Thanx ALOT , after going to 2 different mechanics for having weird performence loss between 2250 and 2750 rpm on my accord 97 vtec, both received the same code of missfire on cyl 1 so i changed spark plugs, cables, rotor and 2 more things that i do not know the translation from french :) but still had the same issue and code, after checking on you tube i came uppon your video and actualy went to the garage and suggested to them that maybe this was the problem wich they ignored... so after 1 year with the same problem i decided to do it myself outside at -20 degrees and went actualy very well took 20-25 minutes to take everything of including the egr valve and everything was clogged... 15 minutes to clean and 15 to put everything back on... now it purr`s like a brand new kitten and gained very good performance :)
Eric it is well over 10 years that you made the EGR video and I want to thank you for posting it. I am repairing a car that I just bought to give to a family in need and wanted to save money fixing it so I did everything myself. Thanks to you I got this 2001 Honda Accord running like new. It has 217,000 miles on it and with your help you can't even tell its that old. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your guidance my man You are the best!
Awesome video, saved my butt. 97 accord. It was gunked up completely with the engine light on. 60 minutes later, no light, better performance, it's all good. Thanks Eric, you are awesome!
I just did this this morning to my Accord. Very easy to do. It took all of an hour from start to finish. This video was a GREAT help. Eric's videos are the best on here for repair help. I used my shop vac to suck the carbon out of the intake, I also pushed a small drill bit in BY HAND, to make sure the passages were fully clean. Pulled my EGR valve and it was not blocked, the passages were, 3 out of 4, 2 completely. I reset my computer and erased the code, I ran it for about 15 minutes up to op temp, time will tell if it's also a bad EGR valve. I'm not buying one until I KNOW it needs one. Naturally when I carefully pulled the injectors like Eric said. One decided to stay in and pop out of the rail, not a big deal, it went back in without an issue. No leaks. Thanks for the video Eric!
Thanks for another great video Eric ! I've been going through your old videos and using them to help fix typical issues on my son's '96 Accord DX with 141k. Just did all the seals, and belts under the timing cover and saved it from going to the junk yard with it's previous owner. It's a survivor and will make a great first car for my son. It runs awesome, and has no rust ! Thanks again for all you do!
Just did this on my 94 Honda accord. It didn't have a failed emissions test however some performance and fuel economy issues. Not only were the passages dirty but the fuel injectors too. It's a whole different car now. 👍
@@terrywedlake Good thing is it isn't that difficult to do. Just be careful with the fuel injectors. I had one of the o rings on one buckle and fuel started spraying out the rail. Yes! Some of us still choose to keep our old Honda's around. 264,000 miles on mine and still going strong. Best of luck to you!
Thanks a lot again. I will try this on my Honda cause the EGR code came on and it feels like it's about to turn off when I come to a stop. You have helped plenty of times when I have questions about symptoms of my car.
Eric I have a 97 Accord ,,,When I started it yesterday it ran perfect ,,,I then cut it off and cleaned the engine and rinsed the engine with no power hooked ..I allowed engine to completely dry ..Had no fuel in the fuel rail at all this morning ..Checked my fuel pump and was no humming ,,messed with the fuel pump connection and now I have fuel in the rail..That is something I will do tomorrow as you described GUNK in the egr area of the fuel rail ..Thanks And Bet Your Ass I stay nasty ,,,I buy cars and fix them and sell them ..30 years I have bought and sold ,,Your channel teaches me stuff God Bless
I agree. God Bless EricTheCarGuy. :) I suggest you become a member at www.ericthecarguy.com. It's much better to ask automotive questions there. Many great mechanics and DIYers there. I may have more time than Eric to answer questions on TH-cam. (He's quicker to help out over there.) I do it because it's my "next step" in learning beyond videos and cranking on cars. When I give people feedback, they give feedback and we all end up learning together. No fuel pressure? I'd check to listen for the pump first. 2nd check the fuse. Try bridging the relay that runs the fuel pump, or trade another relay in the car. It usually makes something else not work, but if the fuel pump works, you've now found your problem. (Swapping relays, I've fixed "bad" starters and fuel pumps. Obviously, we still needed an additional working relay, lol) If none of the above helped and you're not building fuel pressure. Fuel pump time...Eric has a video on it. Without him I wouldn't have found 2 bad fuel pumps now. :) . . . if the system has a return on it the fuel pressure regulator has an effect along with the filter, but probably not the problem unless either one is clogged.
I've seen the speedo trick used before, very effective, great suggestion. On these Honda's it wouldn't work however, they made the passages at 90º to the main passage so on the old style Accord you still have to drill or pop out the plugs over the passages. I used silicone because I had it handy, I stressed using very little because I know it can effect the O2. Keep the comments coming Les, they keep me honest.
I have a 2000 Accord LX with 144,000. My CheckEngine light came on. My mechanic told me that Honda EGR valves rarely need to be replaced, but that the passage around it and into the intake manifold DO need to have the carbon cleaned from the valves. So cleaned, yes, but replaced, no. The mechanic who worked on my car told me that it would require several hours. It took under two hours.
Thanks for making EGR cleaning video. It really helped. I have 97 Acrura CL with 160K miles, and experienced this surging problem (as you described) 3 years ago. Amber engine check light turns on once a while. I took my Acrua CL to dealer 3 years ago, but they could not find out the problem because it was intermittent. I have to reset car's computer by unplugging the battery to make the amber check engine light off. After cleaning up the EGR passage, it felt like it was brand new.
Eric,thanks for your video got p0401 on my Honda accord 2000 and I ask my local car garage to fix it they said it will cost me £419 for the egr valve and not cleaning the egr port passages they said petrol engines doesn't block only diesel engines according to that car garage but since I watched your video I didn't believed on them,done all the cleaning on EGR port passages today for almost 5hrs.Thanks again Eric.
I cant wait to clean my EGR passages tomorrow afternoon after I finish a Valve lash adjustment on my 01 CRV. Thanks to Eric the car guy videos I fixed just about everything a few years ago! That was at 145k. Im at 205k now. Thanks for all the help Eric!! Stay Dirty Friend!
My 1993 accord failed smog test for NO. I knew if I took it to a mechanic I would end up with a new catalytic converter, then an EGR valve then this repair. I followed this video and found the EGR passages completely clogged. Cleaned it put it back together and it passed smog. You are awesome, thanks!!!
