Yaris D4D EGR valve mk2 how to

[AURISTR01]

How do!? I registered a long time ago, when I owned an Auris however now sold that and purchased a Yaris MK2 58 reg for the Mrs so  I am back on again.

To the point after doing extensive research on google I really struggled to find a how to guide for cleaning the EGR Valve on the Yaris D4D 1.4 engine.

I am not a mechanic, but will attempt a DIY where possible simply to avoid labour costs. With the other half doing very short trips to school, shopping etc I had a concern the diesel engine will cause issues, although I use it one a week & give the italian tune up once warmed up, and the previous owner being a gentle driver I had a concern I would soon face an issue so rather then leaving it so late I thought its best practice to be pro-active. + I wanted to inspect the EGR Valve at 56k miles. (Yes I know diesels are not ideal for short journeys but its too good of an engine) also  no issues with running prior so you could say if its not broken don't fix it. 

The first gen 1.4 D4D EGR service/replace seems to be fairly straight forward however to do but the MK2 in simple terms, safe to say is a challenge. 

The tools you need are: 10,12, & 14 mm sockets - Ratchet & spanners, Toyota Coolant, long extension, universal flexible attachment for your ratchet, EGR cleaner spray or petrol etc.  Old toothbrush a cloth perhaps some gloves, a flat head screw driver & some patience! 

Time: 2-3 hours.

Start by removing the engine plastic cover.

Undo the nuts on the EGR Cooler (golden object) 12/14mm if I remember correctly

Remove the 10mm bolt holding the dipstick in place you will later need to move this around to be flexible.

You will soon realise there is a 10mm bolt which is an absolute b*stard to get at! why because its behind the cooler, a ratchet or spanner just wont move due to clearance. So you now have to be able to move the alternator forward to gain access that nut.

This is where it gets interesting - you now need to undo the top alternator bracket and the remaining bolts/nuts which secure the wiring harness once done.

You would then expect the alternator to have slight movement wrong! you can try with a lever behind it to move it forward but it wont move as there is a 14mm bolt under the alternator also the belt is causing tension if you move it towards you.

In order to gain access to the lower 14mm alternator bolt you need to remove the 10mm bolts holding the coolant bottle in place & tug it out of the way to the right. Or if you are due a coolant flush anyway just remove the rubber hoses and drain the coolant, before removing the bottle to gain access. I didn't bother with a coolant flush!

Next if you have universal flexible attachment for your ratchet and a long extension attach a 14mm try to undo the lower alternator bolt, once cracked loose. push the alternator back and remove the belt from it, once the belt is removed you can then bring the alternator towards you, in order to gain access to that 10mm bolt on the EGR valve/cooler.

Remove EGR Valve a small amount of coolant may come out if it, inspect or clean and replace as necessary. At this point you may want to wear gloves as the carbon build up is horrid stuff.

Using a toothbrush spray the EGR and the cooler let it soak before brushing out all the soot. A screwdriver can also help.

*NOTE DO NOT - spray excessive amount of spray into the engine ports as it could cause you a further problem.  Clean the ports well.

Re-attach everything I didn't replace the Gaskets either cleaned and re-installed no signs of leaks, inspect the robber hoses for vacuum leaks and re-attach. Put the alternator belt back on, and bolt everything backup, tension the alternator sensibly. 

Top the coolant up slightly & restart it may run lumpy for a couple of second if you used excessive EGR cleaner respray but you should then be set :)

Unfortunately I don't have pictures as my hands were too dirty though if I had an other attempt I would ask an assistant to take pictures. My EGR I personally believe was due a clean, there was not excessive build up but there was enough soot built up blocking the ports, & to be honest I couldn't comment if the engine is any more responsive or not as I don't use it as my daily driver one thing for sure is it picks up speed rather well.

Hope the read above may support anybody else.

[Perfection]

Do you think I need a clean on my 105k miles Yaris mk2? 

What is your car's mileage when you cleaned your EGR? 

[AURISTR01]

It all depends how your car is driven if low mileage short journeys it will have carbon build up though at 105k I would only imagine it would benefit with a good clean. Mine is around 56k so yours is near enough double the mileage if your confident give it ago!  

Let me know how you get on...

[Yaris Rouge]

I didn't fancy all the work with the alternator and didn't think that this would be the workshop solution.  In the end I bought a 10mm c shaped ring spanner from eBay.  This gets into the gap to loosen the bottom nut on the joint between the valve and cooler.  A bit of judgement is called for when reassembling and torquing the lower nut back down as you can't easily get a torque wrench on it.

Spanner