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Egr Question?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Foxstang31
  • Start date Start date Oct 16, 2015
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Foxstang31

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Aug 11, 2015
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Oct 16, 2015
#1
  • Oct 16, 2015
  • #1
Ok so I got 88 gt and I have this plug coming off behind the throttle body, I believe its the Egr plug but not certain here are some pics. I keep getting code 85 so I figured that It was an Egr problem I was thinking about the eliminator but after reading around here some it looks like its kind of important. So what do I need to buy? The Egr valve and position sensor?? Could this be causing my problem with cold starts and staying idleing?
1979-1993 Mustang EGR Valves
 

hoopty5.0

mechanicus terribilis
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#2
  • Oct 16, 2015
  • #2
IT looks like your EGR was deleted altogether. Can you post a pic from the front of the engine?
But yes, that is your EGR plug.
 

stykthyn

I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.
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#3
  • Oct 16, 2015
  • #3
I would either get the resistor that fools the car into thinking there is an egr there or install another one.
 

jrichker

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#4
  • Oct 16, 2015
  • #4
Too many ignorant people remove what they don't know anything about; that makes problems that can be troublesome to find and fix. You probably are a victim of the previous owner's efforts...


Here's what code 85 is:

Code 85 CANP solenoid - The Carbon Canister solenoid is inoperative or missing.

Revised 11 –Jan_2015 to add warning about vacuum leaks due to deteriorated hose or missing caps on vacuum lines when the solenoid is removed.

Check vacuum lines for leaks and cracks. Check electrical wiring for loose connections, damaged wiring and insulation. Check solenoid valve operation by grounding the gray/yellow wire to the solenoid and blowing through it.
The computer provides the ground for the solenoid. The red wire to the solenoid is always energized any time the ignition switch is in the run position.

If you disconnected the carbon canister and failed to properly cap the vacuum line coming from under the upper intake manifold, you will have problems. You will also have problems if the remaining hose coming from under the upper intake manifold or caps for the vacuum line are sucking air.

Charcoal canister plumbing - one 3/8" tube from the bottom of the upper manifold to the rubber hose. Rubber hose connects to one side of the canister solenoid valve. Other side of the solenoid valve connects to one side of the canister. The other side of the canister connects to a rubber hose that connects to a line that goes all the way back to the gas tank. There is an electrical connector coming from the passenger side injector harness near #1 injector that plugs into the canister solenoid valve. It's purpose is to vent the gas tank. The solenoid valve opens at cruse to provide some extra fuel. The canister is normally mounted on the passenger side frame rail near the smog pump pulley.



It does not weigh but a pound or so and helps richen up the cruse mixture. It draws no HP & keeps the car from smelling like gasoline in a closed garage. So with all these good things and no bad ones, why not hook it up & use it?


The purge valve solenoid connector is a dangling wire that is near the ECT sensor and oil filler on the passenger side rocker cover. The actual solenoid valve is down next to the carbon canister. There is about 12"-16" of wire that runs parallel to the canister vent hose that comes off the bottom side of the upper intake manifold. That hose connects one port of the solenoid valve; the other port connects to the carbon canister.

The purge valve solenoid should be available at your local auto parts store.

Purge valve solenoid:



The carbon canister is normally mounted on the passenger side frame rail near the smog pump pulley.
Carbon Canister:



You guys with idle/stall problems could save a lot of time chasing your tails if you would go through the Surging Idle Checklist. Over 50 different people contributed information to it. The first two posts have all the fixes, and steps through the how to find and fix your idle problems without spending a lot of time and money. It includes how to dump the computer codes quickly and simply as one of the first steps. I continue to update it as more people post fixes or ask questions. You can post questions to that sticky and have your name and idle problem recognized. The guys with original problems and fixes get their posts added to the main fix.

It's free, I don't get anything for the use of it except knowing I helped a fellow Mustang enthusiast with his car. At last check, it had more than 159,000 hits, which indicates it does help fix idle problems quickly and inexpensively.
 