One of these 5th generation Accords no, maybe other engines you would need to. To give yourself some more room, you COULD, but not necessary. To respond to your second part of the question, typically yes if you take the gasket off you will need to replace it. I say typically, as it is an as needed basis.
This 12 year old video is still relevant to my 25 year old Accord. Weird serging> ✔️ Check engine light ✔️ Egr code p0410 ✔️ 85 dollar replacement egr valve that did nothing to solve the problem ✔️ ✔️ Thanks for all the great content over the years 👍
I had same model, but 1998 Honda Accord, as well as the same EGR code P0401. I followed Eric's instruction, open the exhausted manifold, guess what, I got the exactly the same EGR port plugged solidly. After I cleaned the port, the code clear up and without changing EGR valve as car dealer or auto part seller recommended. Thank you very much EricTheCarGuy!!!! The most important thing is you saved us bunch of moneys!!!! I sincerely recommend this detailed video to anyone has the similar problems.
Nice.. i tried my 99 Accord.. cleaned and cleaned but to no avail i failed inspection..has to replace the EGR valve,Solenoid and Diaphragm.. 200 bucks total,drive cycle done and it passed.Sometimes you just cant clean everything it must be replaced.
@EricTheCarGuy Good info. Thanks! I finally got the bedeviling bolts off the EGR valve to remove and inspect it. The valve holds a vacuum and was somewhat caked up, was not blocked or restriced. Cleaned it up. Looking at the amount of carbon stacked up at the entry to the egr rail, I'm betting the inlets are totally blocked with the same stuff. Gonna just drill a hole in them big enough to use a coat hanger and poke and stir to create an opening. Thanks again for the wise words.
My 97 accord thanks you greatly, Eric. Your videos on these older honda engines are the best. PO401 is a new symptom for her. As well as a PO715 (possibly because she's running a bit warm?). 308800 miles after getting back from Hocking Hills Ohio. She really isn't used to those uphill pulls after 5 hours of travel from flatland SE Michigan. 4 days of hiking the wilderness, and its back into the garage we go. Thanks for helping me get smart enough to be dangerous. Staying dirty!
Youz a legend. Have the same engine. F22B1. Compression at 180. New plugss ,wire,distributor,fuel pump,fuel filter and still sputtered. But a freakin 20 minut egr cleaning and now it runs like a champ. Wish i found this vid a few hundred bucks ago.
I ended up replacing the intake manifold gaskets and cleaning the valves, initially i had an air leak and surge but found out the intake bolts needed more torque. FYI it's not easy to reach some of those bolts.
I know you probably won’t see this, but thank you so much! I was driving home tonight and the check engine light came on and was hoping it wasn’t too bad. For a 97 Accord with 222,300 miles on it, it’s holding up pretty good!
these cars are pretty easy to work on. Almost everything uses a 10, 12, or 14mm socket, until you get into more major stuff. and there are lots of helpful youtube videos like this one to walk you through. Get your hands dirty! There are few things as satisfying as fixing your car yourself, hearing that purr, and knowing those hundreds even thousands of dollars are still in your pocket and not the mechanic's! I started working on cars with no previous knowledge or training, I just figured "It's designed to be assembled/disassembled relatively easily, it can't be that hard to figure out!" and when you get frustrated or stuck on something (it happens) then there are angels like Eric to come to the rescue!
I don't need to tell you what kind of person you are, it's very apparent. But poking jokes and overall disrespect about your husband is pretty low,i feel sorry for him and he could probably do better than a b**ch like you.
Great video! I performed the same operation (no pun intended) on my '96 Accord. Worked like a charm. I cleaned up the EGR and all the ports but was still getting the error code for EGR. I decided to get a new EGR and install it ditching the old one. Very easy procedure, thanks for sharing Mr. Eric.
Well damn. I've watched this video many times before and it NEVER clicked in my mind that the symptoms I'm getting in my '91 Accord that I've been confusing with a bad torque converter are actually probably related to clogged EGR... gonna dive into removing that intake manifold and cleaning the ports to see if the shudder on acceleration and at constant load goes away. I'll let you know, thanks Eric!
Eric your my Honda Guru! I've done this to both of my accords. the 96 did the mini nosedive on the highway a few times. Not my 95 tho, however bother were really clogged and nasty. I even tried sea foam before doing this and I'll tell you what it wasn't enough. I wish more mechanics did this with a tune up since its so simple and virtually takes no time. I cleaned the 95 then sea foamed it, seemed to help and kick out a lot of junk!
Thank you .I did this in my driveway in 45 min. Did the trick three of four ports totally clogged. Saved 75 bucks on plugs cap and wires. Thanks again.
I believe this is what is wrong with my 94 Honda Accord. I have a code 14 . I have enjoyed your videos and I was led to changing my fuel injectors and came across carbon. Our next step is to clean the manifold. My car had an idle surge but has since ceased the more we clean out the carbon. It still jerks me around really bad in 1st and 2nd gear and in higher gears I can still feel the engine surge a tiny bit. I am hoping this is the last step to my one year battle with Honda Asthma. My Honda aka Christine is my baby. Hoping to one day enjoy driving her again.
@EricTheCarGuy They might have started using these with the 94-97 gen accords. I have a 94 accord and it has this type of egr passage and I just cleaned them using your video. All of the holes were cloogedto the rim with carbon. I actually feel the car running better after the cleaning. Thanks for a great vid Eric
@EricTheCarGuy Just got back from work and took it off. All 4 were completely clogged and so was the plate. Its all back together and it seems that the car performs better, Just seems smoother! Thank you very much! Now im just waiting for my check engine light to kick off so I can inspect it :)
With the help of your video I cleaned the EGR passages and ports on my 97 accord. The video was excellent and made my job so much easier. Cudos to you. The engine runs smoother and the service engine light stays off. Thanks for your help with the video.
ERIC, You are the super man....i feel myself so luck that i found you and it got me rid of my all my car issues; no one was able to diagnose and repair it...they were just taking my the horse ride....Awesome work man...God bless you...If i come to Ohio, i would definitely not go without meeting you.Thanks a millionnnnn!!
