How to know if an EGR cooler is bad?
When an EGR cooler starts to fail, it transfers coolant out of the EGR cooler into your exhaust system. When this happens, the exhaust interacts with that coolant and turns it into steam. This white smoke is released through your exhaust system of your heavy-duty engine and is a sure sign of an EGR failure. These products prevent build-up in the EGR circuit and clean the fuel and oil systems, helping to keep the combustion system and intake manifold clean. In other words, they will reduce soot deposits and consequently, emissions. They also improve vehicle performance.Increased power: removing the EGR valve from your engine will help make the engine more powerful. A more fuel-efficient vehicle: as the engine becomes more powerful, it can also become more fuel efficient. An EGR delete helps you burn fuel and not recirculate the dirty exhaust gas back into the system.The EGR system reduces harmful emissions by recirculating exhaust gases into the combustion chamber. But when the EGR cooler malfunctions, it can result in hot exhaust gas entering the cylinders, potentially causing engine damage and increased emissions.
Can you repair an EGR cooler?
Repair and Cost Considerations EGR coolers on light vehicles cannot be repaired and must be replaced. Common problems include leakage in the EGR cooler, which can lead to coolant contaminating the exhaust system, and turbocharger failures, often due to oil contamination or mechanical wear. Such issues don’t just stop at reducing engine performance; they extend their impact to the aftertreatment system.A clogged EGR cooler can cause the engine to run at higher temperatures, potentially leading to overheating. Over time, this can result in engine damage and a shortened engine lifespan. Ignoring an EGR issue can also cause excessive soot bulidup in the engine and cause a loss of performance.That’s a reasonable idea; EGR coolers are like radiators, only they use water to cool hot exhaust gases, instead of air to lower the hot water’s temperature. That means they can be cleaned like a radiator.
What cools the EGR cooler?
One can think of an EGR cooler as sort of an engine radiator that works in reverse. An engine radiator uses cold outside air to cool down hot engine coolant. An EGR cooler is just the reverse of that – an EGR cooler uses cold engine coolant to cool down hot exhaust gasses. So, what does an EGR cooler do exactly? After combustion, the cylinder’s exhaust valve opens and the waste gas flows through the exhaust manifold into the EGR cooler. In the cooler, the antifreeze coolant lowers the temperature of the exhaust before it cycles back into the engine.The EGR Temperature Sensor is situated on the intake manifold, positioned below and behind the EGR valve. If applicable, take out four cover bolts and remove the EGR crossover tube cover.If you remove the valve, which is located near the top of the engine next to the oil filter, it should be full of a dry black charcoal carbon (soot) which is from the exhaust system. If you have a failing EGR cooler, the dry carbon would be replaced by a black slime – like substance.
How much to fix an EGR cooler?
How much does it cost to replace an EGR valve? The average cost of replacing an EGR valve is £265, with prices ranging from £150 and £650. If the faulty EGR valve has caused increased emissions and overheating there is a possibility that it could have caused damage to associated components. The price of car parts within the auto EGR cooler category ranges from £17 to £1052, depending on the vehicle type, manufacturer, and product specifications.For a replacement EGR cooler, you could be looking at prices between $270 and $4000+, varying widely case by case. The higher-end pricing usually applies to advanced or complex designed EGRs, those for large engines and heavy-duty vehicles. Passenger cars will typically have a lower price ranging between $270-$1500.