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Stupid EGR Valve

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reece13

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Wilmington, NC
Long story short, I've got an 89 K5, 350 tbi. It started idling funny and erratic. I went ahead and changed out the plugs,wires, and dist. cap since it was due anyway. I kinda figured my problem was the EGR valve, and sure enough, after i did the tuneup, the truck still acted the same so....i unplugged the egr solenoid and capped it and the egr itself and now it runs great. I get a SES when i drive above 45 for longer than about 10 min. So, i went and got a new egr, put the correct washer in and it still hesitates and even shuts off sometimes after its been sitting a while and i crank it up. I pulled it off, checked everything, reinstalled and still does it. I got pissed and unplugged the damn thing again and its been that way a few days now. I thought maybe i should change out the o2 sensor too, but i dont want to start throwing parts at it. Does anyone else just leave their egr unplugged and drive with the SES light on??? I hate that there is a new EGR valve on there and i cant even use it, but it just runs like crap with it plugged in...any opinons?
 
check the IAC.. most idle issues with TBI's are IAC related... EGR's tend to be off-idle issue/stumbles...

my 454 had no washer, or sticker, on the EGR when I got it.. when I replaced it, I had to guess on washer size.. it occasionally throws the light, depending on driving conditions.. but NEVER affects the way it runs...
 
I have seen guys get the computer reprogrammed. And when i say "at idle" i mean when i put it drive and let it idle. Then when i start to accelerate from dead still, it stumbles or hesitates. When i unplug the egr it runs great, but throws a SES.
 
did you make sure the EGR passage wasn't loaded with carbon?
 
I just had a stumble issue that turned out to be a faulty EGR valve gasket causing a slight vacuum leak.

Now, I have an '87 which requires a negative pressure EGR valve. No matter which auto parts store I go to supplies the wrong EGR valve replacement. Even AC Delco has several options for my year of K5 which has made it next to impossible to find the proper replacement without throwing $$$ at it till i find one that works right. I have kept my original EGR valve, cleaned the best I can and ensure that it moves freely. It has worked great minus the occasional gasket every two years or so which is less than $2.

Good luck! Its a pain in the ass. I may go with an EGR delete and reprogrammed chip in the future.
 
Yes, if it's not a Delco replacement, pretty lucky to get an aftermarket one that works right.

Also agree about cleaning the EGR passageway. Pretty common for them to get completely plugged up at this age.

Running with the SES on for EGR is not an issue, it doesn't affect driveability, but eventually that bulb will burn out and then one portion of your diagnostic ability is gone. Either fix the EGR, or get an EGR delete chip.
 
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