ETCG, thank you very much for a very effective walk-through. Just did this to the 95 Honda Accord that I just bought, and the results were immediate. No more low-end stumbling, and lot's more response with acceleration.
@holmesnmanning I'm not sure what your asking but the purpose of cleaning these out is to remove the hard carbon deposits that are causing a restriction in flow. The best way to remove these deposits is scrape out what you can and use a cleaner that dissolves the rest of the deposits.
@joesimmons90 Passages are just that, a place for the recirculated exhaust to flow. The condensation and carbon in the exhaust cause the clogs. EGR is there to help cool the combustion chamber while under load to help prevent NOx emissions. The inert exhaust gas displaces some of the mix and cools the combustion chamber helping to prevent the NOx and any preignition or detonation that might result from too much heat in the combustion chamber.
This helps a lot, my check engine light came on not too long ago, and when I took it in today for a diagnostic, this came up, along with Cylinder 3 Misfire, which the tech said could be caused by clogged EGR passages. Gotta search for my Shop Vac again...
Awesome! I used a old piece of speedo cable in a multi speed drill to clean the passage of a Mustang. Soaking with WD-40 sometimes help. I uses a lil bit of assy greese on the o'ring of the injectors. Vasoline would work as well and can be had at the cornor store. Your a Super Tech Eric.. Rock on! Les
@killersoundz Not O2 sensor. Clean the EGR passages to start and inspect the rest of the ignition system for faults as misfires under load are often ignition related. If you don't find anything there you might check the fuel pressure just to make sure you have good pressure as low fuel pressure can cause that problem but I hardly ever see a bad Honda fuel pump but if someone replaced it with an aftermarket pump this may be the source of the problem.
Eric, Thanx so much for the detailed video; I isolated the problem, followed the video...and voila!, the Check Engine Light is now off, ready for the annual inspection. Thanx again for your expertise.
@topgrain EGR is there to keep down NOx emissions which are created during conditions of high temperature and pressure. This is probably the worst greenhouse gas as it is directly related to smog. The EGR system re-routs exhaust gasses back to the combustion chamber to help cool the mix and in turn keeps NOx emissions down. An EGR system allows for higher compression ratios so that more power can be produced in the engine as well.
This is the best most informative video i have ever seen. Been having surging problem with my 96 accord and was just about to clean the EGR valve and was not sure about how to attack the ports. Great video!
Sweet, I'm glad you got what you were looking for there. EGR is something I defiantly plan to cover in a future video but I'm glad you got your answer now rather than waiting for me to get to it, there's still soo much more to cover.
Eric, great vid, thanks for still having it up. My 96 4 cyl VTEK just started popping the P0401 code at 254K mi. Guessing this is the problem since the EGR rail has never been cleaned out since I bought the car with 92K mi. Looks like it's important to be vacuuming each of the four holes as they're being cleaned out to prevent gungy carbon going down into the intake and probably eventually gunking up the cat.
@EricTheCarGuy Gathered enough courage and followed the instructions in your video and had no problems in cleaning up the EGR port holes and channels on my accord 97. All because of this great video!
@RodgersResearch The gunk inside the intake is actually from the PCV system as it recirculates the air inside the engine back into the intake in controlled amounts, as an engine wears out however it creates more of that gunk and clogs the intake more as a result.
@RodgersResearch Sly Glyde is actually petroleum based and is not equivalent to silicone and will react badly with some rubber compounds, it's purpose in this video is only to prevent damage to the injector seals nothing more. I haven't used the Loctite stuff but if it's silicone based it should be equivalent.
Remove the intake manifold, flip it over and you will see a passage just behind the throttle body that's probably clogged with carbon. Clean that out, re-install the manifold and you should be good to go. Clear the check engine light by removing the (-) battery cable before you test drive it.
@Pi57457 It may be different but the passages are in the same location. You will see what looks like metal plugs in the intake runners, these are the individual passages into each cylinder. You can drill a hole through each of these to clean out the passages and then plug the holes with epoxy when you are done. I hope to do a companion video to this showing that set up at some point in the future when I get one in.
@K4N088 A lean code is hardly ever a sensor, cleaning the EGR passages is a good start, that can sometimes set that code. You might also check for vacuum leaks.
@CRN090 It doesn't sound like an EGR problem. If you have any check engine lights start with diagnosing the causes of those first then look to the fuel and ignition systems for faults. It would be best to find out what is missing when the problem happens, spark or fuel, find that and your half way home to finding the problem. Good luck and thanks for the comment.
@bootzkutzco I had it off for another reason however your model may not have the removable plate instead you may have to remove a set of plugs in the intake to gain access to the passages if this is the case watch the video response to this video as it shows how to deal with that situation. Good luck.
@fivestarsi5 It's not a neutral safety switch per se but a gear indicator switch that is attached to the lower part of the shifter itself. It's common for that switch to have a problem especially in colder weather. I often don't replace it but rather clean it with contact cleaner and reinstall it so that it makes contact in a slightly different location for park that is not worn. I hope to make a video on this next time I run into it.
@markkjay It's also very important to use the right ignition parts so be sure you are using NGK or Nippon Denso spark plugs, NGK or OE wires, and a good cap and rotor. Also check for oil in the spark plug wells. If the EGR is at issue then it often acts as a 'surge' on the highway or under load, what you describe sounds more like an ignition issue. TCC is only active during cruse not acceleration.
I appreciate ALL the information you share, the hard work you put into the videos and the time you take to logically and thoroughly explain things! THANK YOU SIR and GOD BLESS!
@1PARADOXXX That may be a different issue, first try checking the valve by applying vacuum to it while the engine is at idle, if the engine stalls or stumbles the EGR valve is working, if it doesn't replace the valve. That's a good place to start.
@TravisKiller You may yet want to look into the idle circuit but I still recommend you check for vacuum leaks just to eliminate that possibility. Good luck.
You are correct with #2. Heat makes the reaction more efficient, operating temp is 600ºF, that's why the single wires are placed as close to the engine as possible. Later O2 sensors have heaters to bring them up to temp more rapidly.