Last edited: Oct 16, 2015
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Foxstang31

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Oct 16, 2015
#5
  • Oct 16, 2015
  • #5
Sorry got the codes mixed up it was code 31 I got along with 85 those are the only 2 codes, ill look into the carbon solenoid also but my main concern is the Egr, and yeah I've checked the surging idle checklist out ill look into it again. Do I really need the Egr or should I just go ahead with the eliminator? Heres a pic of the front of the engine. The previous owner did a hack job on pretty much the whole car, still trying to fix his mistakes as you can see.
 

hoopty5.0

mechanicus terribilis
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Oct 16, 2015
#6
  • Oct 16, 2015
  • #6
If you are missing a lot of the emissions equipment, it's a pain in the rear to track it all down and then figure out how to install it. Id say just delete it and put the plug in.
 

stykthyn

I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.
15 Year Member
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Oct 16, 2015
#7
  • Oct 16, 2015
  • #7
Canp aside that intake has the provision for the egr. I would reinstall that piece alone for the moment. The only issue I have if the egr hasn't been tuned out is that the ecu will start to lean out the mix. Without fuel rich exhaust gasses pumped back into the intake that could potentially lead to an undesirable condition.
 

jrichker

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#8
  • Oct 16, 2015
  • #8
CODE: 31 (KOEO) - EVP circuit below minimum voltage. Vref (5 volt reference voltage supplied by the computer) missing or broken wire or bad connection in circuit. Use a DVM to check for 5 volts on the orange/white wire. If it is missing, look for +5 volts at the orange/white wire on the TPS or MAP sensor located on the firewall near the center of the car. Use the black/white wire for the ground for the DVM.
With the sensor removed from the EGR and still connected, press the plunger and watch the voltage change on the brown/lt green wire. Pull the passenger side kick panel and measure the voltage at the computer. You will need to remove the plastic cover over the wires and probe them from the backside. A safety pin may prove very useful for this task. Use pin 27, EVR input (brown/lt green wire) and pin 46, signal ground (black/white wire) to measure the voltage. The orange/white wire is Vref and should always be 5 volts -/+ .25 volt. Be sure to measure Vref at the EGR sensor to rule out any broken wires or bad connections.
Measuring the voltage at the computer helps you spot broken wiring and intermittent connections.
See the graphic for the 10 pin connector circuit layout.







Some basic theory to clarify how things work is in order…

EGR System theory and testing

Revised 29-Sep-2013 to add code definitions for EGR sensor and EVR regulator.

The EGR shuts off at Wide Open Throttle (WOT), so it has minimal effect on performance. The addition of exhaust gas drops combustion temperature, increases gas mileage and reduces the tendency of the engine to ping. It can also reduce HC emissions by reducing fuel consumption. The primary result of EGR usage is a reduction in NOx emissions. It does this by reducing the amount of air/fuel mixture that gets burned in the combustion process. Less air from the intake system means less air to mx with the fuel, so the computer leans out the fuel delivery calculations to balance things out. This reduces combustion temperature, and the creation of NOx gases. The reduced combustion temp reduces the tendency to ping.

The computer shuts down the EGR system when it detects WOT (Wide Open Throttle), so the effect on full throttle performance is too small to have any measurable negative effects.

The EGR system has a vacuum source (line from the intake manifold) that goes to the EVR, computer operated electronic vacuum regulator. The EVR is located on the back of the passenger side shock strut tower. The computer uses RPM, Load. and some other factors to tell the EVR to pass vacuum to open the EGR valve. The EGR valve and the passages in the heads and intake manifold route exhaust gas to the EGR spacer (throttle body spacer). The EGR sensor tells the computer how far the EGR valve is open. Then computer adjusts the signal sent to the EVR to hold, increase or decrease the vacuum. The computer adds spark advance to compensate for the recirculated gases and the slower rate they burn at.

The resistor packs used to fool the computer into turning off the CEL (Check Engine Light) off are a bad idea. All they really do is mess up the data the computer uses to calculate the correct air/fuel mixture. You can easily create problems that are difficult to pin down and fix.



Troubleshooting:
There should be no vacuum at the EGR valve when at idle. If there is, the EVR (electronic vacuum regulator) mounted on the backside of the passenger side wheelwell is suspect. Check the vacuum line plumbing to make sure the previous owner didn’t cross the vacuum lines.

