RRS 2.7 TDV6 Check Engine Light

[101RRS]

Exactly 12 months ago I picked up my RRS - no issues in those 12 months and 19,000km until the anniversary of purchase today when the check engine light has come on. I have done soft and hard resets and the check engine light is still on. There are no indications on the message centre and the cars performance is unchanged.

I have a Scanguage fitted and it shows one code P0490 and once cleared comes straight back so the error is constant.

A quick google of code P0490 shows that for most cars it is the Exhaust Gas Recirculation Control Circuit. So does anyone know if this applies for the 2.7 TDV6.

If it is the EGR valves causing a problem - how hard are they to remove an clean - my car is an 07MY (so blanking is not an option) but only covered 57,000km so shouldn't be too gunked up - as reflected by no noticeable performance change. A friends 07 D3 did 130,000km before these played up but in his case the EGRs were rooted and had to be replaced.

So what does code P0490 mean, do I need to put it on the computer to confirm the code (cost will be about $130 to maybe tell me what? - yes it is the EGR code) - and can I clean the EGRs and a first step and if that fails are they expensive to replace?

PS - just found this http://www.permoveo.ltd.uk/tabid/122...r/Default.aspx

Thanks

Garry

[Graeme]

The check-engine light for a TDV6 is for an EGR valve fault. The valves fail in various ways (stuck closed, stuck partially open, broken actuator etc) but I've not read of any being repaired other than the occasional fault cleared by a prolongued higher-speed drive. Blanking a failed valve on MY07+ doesn't turn the light off but a new valve with its inlet blanked is very unlikely to ever fail again. Most blanking is done at the outlet but that allows exhaust gas to still foul the mechanism over time.

[jonesy63]

Hi Garry,
Take a look at this guide:
DISCO3.CO.UK - View topic - EGR Valve - How To...

My arms are too big to fit in there!

This was one of the reasons why I decided to jump from my D3 to a D4... I was starting to get EGR warning messages on OBD port, just before I traded it in. I never got a "check engine" dash warning though.

I recall there was a guy on the Disco3 site that used a cleaner in a can, from Subaru. IIRC, he undid the inlet hose and sprayed the can into the motor while running. Let me find the post.

[101RRS]

The check-engine light for a TDV6 is for an EGR valve fault. The valves fail in various ways (stuck closed, stuck partially open, broken actuator etc) but I've not read of any being repaired other than the occasional fault cleared by a prolongued higher-speed drive. Blanking a failed valve on MY07+ doesn't turn the light off but a new valve with its inlet blanked is very unlikely to ever fail again. Most blanking is done at the outlet but that allows exhaust gas to still foul the mechanism over time.

Hi Garry,
Take a look at this guide:
DISCO3.CO.UK - View topic - EGR Valve - How To...

My arms are too big to fit in there!

This was one of the reasons why I decided to jump from my D3 to a D4... I was starting to get EGR warning messages on OBD port, just before I traded it in. I never got a "check engine" dash warning though.

I recall there was a guy on the Disco3 site that used a cleaner in a can, from Subaru. IIRC, he undid the inlet hose and sprayed the can into the motor while running. Let me find the post.

Thanks for that information - might go for a nice long country run in sport mode and drive it like it was stolen and see if that blows the crude out. Can't hurt but try.

At the time of the fault the Scanguage also recorded that the engine was at 16% power, water temp was 90 degrees, manifold air pressure was at 15psi, engine was at 2119rpm, doing 70kph, using 1.22 litres per hour and intake air temp was 25 degrees.

This indicates to me that when the fault was generated the car was not under power as such but most likely on trailing throttle as speed was relatively high but fuel consumption was very low (I have found that the hourly burn has approx the same number for l/100km so 1.22 lph is about 1.2 l/100km.

Is there a good place to get EGR valves in Aust or best to get them from the UK? If so where.

Thanks

Garry

[jonesy63]

Thanks for that information - might go for a nice long country run in sport mode and drive it like it was stolen and see if that blows the crude out. Can't hurt but try.

Maybe put a good dose of injector cleaner in it before your long drive? Find some long hills and floor it!

[Graeme]

It seems that the most common problem is corrosion of the actuator mechanism for which a hard drive will do nothing.

[Mike_S]

As for somewhere to get them, try The Large One on Disco3, but I'd make sure your local dealers aren't going to be daft money first. EGR valves are at least a stock item at every dealership in the UK, I'd have thought that may well be the case here as well but you never know.

[101RRS]

Well I did a long run this morning with no change - as expected - in reality the engine is under less road on the highway than around town - often get over 3000rpm in town but rarely on the road but command shift 3rd gear and 100kph managed to get the revs up a bit.

So fault is still there, no running issues indeed fuel economy seems a little better so I guess the valves are stuck closed and acting like blanking plates.

Went to the local stealer to get prices but no one was serving (gone to lunch) so I went away with nothing - there is nothing like good service. So rang around - well known independent wants $450 each, dealer price is $405 each and Uk price is $180 plus delivery. A well known SA wrecker wants $175 for second hand ones but it seems pointless to go second hand.

I should really do them both but I am inclined to do one now and when the other has an issue do it then but I need to get the car on a proper code reader to find out which egr is causing the issue.

At least it is not a car stopper.

Garry

[101RRS]

Well I bit the bullet and booked the car into a local specialist to get the codes read and to find out which valve was playing up.

While tinkering, I thought I would disconnect the electrical connectors to see if I could isolate the faulty valve. When I managed to disconnect the passenger side connector the check engine light went out and the code cleared - on restart the light came back on and then I got the code for the specific left hand EGR valve - hmmm , but the original code had gone.

On reconnecting the connector and clearing the left hand EGR code - all is now well - no check engine light or codes. It seems the issue was the connector to the EGR valve not the valve itself. A squirt of WD40 in the connector and all is well. Booking at the garage for tomorrow cancelled.

So it does pay to look for the easy things first.

However has God played a trick on me and just lulled me into a false sense of security.

Cheers

Garry

[Tote]

Probably.... although my recent experience with LLAMS which was cured with a squirt of contact cleaner has led me to believe that it is very difficult to fault find without a code reader ( after swapping the compressor 3 times and doing other fiddling)

Regards,
Tote