Great how-to video. I watched this a couple of times and then cleaning the EGR ports on my 97 Accord (202K miles) was a piece of cake! Every port was plugged as well as the channels in the port cover. Car runs much smoother now. Maybe I'll even get a little better mileage out of the deal. Thanks!
thanks Eric, I'm gonna do it to my 95 honda odyssey, it just fail smog test, every thing pass, but in NO(PPM) fails, max is 517, ave is 101, meas is 795. once again I really appreciate all your information, I'm saving a lot money in simple details...Gby
@authmaax EGR actually lowers NOx emissions when the engine is under load. It can also be argued that with an EGR you can run higher compression since it helps reduce combustion temperatures.
@TravisKiller You should be fine with that, especially if all you have to do is remove the plate on the top of the intake, it's a fairly straightforward and easy process really. Even if you need to remove the intake it's also a simple operation that does not require any special tools.
@c72zero It won't cause surging on deceleration but rather on acceleration or steady cruse. The valve is rarely the problem it's more likely the passages will be clogged like in this video so a stuck open valve is not likely, when they fail they usually don't open and you don't really notice a performance problem at all.
THANK YOU so much for this vid! I just bought a 96 accord with only 150,000 miles and pretty mint! I did have a EGR code. I followed what you did and they all were cliogged! Complete cleaning and perfect!
@kobevsjordan310 I'm glad I was able to help and you got the job done. I sometimes take a shop vac to the gunk to help get it out but if it gets into the engine it would burn up and I don't think would present a real problem. I appreciate the donation if you decide to send it, thanks for the comment.
:::UPDATE::: This mourning I performed this clean on my 97 VTEC Accord, yes the passages were SUPER clogged. I haven't been able to drive it much yet, but when I do, I'll let you know if in fact the clogged passages were the cause of the hesitation I mentioned in your other video. P.S.* your video are the shiznittle, with your help this job was much easier than I originally thought, please keep up the Awesome work!!!
An often overlooked area is the battery cables, especially if they are of those cheep aftermarket variety. They tend to corrode and cause a huge voltage drop. You might want to check into it and clean them up. Also, I don't think taking a reading at the cig lighter is the best reading, I would take it off of the battery or the positive of the alternator.
@Sorcerer1984 I don't think running seafoam through the intake is going to clean the EGR ports for a couple of reasons, first it would not come in direct contact with the clogged passages as they are above the intake runners and anything sucked in would go below them. Also those carbon deposits get pretty hard and even using a drill it's sometimes hard to clean them out. My preferred method is to clean out the passages manually.
I have watched a few of your videos and you always come through. I like how you explain what went wrong and why. You give a great hands on presentation that allows a "Home Mechanic" the know how to do it. I appreciate what you do Thank You!
@scr8souf If your just putting it in the oil I don't think it would be very effective at cleaning the passages for the most part when they reach this level of restriction the only remedy is to physically clean them as demonstrated in this video. If your asking if you could use it in place of the carb cleaner I suppose you could but I think the carb cleaner would be more efficient and easier to use in a case like this.
@journeyquest1 The blockage is actually caused by condensation and the soot that normally exists as a result of combustion, remember the mixture is mostly air so you are dealing with all the dirt and impurities in the air in addition to the fuel. They have improved on the EGR design since then and they don't clog up as much as they used to on late model cars.
@winston0079 That code rarely indicates a bad valve. I do believe it has the same plate which should be located under the fuel rail. If it's not there you need to remove the 4 individual plugs in the intake runners to clean the passages, I hope to do a video on that style the next time I get one in.
Wow , Eric thank you for such an awesome video . I read a lot of postings on this EGR problem but no good videos . The fact that you took the plate off and I got to see the underside of it was a big help , passages make sense now . I'm more confident now about removing the fuel injectors too . thanks again .
just finished cleaning my egr passages. great video thank you.. couldnt have done it without you! after breaking loose all of the carbon i vacuumed as well as i could and yet the engine still sputtered after first start lol. by the way everyone, use silicone lubricant on fuel injectors . it really is a bugger getting them in without it lol.
@DroppdHonda It's as simple as spraying carb or throttle cleaner in the passages, it comes in a spray can similar to paint BTW. You have to be careful how much you spray however as you will flood the engine, you will most likely have to put your foot to the floor on the gas when you start the car to put the engine in clear flood mode to shut the fuel injectors off. Beware of a lot of smoke when you first start it too so make sure your are in a well ventilated area.
It's been done for years. It's not so easy to reprogram however, in many cases you have to swap out some of the hardware in particular the PROM chip to do any reprogramming. In fact these days you will find many at the drag strip with a laptop plugged into the car not only creating the fuel maps but also recording them.
@wangbungal It's just carburetor cleaner. Hard to say if you have the same problem as it could be an issue with the operation of the EGR valve or the sensor that senses flow. I would start by checking to see if it is clogged though as that is the most common cause of that code.
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Thanx ALOT , after going to 2 different mechanics for having weird performence loss between 2250 and 2750 rpm on my accord 97 vtec, both received the same code of missfire on cyl 1 so i changed spark plugs, cables, rotor and 2 more things that i do not know the translation from french :) but still had the same issue and code, after checking on you tube i came uppon your video and actualy went to the garage and suggested to them that maybe this was the problem wich they ignored... so after 1 year with the same problem i decided to do it myself outside at -20 degrees and went actualy very well took 20-25 minutes to take everything of including the egr valve and everything was clogged... 15 minutes to clean and 15 to put everything back on... now it purr`s like a brand new kitten and gained very good performance :)
Eric it is well over 10 years that you made the EGR video and I want to thank you for posting it. I am repairing a car that I just bought to give to a family in need and wanted to save money fixing it so I did everything myself. Thanks to you I got this 2001 Honda Accord running like new. It has 217,000 miles on it and with your help you can't even tell its that old.
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your guidance my man
You are the best!
No Car can beat a Honda..keeps going and going
Awesome video, saved my butt. 97 accord. It was gunked up completely with the engine light on. 60 minutes later, no light, better performance, it's all good. Thanks Eric, you are awesome!
I just did this this morning to my Accord. Very easy to do. It took all of an hour from start to finish. This video was a GREAT help. Eric's videos are the best on here for repair help.
