
==== I'll do that in the morning. It's been raining heavily for the past couple of days and I'm fearing going for a drive...

I'll check things out and report back, thank you murcod.

Cheers,
Komissar

 

I'd suggest to pull every fuse and relay out in the engine bay (one at a time) and clean the contacts. Spraying something like an electrical contact cleaner/ lubricant or aerosol silicone spray on all the metal contacts would be a good idea while you're at it.

Try and find ALL the body earth cables and check them as well.

 

Hi,

I'm new here to the forum I have a Grand Vitara 2001, I'm having some trouble with the EGR valve since i'm getting a 51 error code. I would like to know what does each pin in the EGR connector mean? What voltage levels should I have in each one? Thanks

 

-rear IM air passage where it attaches to the center section of the IM (2 nuts & 1 bolt on each end);

-EGR pipe that goes from the passenger side exhaust manifold up to the rear of the IM. (has 2 bolts on either end as well as a hidden one on a bracket in the middle just above the tranny.)

1. I was able to remove one bolt and one nut from each side of the the IM very easily, but could not figure out how to remove the last nut from each side of the IM (the nuts located closest to the the throttle body). How did you get a socket in there?

2. Is there any trick to removing the EGR pipe? I did not get this far so that's why I'm asking.

 

Now I just need to fix the issue I have with O2 Bank 2 sensor one

They ARE finicky. You may find that if you clear the code, it will stay off.
If you need to peruse replacing it, see...
http://www.suzuki-forums.com/suzuki-verona-chevrolet-epica-daewoo-magnus/17638-oxygen-sensors.html

 

I replaced Bank 1 Sensor 1 about a month ago, Thanks to help from your post on O2 locations. Then I was plauged with a persistant P0401 error that is now gone after cleaning out the EGR passages Now I keep getting P0158 I've cleared it many times...... I'm now at the point where I've ordered a new one to replace B2S1. I've been using a USB OBD2 reader I bought off of Amazon and the EasyOBDII program running on a Acer netbook. The $50 bucks I spent on the USB reader has been well worth it.

 

Yeah, sounds like the sensor.

“DTC P0157 / P0158: HO2S (Bank-2 Sensor-2) Circuit Low / High Voltage: H25 Engine”.

Additional info:
http://service.gm.com/gmspo/mode6/pdf/Metro_Tracker/2002 Tracker 2.5L.pdf

I picked up a cheap Scanner as well off e-bay. Ya' can't work on these newer vehicles w/o one, that's for sure.

 

bringing up an old thread.... I just gt a P0401 code too. Looks like Ill be dong this egr cleaning soon too.

Got mine done.. A local garage did it for $150.. Would have been a $300 job to anyone else. The owner is a friend. It took him about 5 hours and hes a pro. Im glad I did not tackle it.. Mine has 86k miles on it.