Drivers in Southampton understand and see how incredibly hard auto manufactures have to work to keep building strong engines that keep getting more efficient fuel mileage while also meeting all environmental standards. One small piece that keeps making sure that these advancements happen is the EGR valve, or Exhaust Gas Recirculation Valve. In both diesel and gas engines, the EGR valve puts a little exhaust back into the air intake system. This exhaust that gets put back in fills the space in the engine cylinders. This replaces the oxygen-heavy air that would normally be present. What this means is that the fuel burning event is more cool than normal. The cooler the combustion is, the less harmful nitrous oxides are produced and put into the air.
Like anything else, your EGR valve can get backed up, which can affect the timing and amount of exhaust that should normally be in your engine. You can tell if this is happening if there is a rough idle and poor engine performance. Things can go back to normal by cleaning and sometimes replacing your EGR valve. This all depends on how dirty it is.
As you can imagine, the EGR valves found in diesel engines are some likely to become clogged and slow because of how much soot there is in diesel exhaust. It is important to note that this soot is filtered out of the exhaust down the exhaust system, but still needs to pass through the EGR valve.
There are some tips for extending the life of the EGR valve in your diesel engine. First thing to know, idling for longer periods of time makes for more soot. This is because the engine operating temperature is reduced as it idles. This means the valve is not opening and closing normally and is allowing particulates to accumulate in the valve. Secondly, let's talk about fuel quality. All diesel fuel has a cetane rating. The higher the rating is, the better the combustion will be in the end. Unfortunately, cetane ratings are not often posted on pumps and can be different depending on the location. If you add a cetane boost to the fuel tank, it would really help with this.
If you are experiencing either rough idling or poor performance in your gas or diesel engine vehicle, come by and have one of our Frank's Servicenter Inc. expert technicians diagnose the problem quickly. They can set things right and restore your vehicle's performance back to normal.