I used my shop vac to suck the carbon out of the intake, I also pushed a small drill bit in BY HAND, to make sure the passages were fully clean. Pulled my EGR valve and it was not blocked, the passages were, 3 out of 4, 2 completely. I reset my computer and erased the code, I ran it for about 15 minutes up to op temp, time will tell if it's also a bad EGR valve. I'm not buying one until I KNOW it needs one. Naturally when I carefully pulled the injectors like Eric said. One decided to stay in and pop out of the rail, not a big deal, it went back in without an issue. No leaks.
Thanks for the video Eric!
Thanks for another great video Eric ! I've been going through your old videos and using them to help fix typical issues on my son's '96 Accord DX with 141k.
Just did all the seals, and belts under the timing cover and saved it from going to the junk yard with it's previous owner. It's a survivor and will make a great first car for my son. It runs awesome, and has no rust ! Thanks again for all you do!
Just did this on my 94 Honda accord. It didn't have a failed emissions test however some performance and fuel economy issues. Not only were the passages dirty but the fuel injectors too. It's a whole different car now. 👍
Anthony Wigren going to do this right now on my 97. It just feels too slow these days. Happy to see that this video is still relevant.
@@terrywedlake Good thing is it isn't that difficult to do. Just be careful with the fuel injectors. I had one of the o rings on one buckle and fuel started spraying out the rail. Yes! Some of us still choose to keep our old Honda's around. 264,000 miles on mine and still going strong. Best of luck to you!
Thanks a lot again. I will try this on my Honda cause the EGR code came on and it feels like it's about to turn off when I come to a stop. You have helped plenty of times when I have questions about symptoms of my car.
Did It work? Mine just started doing the same thing and same code
Just did my daughters 1997 Accord. Yikes what a mess. All ports were completely closed off. Runs great now. Thanks Eric (ETCG).
Eric I have a 97 Accord ,,,When I started it yesterday it ran perfect ,,,I then cut it off and cleaned the engine and rinsed the engine with no power hooked ..I allowed engine to completely dry ..Had no fuel in the fuel rail at all this morning ..Checked my fuel pump and was no humming ,,messed with the fuel pump connection and now I have fuel in the rail..That is something I will do tomorrow as you described GUNK in the egr area of the fuel rail ..Thanks And Bet Your Ass I stay nasty ,,,I buy cars and fix them and sell them ..30 years I have bought and sold ,,Your channel teaches me stuff God Bless
I agree. God Bless EricTheCarGuy. :) I suggest you become a member at www.ericthecarguy.com. It's much better to ask automotive questions there. Many great mechanics and DIYers there. I may have more time than Eric to answer questions on TH-cam. (He's quicker to help out over there.) I do it because it's my "next step" in learning beyond videos and cranking on cars. When I give people feedback, they give feedback and we all end up learning together.
No fuel pressure? I'd check to listen for the pump first. 2nd check the fuse. Try bridging the relay that runs the fuel pump, or trade another relay in the car. It usually makes something else not work, but if the fuel pump works, you've now found your problem. (Swapping relays, I've fixed "bad" starters and fuel pumps. Obviously, we still needed an additional working relay, lol)
If none of the above helped and you're not building fuel pressure. Fuel pump time...Eric has a video on it. Without him I wouldn't have found 2 bad fuel pumps now. :) . . . if the system has a return on it the fuel pressure regulator has an effect along with the filter, but probably not the problem unless either one is clogged.
I've seen the speedo trick used before, very effective, great suggestion. On these Honda's it wouldn't work however, they made the passages at 90º to the main passage so on the old style Accord you still have to drill or pop out the plugs over the passages. I used silicone because I had it handy, I stressed using very little because I know it can effect the O2. Keep the comments coming Les, they keep me honest.
I have a 2000 Accord LX with 144,000. My CheckEngine light came on. My mechanic told me that Honda EGR valves rarely need to be replaced, but that the passage around it and into the intake manifold DO need to have the carbon cleaned from the valves. So cleaned, yes, but replaced, no. The mechanic who worked on my car told me that it would require several hours. It took under two hours.
Thanks for making EGR cleaning video. It really helped.
I have 97 Acrura CL with 160K miles, and experienced this surging problem (as you described) 3 years ago. Amber engine check light turns on once a while. I took my Acrua CL to dealer 3 years ago, but they could not find out the problem because it was intermittent. I have to reset car's computer by unplugging the battery to make the amber check engine light off. After cleaning up the EGR passage, it felt like it was brand new.
i just got done doing this same job to my 97 accord ex... THANK YOU SO MUCH!~
Eric,thanks for your video got p0401 on my Honda accord 2000 and I ask my local car garage to fix it they said it will cost me £419 for the egr valve and not cleaning the egr port passages they said petrol engines doesn't block only diesel engines according to that car garage but since I watched your video I didn't believed on them,done all the cleaning on EGR port passages today for almost 5hrs.Thanks again Eric.
I think your videos are great. You are a great teacher! Thank You.
I cant wait to clean my EGR passages tomorrow afternoon after I finish a Valve lash adjustment on my 01 CRV. Thanks to Eric the car guy videos I fixed just about everything a few years ago! That was at 145k. Im at 205k now. Thanks for all the help Eric!! Stay Dirty Friend!
I just did this to my acura and it's like a completely different car
My 1993 accord failed smog test for NO. I knew if I took it to a mechanic I would end up with a new catalytic converter, then an EGR valve then this repair. I followed this video and found the EGR passages completely clogged. Cleaned it put it back together and it passed smog. You are awesome, thanks!!!
Do I have to remove my valve cover to do this, and if so do I have to replace the valve cover gasket if mine isn't cracked? Thank you Eric.
One of these 5th generation Accords no, maybe other engines you would need to. To give yourself some more room, you COULD, but not necessary.
To respond to your second part of the question, typically yes if you take the gasket off you will need to replace it. I say typically, as it is an as needed basis.
This 12 year old video is still relevant to my 25 year old Accord.
Weird serging> ✔️
Check engine light ✔️
Egr code p0410 ✔️
85 dollar replacement egr valve that did nothing to solve the problem ✔️ ✔️
Thanks for all the great content over the years 👍
Hi Eric, at 4:12 you mention, "I ran some cleaner through them." What kind of cleaner were you talking about? Thanks!
