EGR valve works as the connector between the exhaust manifold and the intake manifold. It is considered the most important component of the Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) system.
This system is used to control Nitrogen Oxides emission made by the internal combustion engine. Today, we are going to discuss whether the EGR valve can cause a misfire or not.
Can the EGR valve cause a misfire?
An EGR valve can certainly cause a misfire in the engine of the car if it becomes faulty. If the EGR valve has leaks, it can cause a misfire in the engine cylinders by altering the flow of exhaust gas. An EGR valve needs to be replaced if it is stuck open or it is stuck shut.
Table of Contents
Let’s take a look at different states and types of EGR valves and discuss whether they can cause misfire or not.
Bad EGR valve:
EGR valve is responsible for reducing the emissions of Nitrogen oxide. EGR valve does this by redirecting a section of the Nitrogen oxide emission back into the internal combustion chamber. For several reasons, the Exhaust Gas Recirculation valve of your car can go bad.
A faulty EGR valve will cause random misfires in the car engine when you drive it.
A bad and faulty EGR valve will decrease the performance of your engine and will increase exhaust gas emission. You will have to immediately repair the faulty EGR valve if you want to have a smooth-running car.
Clogged EGR valve:
Carbon deposits can sometimes clog up the Exhaust Gas Recirculation valve. The carbon deposits can practically stop the flow of exhaust gas to several cylinders.
If only one cylinder remains open at this point, then it will result in a single cylinder misfire as all the exhaust gas will flow only to that cylinder.
Dirty EGR valve:
A dirty EGR valve will not necessarily cause a misfire. Your EGR valve can get dirty because of the Carbon deposits of the exhaust gas. If you keep your EGR valve dirty for too long, it might not be able to do its work properly.
You need to clean your EGR valve on a daily basis for optimized performance.
Stuck EGR valve:
EGR valve can get stuck in two ways. One of them is the EGR valve stuck open and the other one is the EGR valve stuck shut.
When an EGR valve gets stuck open, then the flow of exhaust gas into the intake manifold becomes a continuous process. But when an EGR valve gets stuck closed, the flow of exhaust gas into the intake fold is blocked completely.
Each of these incidents causes misfires in the engine.
How can an EGR valve cause misfire?
The job of the Exhaust Gas Recirculation valve is to control the emission of Nitrogen oxides. The EGR valve sends some of the Nitrogen oxide emission back into the combustion chamber in the form of exhaust gas.
The exhaust gas is sent through the intake manifold. Sometimes the intake manifold can become clogged and cause a misfire in the engine.
The EGR valve can become shut because of the carbon deposits from the exhaust gas. A faulty EGR valve can cause a misfire in the engine when the flow of exhaust gas faces interruption in the intake manifold and does not reach the combustion chamber.
What damage can a faulty EGR valve cause?
A faulty EGR valve can cause several damages to the car engine and the overall performance of your car. Let’s discuss this in detail.
Weak engine:
A faulty EGR valve will make your engine weak by decreasing its performance. You can be sure about the performance of your engine dropping when you hear louder than usual noises coming from your engine.
You will find it difficult to accelerate when your EGR valve becomes faulty.
Arise in fuel cost:
A faulty EGR valve will reduce the fuel efficiency of your engine. The engine of the car will need much more fuel than before without giving better performance. As a result a rise in the fuel cost of your car will be noticed.
A rise in engine heat:
The engine of the car will emit more heat than before if you have a faulty EGR valve. An overheated engine will cause an oil leak into the combustion chamber. All in all, the health of the engine will be affected by a faulty EGR valve.
A rise in hydrocarbon emission:
A faulty EGR valve that is stuck open will increase hydrocarbon emissions. A rise in hydrocarbon emissions is not ideal for the environment.
What are the symptoms of a failing EGR valve?
A failing EGR valve can showcase many symptoms. Let’s discuss them in detail.
Check engine light coming on:
A failing EGR valve will cause the check engine light to come on. When it detects problems in the Exhaust Gas Recirculation system of the car, it tends to come on to indicate that you should probably check your EGR valve.
Check engine light can indicate at other parts of the engine too. But it is wise to check the EGR valve when it turns on because your EGR valve might have gone bad.
Reduced mileage:
A failing EGR valve will cause the fuel efficiency of your car to fall. When it happens, your engine will consume more fuel than before. It will reduce the mileage of your car significantly.
When you notice an alarming drop in mileage performance, you should check your EGR valve.
Misfire in the engine:
A failing EGR valve causes misfires in the engine of your car. A faulty EGR will face difficulty redirecting exhaust gas into the combustion chamber. Because of this, it will cause an instant misfire in the engine when you drive.
Engine misfires happen because of a vacuum leak in the intake manifold.
Problem in starting engine:
A failing EGR valve will cause problems when you try to start the engine of your car. A faulty stuck open EGR valve is often responsible for this. The EGR valve needs to be closed when you start the engine. But a failing EGR valve will do the exact opposite.
Noises from engine:
If you have a failing EGR valve, you will often hear louder than usual noises coming from your engine. It happens when the EGR valve is always closed.
How much does it cost to replace the EGR valve?
Replacing the EGR valve is a costly matter. The tools and parts of the EGR valve will cost you about two hundred to two hundred and fifty USD. On the other hand, the labor cost for the EGR valve will fall somewhere between ninety to one hundred USD.
Other fees and taxes will also affect the final total. So replacing the EGR valve will cost you four hundred USD at the very least.
Can an EGR valve be cleaned and reused?
Reusing the EGR valve depends on a lot of things. You can certainly take out the EGR valve and clean all the parts thoroughly. But if any part of the EGR valve is broken or cracked, you can not reuse it. In that case, you will have to replace the EGR valve.
An EGR valve has a vacuum hose, gasket lining, exhaust gas return tube, gas entry port. If you find these parts unharmed, then you can clean the internal parts and reuse the EGR valve.
Can you drive a car without an EGR valve or with a bad EGR valve?
You can certainly drive a car without an EGR valve. Driving without an EGR valve means that your car will emit more hydrocarbon than before. Hydrocarbon emission is not good for the environment as it has harmful effects.
Driving without an EGR valve will not affect your engine.
You can also drive your car with a bad EGR valve. But it shows several symptoms and disrupts your driving experience. Your engine will not be smooth like before with a bad EGR valve. You will smell fuel in the passenger compartment and hear loud noises coming from your engine.
You can drive a car without an EGR valve or with a bad EGR valve, but it is not recommended.
How often should an EGR valve be replaced?
How often an EGR valve should be replaced is a tricky question as it does not have an exact answer. But it is recommended by experts to replace your EGR valve after every fifty thousand miles.
But if you sense a failing EGR valve before it reaches a fifty thousand mile barrier, you will have to replace it immediately. Fifty thousand miles is not a guaranteed performance of an EGR valve as it might go bad earlier than expected.
Final Thoughts
A bad EGR valve can cause misfires in the car engine. A bad EGR valve will reduce the engine performance. It will also cause the check engine light to come on. A bad EGR valve is responsible for excessive hydrocarbon emissions. Loud noises can be heard from the car engine because of a bad EGR valve.