EGR valve X reg 1.0 MPI information please

[soother]

Hi folks.

Questions.
1. Can the waterways in and out of this EGR valve be blanked off, or are they essential for head cooling?
2. Does anyone here have a non-working/scrap one of these valves which would be better than what I have at the moment? (Part no is 030 131 503F)

I have a stuck EGR valve which also leaks water from the joint between the upper and lower body where the arrows are on my picture. It's definitely not coming round from the main mounting flange joint and it's getting worse.

I am planning to make and fit a blanking plate behind the valve while hoping that I can find another EGR at a sensible price before the next MOT. Has anyone else done this?

P.S. I have not even been able to track down gaskets from main dealers or anyone else.

All help gratefully received. Thanks.


(or https://www.dropbox.com/s/9eojigumg4oxurm/egr1.jpg?dl=0 if image doesn't work.)

[alexperkins]

Surely the easiest route is to just replace the EGR valve and hoses?

Removing the EGR valve can cause elevated emissions, poor performance, lower economy and could cause you to fail an MOT.

Plus, the car will know the EGR has been removed so youll likely have en engine light on permanently.

If you are able to open the valve up, you might be able to seal the flange with a liquid silicone gasket and free the valve up

[soother]

alexperkins

Thanks for the reply.

A new valve would be easiest, if only I could find one which doesn't cost a good chunk of the value of the whole car!

I did have a warning light and error code P404 from the EGR valve, but this is now secondary to the water leak which is so bad that my car is off the road until I can do something to stop it. Just blowing or sucking into a waterway hole on the valve with a finger over the other shows a leak. I suspect that there is a flaw or crack in the casting of the valve body.

As I said, even a non-working valve would be better than what I have and would get me back on the road, even with the possible problems you list. I don't have one, hence my thoughts about blanking it off, and my concerns about whether flow through the valve waterways are essential for head cooling, or is it a separate flow system.

[alexperkins]

Its an independent cooling feed just for the EGR. The block has its own water feed.

How much do you have to spend on a new EGR? They arent *too* expensive if you know what you are looking for

Ten minute job to swap it BUT you must re-adapt it using VCDS/VAGCOM else it wont work properly.

[soother]

Thanks again for your reply and wisdom.

My concern was of course that purring a blanking plate behind the EGR might reduce the flow to or from a head cooling gallery, and I didn't want to risk a meltdown..

The prices I am seeing are around £200 + vat from main dealer, and around £170 for VAG or £115 for Mapco on ebay. Can you suggest other sources?

[alexperkins]

£170 for VAG is a good price really

the mapco one on ebay for £115 is also acceptable

Euro Car Parts do one to order for £117

I would go for either the mapco one, or if you can afford it the VAG one on ebay.

Replacing it is a far better choice than blanking it off.

[alexperkins]

35% off GSF this weekend online

[soother]

Thanks for the GSF tip off, but the best discount I could see was 20% ?

With this discount, the EGR valve would be £263.85 -£54 cash back for the old one (if my mangled one was acceptatable), -20%, total £179.88. -I bought the car for £520 last December with a new (maybe dodgy?) MOT, and the car also has another MOT issue, steering wheel free play, which I will ask about in a separate post, So It's that difficult decision of whether to spend more or walk away in December...

Anyhow, for the time being I have blanked off the EGR, and I'm back on the road. Because the valve was leaking water I closed off the normal passages and modified the flange to maintain water flow just in case blanking caused an airlock and hotspot. I used copper sheet for the plate because it was to hand easy to work with. -See photos.

I have now driven around 50 miles with this blanking. The only difference from before the mod is an improvement. A 'dead spot' between tick over and acceleration has gone, presumably it was there because the valve was stuck slightly open before.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/ht0ynxx7pde5j ... e.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/vvl8d3t5f7iq9 ... r.jpg?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/of7ja8stt5o0wqu/gask.jpg?dl=0

[alexperkins]

Interesting way to blank it...i like the ingeniuity

Its always a tough decision on that

The car will keep on going without issue if you look after it

Free play in the steering is likely due to worn track rod ends, worn anti roll bar bushes, or worn lower wishbone bushes. Its also possible the steering rack just needs tightening up

The MAPCO EGR valve via ebay is the best value for money, but the VAG one on there would be my personal choice.

Theres life in the old girl yet