Most likely brake clean
I had same model, but 1998 Honda Accord, as well as the same EGR code P0401. I followed Eric's instruction, open the exhausted manifold, guess what, I got the exactly the same EGR port plugged solidly. After I cleaned the port, the code clear up and without changing EGR valve as car dealer or auto part seller recommended. Thank you very much EricTheCarGuy!!!! The most important thing is you saved us bunch of moneys!!!! I sincerely recommend this detailed video to anyone has the similar problems.
Nice.. i tried my 99 Accord.. cleaned and cleaned but to no avail i failed inspection..has to replace the EGR valve,Solenoid and Diaphragm.. 200 bucks total,drive cycle done and it passed.Sometimes you just cant clean everything it must be replaced.
Hello Mike, I have a 2001 Honda that I may have to do the same thing on. What would you say is the average labor cost for this work?
200$ my 98 v6 accord sedan
@EricTheCarGuy
Good info. Thanks! I finally got the bedeviling bolts off the EGR valve to remove and inspect it. The valve holds a vacuum and was somewhat caked up, was not blocked or restriced. Cleaned it up. Looking at the amount of carbon stacked up at the entry to the egr rail, I'm betting the inlets are totally blocked with the same stuff. Gonna just drill a hole in them big enough to use a coat hanger and poke and stir to create an opening. Thanks again for the wise words.
Thanks Eric, good video. Just did mine, very simple 1 hour job. To the 47 idiots who 'thumbed down' this video - Get a life.
My 97 accord thanks you greatly, Eric. Your videos on these older honda engines are the best. PO401 is a new symptom for her. As well as a PO715 (possibly because she's running a bit warm?). 308800 miles after getting back from Hocking Hills Ohio. She really isn't used to those uphill pulls after 5 hours of travel from flatland SE Michigan. 4 days of hiking the wilderness, and its back into the garage we go. Thanks for helping me get smart enough to be dangerous. Staying dirty!
Emission pass after the cleaning.
Youz a legend. Have the same engine. F22B1. Compression at 180. New plugss ,wire,distributor,fuel pump,fuel filter and still sputtered. But a freakin 20 minut egr cleaning and now it runs like a champ. Wish i found this vid a few hundred bucks ago.
I ended up replacing the intake manifold gaskets and cleaning the valves, initially i had an air leak and surge but found out the intake bolts needed more torque. FYI it's not easy to reach some of those bolts.
I know you probably won’t see this, but thank you so much! I was driving home tonight and the check engine light came on and was hoping it wasn’t too bad. For a 97 Accord with 222,300 miles on it, it’s holding up pretty good!
I wish I had a husband like you that knows about cars. My husband don't know anything and I always have to look for a mechanic to fix my car 😠😠
Women can fix cars too! All you need for this one is a socket set, a screwdriver and some random cleaners and lubricants.
do go ho-ing if you haven't already bc he don't fix cars
+Monasty Smoov *don't
these cars are pretty easy to work on. Almost everything uses a 10, 12, or 14mm socket, until you get into more major stuff. and there are lots of helpful youtube videos like this one to walk you through. Get your hands dirty! There are few things as satisfying as fixing your car yourself, hearing that purr, and knowing those hundreds even thousands of dollars are still in your pocket and not the mechanic's!
I started working on cars with no previous knowledge or training, I just figured "It's designed to be assembled/disassembled relatively easily, it can't be that hard to figure out!" and when you get frustrated or stuck on something (it happens) then there are angels like Eric to come to the rescue!
I don't need to tell you what kind of person you are, it's very apparent. But poking jokes and overall disrespect about your husband is pretty low,i feel sorry for him and he could probably do better than a b**ch like you.
Great video! I performed the same operation (no pun intended) on my '96 Accord. Worked like a charm. I cleaned up the EGR and all the ports but was still getting the error code for EGR. I decided to get a new EGR and install it ditching the old one. Very easy procedure, thanks for sharing Mr. Eric.
Now the ULEV vTec motor, how does one clean the EGR passage out of those MOTORS???
swap in an h22
@ElPhantasm0 I'm glad to help, thanks for the comment, these are my favorite BTW.
What year Accord is this?
2002
Well damn. I've watched this video many times before and it NEVER clicked in my mind that the symptoms I'm getting in my '91 Accord that I've been confusing with a bad torque converter are actually probably related to clogged EGR... gonna dive into removing that intake manifold and cleaning the ports to see if the shudder on acceleration and at constant load goes away. I'll let you know, thanks Eric!
Eric your my Honda Guru! I've done this to both of my accords. the 96 did the mini nosedive on the highway a few times. Not my 95 tho, however bother were really clogged and nasty. I even tried sea foam before doing this and I'll tell you what it wasn't enough. I wish more mechanics did this with a tune up since its so simple and virtually takes no time. I cleaned the 95 then sea foamed it, seemed to help and kick out a lot of junk!
Thank you .I did this in my driveway in 45 min. Did the trick three of four ports totally clogged. Saved 75 bucks on plugs cap and wires. Thanks again.
I believe this is what is wrong with my 94 Honda Accord. I have a code 14 . I have enjoyed your videos and I was led to changing my fuel injectors and came across carbon. Our next step is to clean the manifold. My car had an idle surge but has since ceased the more we clean out the carbon. It still jerks me around really bad in 1st and 2nd gear and in higher gears I can still feel the engine surge a tiny bit. I am hoping this is the last step to my one year battle with Honda Asthma. My Honda aka Christine is my baby. Hoping to one day enjoy driving her again.
Great video Eric.I've done my 91where I had to drill them out..My Stepdaughter has a 97 and I am doing it tomorrow. Thanks Brother.
Was having issues with misfiring at partial throttle, cleaned the EGR passages out and it solved my problem.1995 Honda Accord 4cyl Automatic
@EricTheCarGuy They might have started using these with the 94-97 gen accords. I have a 94 accord and it has this type of egr passage and I just cleaned them using your video. All of the holes were cloogedto the rim with carbon. I actually feel the car running better after the cleaning. Thanks for a great vid Eric
Thats Mind blowing that you know the surge as a symptom. Well mine is faint but its during acceleration and you for sure feel it slightly.
@EricTheCarGuy
Just got back from work and took it off. All 4 were completely clogged and so was the plate. Its all back together and it seems that the car performs better, Just seems smoother! Thank you very much! Now im just waiting for my check engine light to kick off so I can inspect it :)
With the help of your video I cleaned the EGR passages and ports on my 97 accord. The video was excellent and made my job so much easier. Cudos to you. The engine runs smoother and the service engine light stays off. Thanks for your help with the video.