Diagram courtesy of Tmoss & Stang&2birds. (the diagram says 88 GT, but the EGR part is the same for 86-93 Mustangs)


The EGR sensor is basically a variable resistor, like the volume control on a radio. One end is 5 volt VREF power from the computer (red/orange wire). One end is computer signal ground (black/white), and the middle wire (brown/lt green) is the signal output from the EGR sensor. It is designed to always have some small voltage output from it anytime the ignition switch is the Run position. That way the computer knows the sensor & the wiring is OK. No voltage on computer pin 27 (brown/lt green wire) and the computer thinks the sensor is bad or the wire is broken and sets code 31. The voltage output can range from approximately .6-.85 volt. A defective or missing sensor will set codes 31 (EVP circuit below minimum voltage) or 32 ( EGR voltage below closed limit).

The EVR regulates vacuum to the EGR valve to maintain the correct amount of vacuum. The solenoid coil should measure 20-70 Ohms resistance. The regulator has a vacuum feed on the bottom which draws from the intake manifold. The other vacuum line is regulated vacuum going to the EGR valve. One side of the EVR electrical circuit is +12 volts anytime the ignition switch is in the run position. The other side of the electrical circuit is the ground path and is controlled by the computer. The computer switches the ground on and off to control the regulator solenoid. A defective EVR will set codes 33 (insufficient flow detected), 84 (EGR Vacuum Regulator failure – Broken vacuum lines, no +12 volts, regulator coil open circuit, missing EGR vacuum regulator.)


EGR test procedure courtesy of cjones

To check the EGR valve:
Bring the engine to normal temp.

Connect a vacuum pump to the EGR Valve or see the EGR test jig drawing below. Connnect the test jig or to directly to manifold vacuum.

Do not connect the EGR test jig to the EVR (Electronic Vacuum Regulator).


Apply 5in vacuum to the valve. Using the test jig, use your finger to vary the vacuum

If the engine stumbled or died then EGR Valve and passage(there is a passageway through the heads and intake) are good.

If the engine did NOT stumble or die then either the EGR Valve is bad and/or the passage is blocked.

If the engine stumbled, connect EGR test jig to the hose coming off of the EGR Valve.
Use your finger to cap the open port on the vacuum tee.
Snap throttle to 2500 RPM (remember snap the throttle don't hold it there).
Did the vacuum gauge show about 2-5 in vacuum?
If not the EVR has failed

EGR test jig


To test the computer and wiring to the computer, you can use a test light across the EVR wiring connectors and dump the codes. When you dump the codes, the computer does a self test that toggles every relay/actuator/solenoid on and off. When this happens, the test light will flicker. If the test light remains on the computer or the wiring is suspect.

To check the EVR to computer wiring, disconnect the EVR connector and connect one end of the Ohmmeter to the dark green wire EVR wiring. Remove the passenger side kick panel and use a 10 MM socket to remove the computer connector from the computer. Set the Ohmmeter to high range and connect the other ohmmeter lead to ground. You should see an infinite open circuit indication or a reading greater than 1 Meg Ohm. If you see less than 200 Ohms, the dark green wire has shorted to ground somewhere.
 
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Foxstang31

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Oct 17, 2015
#9
  • Oct 17, 2015
  • #9
Just bought the delete off LMR thanks guys!
 

jrichker

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#10
  • Oct 17, 2015
  • #10
Foxstang31 said:
Just bought the delete off LMR thanks guys!
Click to expand...
You may have shot yourself in the foot...

While the resistor gizmo may fool the computer into not setting the check engine light, it does not fix the problem of not having a working EGR.

The resistor packs used to fool the computer into turning off the CEL (Check Engine Light) off are a bad idea. All they really do is mess up the data the computer uses to calculate the correct air/fuel mixture. You can easily create problems that are difficult to pin down and fix.

The primary result of EGR usage is a reduction in NOx emissions. It does this by reducing the amount of air/fuel mixture that gets burned in the combustion process. Less air from the intake system means less air to mx with the fuel, so the computer leans out the fuel delivery calculations to balance things out. This reduces combustion temperature, and the creation of NOx gases. The reduced combustion temp reduces the tendency to ping. The computer adds spark advance to compensate for the recirculated gases and the slower rate they burn at.



