This might seem like a silly post, but it was a dah moment for me.
I reattached the EGR solenoid on my V-6. I have no idea how long it was disconected, it was bought that way a year ago.
My wife drove to work and called that the oil gauge droped to 0. I went up and checked it out, plenty of oil. Trying to start it, I had to give it gas. It ran bad, wouldn't idle even in park. My wife said it started doing that when she got of the highway. Well we got it home, I was thinking bad oil pump, bad oil sender, then I thought - EGR?

There are plenty of ways to test a "good" EGR valve. But how do you test one went the car wont idle. Thats when it hit me, open EGR valve allows the engine to suck in exhuast, this is a V-6 with an EGR tube, DAH!!!!!!!

Starting with the engine cold, I started it and ran it for 30 to 45 seconds. After I turned it off I touched the EGR tube, it was HOT, pull your hand away screeming like a little girl hot.

After I replaced the valve I did the same "test" and the EGR tube was still cool.

If you ever think your EGR is leaking try this.

Nick

During the above problem, the Check Engine Light blew out. After replacing the bulb I checked for codes. I got a code 33 MAP Sensor vacuum. It could be that the EGR leak caused this. I'll know when my wife gets home.

Nick

Code 33 set due to EGR leak. I would imagine that any error code that deals with vacuum could be set by a stuck open EGR.

Nick

[This message has been edited by the reverend (edited 07-29-2008).]

Interesting. I think the code for a bad EGR solenoid is code 32. Read several posts about it.

So are you saying you your check for a bad EGR vlave was that you only ran it a very short period of time and at idle. Conditions that the EGR should have never been open. When you touched the EGR tube it was hot telling you the EGR was leaking hot exhaust gas back in to the intake when it should not have. Am I understanding you correctly?

I am still a bit confused as to how the EGR or EGR solenoid has an effect on your oil pressure going to zero. I would have thought a car with a leaky EGR should run rough at idle, but should run OK at cruising/highway speeds.

That is correct, The car was run at idle, or what I could maintain as idle by giving it some gas when it tried to die, from a cold start. (I had let it sit over night before doing this)

The oil pressure going to zero was a result of the engine not idleing at the proper rpm (to slow) due to the open EGR. My wife didn't say it was idling bad until I asked her exacly when it started running bad. It is a non issue except for the fact that the oil pressure was why she called me.

With the new EGR it was run at idle for several minutes. The EGR tube was not hot, it was warm close to the EGR valve but that was from conductive heat from the exhaust manifold, the tube got cooler the further away you got from the valve. This was not the case with the open EGR which was hot as far as I could reach.

On the highway going home is would surge every once in a while, that also disapeared after the new EGR was put on. I believe it was caused by the ECM reseting the timing and feul as if the EGR was working properly, or adjusting the the MAP code, or both. Remember the check engine buld was blowen at this point, so I have no point of referance.

Nick

[This message has been edited by the reverend (edited 07-30-2008).]