Stupid Engine Light

[Guest]

My 95' Engine light keeps popping on mostly above 50 mph can't find anyone to code unless I pay like $50 and not feeling like paying that...anyways I was told to check my EGR vavle and clean it but not sure where it is...and the engine doesn't lose power or cut when the light comes and it stays on until i turn the car off. Any Help would be great!!!!!!It is a 95 base 3100!

[wicked-irocz]

get it scanned, there has to be a advance or autozone nearby, they usually do it for free.

[Guest]

In your other topic you said you were checking connections, is it possible you might have loosened a connection or pinched a wire?

[Guest]

if its a 3100 i doubt auto zone or advance can scan it,---they cannot scan my 94-it takes a special hookup they don't have.
 you can jiggle some wires and see if it kicks the light on ,you could get lucky,but you ought to just save your pennies and get it scanned,or you could end up spending a lot of time and money chasing this thing.And believe me-I am speaking from experiance on trying to save a dollar and in the end spending 20.
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[Guest]

No I rechecked all the connections and the engine was popping on before I did that. But now it is more often. Ok I guess I better save up alittle and get her scanned thanks.

[1988GTU]

If you have a Murrays Discount Auto near you, they should have the proper scan tool you need.  It would be called "Actron" .  They should have one for OBD2 & OBD1.

[Guest]

Never heard of that place!

[IsaacHayes]

Ok, I can save you the trouble. This is your EGR valve. Trust me I know. It kicks on under light load/partial throttle when at speed. Usualy at 40mph+. You're car will likely run fine with the light, but it's annoying as hell. Only time it would run rough is if it stuck open, which if it's the style like mine, it usualy sticks closed and just gives you the code. I'm 100% sure that's your problem. If you do get it scanned it will say something like EGR soleniod #3 stuck or somethign like that. It will only get more frequent as the carbon builds up more and more. The light will only come on when the car tries to open the EGR valve. Then when you shut it off, it won't come back on until it tries again.

EGR valves are expensive, so to clean it instead read this:

I'm not sure if your 95 is a early model, or later model. If it's the earlier model then it will be like my 94. The EGR valve will have 3 solenoids. Unbolt it, (easy 2 bolts), disconnect the wire, take it to your work bench, then get some carb cleaner, and push open the valves with an awl and spray some carb cleaner in there. Work them up and down lots of times until they feel "smooth" and not scratchy or sticky. If they stick open and won't pop back up after pushing them down, get a small tack hammer and tap the bottom of the EGR plate.  Keep working em good and clean it out with more carb cleaner. This will fix the EGR valve itself.

NEXT: You'll need to clean the passage way of the intake manifold as that is going to be clogged with carbon too. That may be the main problem, as if it's totally clogged, your SES light will come on every time you go ~40mph and it tries to engage the EGR valve. Look at where you unbolted the EGR. There will be a passage way into the intake manifold. Get a stiff wire (can be tough eletrical wire) and the carb cleaner. Push the wire in there and spray spray spray. Keep working that wire. You'll want to take off the tube that goes from the air filter to the throttle body and then manualy open the throttle body to see all the crap come out. Take a rag or your fingers and scrape the sludge out of the throttle body so it does not go down into the motor. You can also run the wire from this side up, but doing so would be easier if you took the throttle body off, but remember you'd need a new throttle body gasket when you go to put it back on. The EGR gaskets can be re-used, but if they look bad, take them to the dealer and say I need this kind of EGR gasket at the parts counter and they'll get you the right ones. The parts stores did not have the right ones for me, so I had to go to the dealer for that.

If your 95 is a later model it might have a differnt EGR valve that is just a big round thing. I'm not sure how those work so I can't offer advice to clean that. I think it's a big varible plunger type deal. BUT if you have this style, go a head and clean out the intake manifold passage like I described above. That may fix your problem.

Remember to wear safety glasses when using carb cleaner and tapping the bottom of the EGR valve. It will splatter at you!!  

The EGR valve is for pollution control, and you can't turn it off, block it off, un-plug it without still getting that SES light. The computer senses a change in the pressure of the intake manifold when it opens up the EGR, if it doesn't, you get a light. Only way to disable it is to have the computer reprogrammed and that cost is way not worth it for that. Best to clean it and get it working again.


You should be able to lick it if you take your time and do a good job. Good luck!

[Guest]

thank you I will doing that tomorrow!!!!!

[wicked-irocz]

(brokenlugnut @ Jan. 30 2006,15:05)Q
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Eif its a 3100 i doubt auto zone or advance can scan it,---they cannot scan my 94-it takes a special hookup they don't have.
the three closest advances to me all have this hookup FYI.

[Guest]

(wicked-irocz @ Jan. 31 2006,15:04)Q
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E(brokenlugnut @ Jan. 30 2006,15:05)Q
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Eif its a 3100 i doubt auto zone or advance can scan it,---they cannot scan my 94-it takes a special hookup they don't have.
the three closest advances to me all have this hookup FYI.
well  none of the local az's or advances here have it. At least that's what they all tell me.:banana
which leads me to an interesting question---since the advance in mn near wicked has this oddball connection-and the 3 stores closest me claim not to have it------are there any members in the pittsburgh city area that have a 94 3100 that have had their car scanned at a local advance or auto zone?--if so please im me (so as NOT to hijack this thread)  with the location .thanks

[Guest]

good luck on the cleaning---I hope you have better luck than i have had.It SHOULD  work--but I have cleaned mine and it's passages ,2 or 3 times -as well as the throttle body(since I was in a cleaning mood lol) and the service shop cleaned it once --and I have also tried 3 different boneyard (with warrenty) egr valves and the damned light still comes on when I decelerate from highway speed.
 I have checked and rechecked wiring until I am blue in the face,and still no luck.
 The chevy garage tells me it is throwiing a code for the #3 engine not responding fast enough. They said it won't hurt anything --but is annoying.:banana

[Guest]

I didn't get to it today cause of weather and crap but I hope it works and light stays out! It is so annoying and then yesterday my brakes locked up in parking lot but now are fine...I think the car hates me!!!haha! And no Advanced or Autozone near me in Pa has a scanner for my car! I called around and asked but thier sign says can test all make and models! Make you wonder what they consider all make and models!!!

[Guest]

yeah it sucks--wher in pa. are you by the way?
we have the obd 1 -but the connector is an oddball for some darned reason.

[Guest]

I am 5 mins from Carlisle Pa! So right near the car shows! obd 1 is that the one for up to like 92-93 or what kind does mine use?