Egr Valve Cleaning Photos - 57 Plate 2.0 T-3X

[jules8343]

There are a few photos of EGR removal and cleaning on older Avensis models, so I thought I would add some from a 57 Plate (face-lift) Avensis (1AD-FTV Engine). The process is pretty simple, with a few cautions.

1. Remove the engine cover. Only this cover needs to come off to get access to the EGR valve. It clips on, so just pull up on it to get it off.
2. (Photo 1 and 2) The EGR is now visible at the front of the engine, with a metal pipe on top running back to the engine. The EGR gaskets (there are two for this EGR) I got from Lindrop Toyota (thanks Parts-King) included a gasket for the EGR end of this pipe, but not the engine block end. I decided to remove the pipe rather than bend it out of the way because it would need to be bent a lot to allow the EGR to lift off the studs. I will get a gasket for it later. Perhaps it should be bent out of the way? The bolts from the engine block end of the exhaust pipe are fiddly to remove and insert so careful you don't drop them into the depths of the engine compartment.
3. Exhaust gas pipe removed (Photo 3)
4. Once the pipe is removed, the two remaining bolts can be removed and the EGR lifted off. I needed to push the metal bracket behind it back slightly to clear the EGR. I removed the wiring connector after I had taken it off so I could see it better, but it is probably easier to disconnect it first. You need to insert a screwdriver to release the clip (Photo 4).
5. The EGR was pretty sooty. I used Putoline Carburettor Cleaner to remove the soot, which was dry and not sticky. The cleaner is helpful on the EGR because it is difficult to get to all the parts with a scraper. My son's old toothbrush (3-4 years size, Winnie the Pooh) was perfect to getting into the corners. On the manifold I used a screwdriver to loosen the soot and the vacuum cleaner to remove it. Pictures 5 and 6 show the cleaned manifold and EGR valve.
6. Reassembly is the reverse process. There is a gasket on the EGR to Manifold joint and one on the EGR to exhaust pipe, plus one at the engine to exhaust pipe if you removed it (they are all metal gaskets). Don't forget to plug the EGR electrical connector back in!

Job done. Time for a cup of tea! PM me if you want the photos in a PDF.

JB

[tubaman]

I think you need to reset the ECU when you have cleaned the valve & assembly.

[pauljj]

How do you reset and to what purpose,I cleaned mine and just put it back,seems ok?

[avalanche]

Check this warrenty about clogged egr-valve .....

58534538-Oil-Consumption-Egr-Clogged-Extended-Warranty1-1.pdf

[steveored81]

i have a avensis t2 d4 tourer on a 57 plate , ive just cleaned the egr valve like it says above . it runs even worst than before and dont seam to be able to accelerate smoothly anymore it feels like its holding back then trying ,what else could be wrong ????

[Mistermena]

i have a avensis t2 d4 tourer on a 57 plate , ive just cleaned the egr valve like it says above . it runs even worst than before and dont seam to be able to accelerate smoothly anymore it feels like its holding back then trying ,what else could be wrong ????

Have you checked to see if the valve is opening and closing okay? I'd look there 1st and then bang a tin of BG244 in the Shell V-Power fuel to give the system a good clean out. Hows the fuel filter? Have you changed it?

[steveored81]

hmmm fuel filter , wheres that then ?? easy to change ??? yes the valve was opening and closing fine after id clean for nearly an hour with a small toothbrush , its gleaming inside , ive also put that bg244 stuff in but already had a full tank of tescos finest

[steveored81]

found it now thru you tube , i will buy one tomorrow and report back , thanks

[Mistermena]

found it now thru you tube , i will buy one tomorrow and report back , thanks

No probs mate. Anch's has done a "How to" on changing the filter. I found that I didn't have to remove the turbo pipe to change it. Much easier to take the bracket out with the fuel filter in place. Let me know if you need anymore help on doing it. I've done mine twice now.

[AJones]

Thanks to the OP.

I've got a 2007 Avensis, 113k mostly motorway miles. About a week ago the engine power at low revs (<1800rpm) got noticeably poorer and uneven, sometimes kangarooing when moving off in 1st gear, then while driving along on the motorway the engine fault light came on, along with the 'VSC' and 'TRC Off' lights. Driving home, it remained fine above 1800rpm but struggled at low revs and at one point nearly failed to move away on a hill start.

Followed the above advice and touch wood, seems to have cured it. The EGR was coked and wouldn't fully close (~1mm open) due to a build-up around the base of the shaft holding it off from fully returning, I found I had to wedge the valve open so I could thoroughly clean the shaft. Of the 3 holes in the manifold, the 2 side holes were completely blocked, with the middle partially blocked.

Done a couple of drives - 10miles, 40 miles and it's been fine, the low end torque is back and smooth, no problems moving away with the car fully loaded. The engine, VSC and TRC lights have also reset, not sure whether this was automatic after a couple of drives because the EGR is now working or because I did an oil service counter/timer reset.

[Steve-Avensis57-2013]

I have a 57 D-4-D TR and plan to do this as part of a mini service / oil change this weekend. The car has no major issues but is quite noisy and I had noticed a slight power drop. Pulling away when fully loaded the last time went on holiday was also a little disconcerting as it seemed like there was a lack of power. These photos are an exact match to what I have under the hood and so very much appreciated. I've also bought a repair manual (CD) but it doers not have the level of detail I wanted. Thanks to your post I feel more confident about it and will post again after the job is complete to let everyone know how I get on.

Ok so its been a while since I cleaned the egr valve and performed the oil change. Its certainly helped as the car sounds a lot better when cold and quieter when warm. Fuel consumption is up a little, performance is up a little and both jobs were less than 30 minutes. Another forum member asked why Toyota cannot clean the egr at the same time as the oil change. Though it probably does not need doing every service, it is so simple to do I would say they have a point. That said, as the oil change and egr are sooooo very simple, I'll be doing this from now on rather than giving my hard earned cash to a garage. I bought a torque wrench and the proper oil filter removal tool from our Toyota garage. These are not expensive and well worth the investment.

I think Toyota have done a brilliant job at making these operations easy. That said it was this post that gave me the confidence I needed to take it on. Thank you

[Prokid]

Ooh guys so is that mean if my avensis is doing the same I need to change oil

[Wingz123]

Prokid - changing your oil (in my opinion every 5k miles) is advisable. The above doesn’t mean you should change your oil, it just means your egr valve might need cleaning out. Take yours apart and clean it. The build up of soot can clog and reduce the cars performance. It could also cause the car to smoke - at first I thought that was the problem with mine have a look at my egr valve...

Mine made a negliable difference but the smoking was infact due to my turbo seal going! (Currently beig changed)

My avensis is a taxi in London so does a lot of start stop traffic. Give it a relitively hard drive once a week to blow everything threw too. 

[AJones]

For anyone wondered how often to clean the EGR, after cleaning mine it was fine for almost 6 years and 70k mostly motorway and A road miles before it had the same issue again - but another clean and it's working fine again. As before though, the solenoid really does need pushing open and a good clean of the crud around the base of the shaft as it seems to that which stops it shutting properly, as much as the crud around the valve faces and seat.

For clearing the engine fault lights, I found this time that after the clean and driving it around for a few miles with a couple of starts, the fault lights just cleared themselves, no need to pull fuses or reset the engine control.