The code 85 evaporative emission canister - possible lean fuel mixture at cruse RPM.

Short version: you have effectively caused the computer to lean out the fuel mixture and advance the timing. When you combine two problems that lean out the fuel mixture, you are asking for trouble. It's called ping or detonation, which you probably won't hear at cruse due to exhaust noise and wind noise. Fix the problem the right way. Lying to the computer is just like lying to your wife or girlfriend. Sooner or later it catches up with you and causes more trouble that is difficult to fix...
 
Last edited: Oct 17, 2015
Reactions: stykthyn

mikestang63

SN Certified Technician
Aug 27, 2012
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Oct 17, 2015
#11
  • Oct 17, 2015
  • #11
coupe of observations

1. get rid of that cone fiter and replace it with a fenderwell stock or aftermarket one. You are sucking in hot engine air
2. Cao ioff the fittings coming off your throttle body- you are sucking in unmetered air
If you don't plan on hooking up your a/c again, get an A/C delete and remove the compressor. You will remove about 20 lbs off the car
3. As long as you don't live in a cold area, you can use the EGR plug and the car will run fine.
4. looks like you don't have the charcoal cannister hooked up. I don't like that as you probably have the gas vent line tucked under the car venting raw gas fumes into the air. If you park the car overnight in a garage you are probably smelling the fumes. If you can find the cannister and solenoid in a junkyard, I'd put them back on.
5. get rid of those ugly blue hoses
 
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Foxstang31

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Aug 11, 2015
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Oct 17, 2015
#12
  • Oct 17, 2015
  • #12
Alright Ill move these to the top of my list of things to do!
 
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Foxstang31

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Oct 18, 2015
#13
  • Oct 18, 2015
  • #13
mikestang63 said:
2. Cao ioff the fittings coming off your throttle body- you are sucking in unmetered air
If you don't plan on hooking up your a/c again, get an A/C delete and remove the compressor. You will remove about 20 lbs off the car
Click to expand...

What fittings are you talking about?
 
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Foxstang31

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Oct 18, 2015
#14
  • Oct 18, 2015
  • #14
Also if I don't have a smog pump would it be any use buying the egr and everything that connects to it?
 

stykthyn

I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.
15 Year Member
Jul 6, 2006
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Oct 18, 2015
#15
  • Oct 18, 2015
  • #15
Egr works along with smog pump tiwards the same goal but functions separately. Imo removing the egr causes more problems than it solves. Replacing it is as simple as 2 bolts and a vacuum line.
 
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Foxstang31

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Oct 18, 2015
#16
  • Oct 18, 2015
  • #16
stykthyn said:
Egr works along with smog pump tiwards the same goal but functions separately. Imo removing the egr causes more problems than it solves. Replacing it is as simple as 2 bolts and a vacuum line.
Click to expand...

Guess ill be buying the egr and egr sensor then thanks.
 
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Foxstang31

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Oct 18, 2015
#17
  • Oct 18, 2015
  • #17
So just had time to look under there and this is what I found? Whats this black hose for it s cut off and just sitting in the engine bay it runs under into the fender? And this little vacuum tree is plugged 3 out of the 5 ports? What vacuum hoses go off of this?
 

stykthyn

I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.
15 Year Member
Jul 6, 2006
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Oct 18, 2015
#18
  • Oct 18, 2015
  • #18
Can't say what the black one is for sure, but it looks like perhaps fuel tank vent to the charcoal canister. Follow it down the rabbit hole?
 
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Foxstang31

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Aug 11, 2015
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Oct 18, 2015
#19
  • Oct 18, 2015
  • #19
Ok ill do that in a couple hours just got off work. Any ideas on the other one?
 

stykthyn

I want to measure mine. It doesn't look that tall.
15 Year Member
Jul 6, 2006
5,232
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gainesville
Oct 18, 2015
#20
  • Oct 18, 2015
  • #20
The small vacuum tree ran to emissions and dash vent control inside the car. I can't make sense out of how everything in that picture has been run. @jrichker has an excellent vacuum diagram.
 
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