ERIC, You are the super man....i feel myself so luck that i found you and it got me rid of my all my car issues; no one was able to diagnose and repair it...they were just taking my the horse ride....Awesome work man...God bless you...If i come to Ohio, i would definitely not go without meeting you.Thanks a millionnnnn!!
ETCG, thank you very much for a very effective walk-through. Just did this to the 95 Honda Accord that I just bought, and the results were immediate. No more low-end stumbling, and lot's more response with acceleration.
@holmesnmanning I'm not sure what your asking but the purpose of cleaning these out is to remove the hard carbon deposits that are causing a restriction in flow. The best way to remove these deposits is scrape out what you can and use a cleaner that dissolves the rest of the deposits.
@joesimmons90 Passages are just that, a place for the recirculated exhaust to flow. The condensation and carbon in the exhaust cause the clogs. EGR is there to help cool the combustion chamber while under load to help prevent NOx emissions. The inert exhaust gas displaces some of the mix and cools the combustion chamber helping to prevent the NOx and any preignition or detonation that might result from too much heat in the combustion chamber.
Thanks very much Eric ... I was able to help a family member clear out their EGR passages on a 1996 Accord with almost 400k km's. It was clogged.
This helps a lot, my check engine light came on not too long ago, and when I took it in today for a diagnostic, this came up, along with Cylinder 3 Misfire, which the tech said could be caused by clogged EGR passages. Gotta search for my Shop Vac again...
Awesome! I used a old piece of speedo cable in a multi speed drill to clean the passage of a Mustang. Soaking with WD-40 sometimes help. I uses a lil bit of assy greese on the o'ring of the injectors. Vasoline would work as well and can be had at the cornor store.
Your a Super Tech Eric.. Rock on!
Les
@hfimb Sweet, I'm glad the video worked so well for you. Thanks for your comment.
@killersoundz Not O2 sensor. Clean the EGR passages to start and inspect the rest of the ignition system for faults as misfires under load are often ignition related. If you don't find anything there you might check the fuel pressure just to make sure you have good pressure as low fuel pressure can cause that problem but I hardly ever see a bad Honda fuel pump but if someone replaced it with an aftermarket pump this may be the source of the problem.
Eric,
Thanx so much for the detailed video; I isolated the problem, followed the video...and voila!, the Check Engine Light is now off, ready for the annual inspection. Thanx again for your expertise.
@topgrain EGR is there to keep down NOx emissions which are created during conditions of high temperature and pressure. This is probably the worst greenhouse gas as it is directly related to smog. The EGR system re-routs exhaust gasses back to the combustion chamber to help cool the mix and in turn keeps NOx emissions down. An EGR system allows for higher compression ratios so that more power can be produced in the engine as well.
This is the best most informative video i have ever seen. Been having surging problem with my 96 accord and was just about to clean the EGR valve and was not sure about how to attack the ports. Great video!
Sweet, I'm glad you got what you were looking for there. EGR is something I defiantly plan to cover in a future video but I'm glad you got your answer now rather than waiting for me to get to it, there's still soo much more to cover.
Eric, great vid, thanks for still having it up. My 96 4 cyl VTEK just started popping the P0401 code at 254K mi. Guessing this is the problem since the EGR rail has never been cleaned out since I bought the car with 92K mi. Looks like it's important to be vacuuming each of the four holes as they're being cleaned out to prevent gungy carbon going down into the intake and probably eventually gunking up the cat.
@EricTheCarGuy
Gathered enough courage and followed the instructions in your video and had no problems in cleaning up the EGR port holes and channels on my accord 97. All because of this great video!
@RodgersResearch The gunk inside the intake is actually from the PCV system as it recirculates the air inside the engine back into the intake in controlled amounts, as an engine wears out however it creates more of that gunk and clogs the intake more as a result.
@RodgersResearch Sly Glyde is actually petroleum based and is not equivalent to silicone and will react badly with some rubber compounds, it's purpose in this video is only to prevent damage to the injector seals nothing more. I haven't used the Loctite stuff but if it's silicone based it should be equivalent.
Remove the intake manifold, flip it over and you will see a passage just behind the throttle body that's probably clogged with carbon. Clean that out, re-install the manifold and you should be good to go. Clear the check engine light by removing the (-) battery cable before you test drive it.
@Pi57457 It may be different but the passages are in the same location. You will see what looks like metal plugs in the intake runners, these are the individual passages into each cylinder. You can drill a hole through each of these to clean out the passages and then plug the holes with epoxy when you are done. I hope to do a companion video to this showing that set up at some point in the future when I get one in.
@K4N088 A lean code is hardly ever a sensor, cleaning the EGR passages is a good start, that can sometimes set that code. You might also check for vacuum leaks.
@CRN090 It doesn't sound like an EGR problem. If you have any check engine lights start with diagnosing the causes of those first then look to the fuel and ignition systems for faults. It would be best to find out what is missing when the problem happens, spark or fuel, find that and your half way home to finding the problem.
Good luck and thanks for the comment.
@bootzkutzco I had it off for another reason however your model may not have the removable plate instead you may have to remove a set of plugs in the intake to gain access to the passages if this is the case watch the video response to this video as it shows how to deal with that situation. Good luck.
@fivestarsi5 It's not a neutral safety switch per se but a gear indicator switch that is attached to the lower part of the shifter itself. It's common for that switch to have a problem especially in colder weather. I often don't replace it but rather clean it with contact cleaner and reinstall it so that it makes contact in a slightly different location for park that is not worn. I hope to make a video on this next time I run into it.
@markkjay It's also very important to use the right ignition parts so be sure you are using NGK or Nippon Denso spark plugs, NGK or OE wires, and a good cap and rotor. Also check for oil in the spark plug wells. If the EGR is at issue then it often acts as a 'surge' on the highway or under load, what you describe sounds more like an ignition issue. TCC is only active during cruse not acceleration.
I appreciate ALL the information you share, the hard work you put into the videos and the time you take to logically and thoroughly explain things! THANK YOU SIR and GOD BLESS!
Excellent vid! All 4 were completely plugged and then some. Thanks for helping my 97 accord with 200k stay alive
@1PARADOXXX That may be a different issue, first try checking the valve by applying vacuum to it while the engine is at idle, if the engine stalls or stumbles the EGR valve is working, if it doesn't replace the valve. That's a good place to start.
@TravisKiller You may yet want to look into the idle circuit but I still recommend you check for vacuum leaks just to eliminate that possibility. Good luck.
You are correct with #2. Heat makes the reaction more efficient, operating temp is 600ºF, that's why the single wires are placed as close to the engine as possible. Later O2 sensors have heaters to bring them up to temp more rapidly.
Great how-to video. I watched this a couple of times and then cleaning the EGR ports on my 97 Accord (202K miles) was a piece of cake! Every port was plugged as well as the channels in the port cover. Car runs much smoother now. Maybe I'll even get a little better mileage out of the deal. Thanks!
@Mexicanorockero Actually it's even easier on a 2001 V6 because all you have to do is remove the upper intake plate. Thanks for the comment.
thanks Eric, I'm gonna do it to my 95 honda odyssey, it just fail smog test, every thing pass, but in NO(PPM) fails, max is 517, ave is 101, meas is 795.
once again I really appreciate all your information, I'm saving a lot money in simple details...Gby
@authmaax EGR actually lowers NOx emissions when the engine is under load. It can also be argued that with an EGR you can run higher compression since it helps reduce combustion temperatures.
Going out today and clean the EGR passages on my '97 Accord.
@TravisKiller You should be fine with that, especially if all you have to do is remove the plate on the top of the intake, it's a fairly straightforward and easy process really. Even if you need to remove the intake it's also a simple operation that does not require any special tools.
@c72zero It won't cause surging on deceleration but rather on acceleration or steady cruse. The valve is rarely the problem it's more likely the passages will be clogged like in this video so a stuck open valve is not likely, when they fail they usually don't open and you don't really notice a performance problem at all.
THANK YOU so much for this vid! I just bought a 96 accord with only 150,000 miles and pretty mint! I did have a EGR code. I followed what you did and they all were cliogged! Complete cleaning and perfect!
@kobevsjordan310 I'm glad I was able to help and you got the job done. I sometimes take a shop vac to the gunk to help get it out but if it gets into the engine it would burn up and I don't think would present a real problem. I appreciate the donation if you decide to send it, thanks for the comment.
:::UPDATE::: This mourning I performed this clean on my 97 VTEC Accord, yes the passages were SUPER clogged. I haven't been able to drive it much yet, but when I do, I'll let you know if in fact the clogged passages were the cause of the hesitation I mentioned in your other video.
P.S.* your video are the shiznittle, with your help this job was much easier than I originally thought, please keep up the Awesome work!!!
An often overlooked area is the battery cables, especially if they are of those cheep aftermarket variety. They tend to corrode and cause a huge voltage drop. You might want to check into it and clean them up. Also, I don't think taking a reading at the cig lighter is the best reading, I would take it off of the battery or the positive of the alternator.
@nobleheight It's probably the bulb, that one is the first to burn out as it is the most used.
@Sorcerer1984 I don't think running seafoam through the intake is going to clean the EGR ports for a couple of reasons, first it would not come in direct contact with the clogged passages as they are above the intake runners and anything sucked in would go below them. Also those carbon deposits get pretty hard and even using a drill it's sometimes hard to clean them out. My preferred method is to clean out the passages manually.
I have watched a few of your videos and you always come through. I like how you explain what went wrong and why. You give a great hands on presentation that allows a "Home Mechanic" the know how to do it. I appreciate what you do Thank You!
@scr8souf If your just putting it in the oil I don't think it would be very effective at cleaning the passages for the most part when they reach this level of restriction the only remedy is to physically clean them as demonstrated in this video. If your asking if you could use it in place of the carb cleaner I suppose you could but I think the carb cleaner would be more efficient and easier to use in a case like this.
@journeyquest1 The blockage is actually caused by condensation and the soot that normally exists as a result of combustion, remember the mixture is mostly air so you are dealing with all the dirt and impurities in the air in addition to the fuel. They have improved on the EGR design since then and they don't clog up as much as they used to on late model cars.
Hi...clean engine oil can also be used to coat the rings that are between the manifold, and fuel injectors.
Thank you for the videos ETCG.
I used spit. lol
@winston0079 That code rarely indicates a bad valve. I do believe it has the same plate which should be located under the fuel rail. If it's not there you need to remove the 4 individual plugs in the intake runners to clean the passages, I hope to do a video on that style the next time I get one in.
@TravisKiller That doesn't sound like it has anything to do with the EGR, you might want to check for vacuum leaks and check the idle circuit.
Wow , Eric thank you for such an awesome video . I read a lot of postings on this EGR problem but no good videos . The fact that you took the plate off and I got to see the underside of it was a big help , passages make sense now . I'm more confident now about removing the fuel injectors too . thanks again .
Thanks, it really helped, I failed emissions for Nox, but now I have one of those hard to find vaccum leaks
just finished cleaning my egr passages. great video thank you.. couldnt have done it without you! after breaking loose all of the carbon i vacuumed as well as i could and yet the engine still sputtered after first start lol. by the way everyone, use silicone lubricant on fuel injectors . it really is a bugger getting them in without it lol.
@DroppdHonda It's as simple as spraying carb or throttle cleaner in the passages, it comes in a spray can similar to paint BTW. You have to be careful how much you spray however as you will flood the engine, you will most likely have to put your foot to the floor on the gas when you start the car to put the engine in clear flood mode to shut the fuel injectors off. Beware of a lot of smoke when you first start it too so make sure your are in a well ventilated area.
It's been done for years. It's not so easy to reprogram however, in many cases you have to swap out some of the hardware in particular the PROM chip to do any reprogramming. In fact these days you will find many at the drag strip with a laptop plugged into the car not only creating the fuel maps but also recording them.
@wangbungal It's just carburetor cleaner. Hard to say if you have the same problem as it could be an issue with the operation of the EGR valve or the sensor that senses flow. I would start by checking to see if it is clogged though as that is the most common cause of that code.
Thanks man like for real saved me a lot of money for a quick and easy fix that a dealership could not diagnose for $100