Rough idle and surging fixed with EGR blanking!

[Pete Smith]

Just thought I would share in case anyone else has the same issues.
I have a 2010 1.6hdi Berlingo, it's a late model first edition.
Since owning it has two issues, which were annoying but I had learned to live with;

• When starting from cold the engine idle was poor - it would fluctuate between 800 and 900 rpm, and blow a bit of blue smoke. When things had warmed up it would stabilise and idle quite well, but it was poor when cold.
  
• When driving along at a constant speed I could feel the engine surging - just a slight increase then decrease in power in a continual cycle. It was slight but noticeable, and annoying!
  

I carried out a lot of work on the engine recently - full service all filters/timing belt/camshaft timing chain/injector seals/new turbo cartridge/cleaned EGR etc, and I hoped that in amongst all of this work I would fix my problems.
It made no difference whatsoever !
Last weekend I decided to try blanking the EGR just to see if it made any difference, the blanking plate was only a fiver off ebay and it's a simple job to do.
I can't believe the difference it's made, all issues now gone and the van drives perfect - runs brilliant all the time.

I didn't now that I had an EGR problem - no warning lights on dash, and when I removed it to clean it there was no major carbon build up.
But obviously something was not right with it, and now it's blanked off my problems have blissfully evaporated.

Don't know if blanking the EGR will give me problems with emissions at MOT time, if it does I guess I will just pull out the blanking plate to get through the test them put it back in, doesn't take long!

So there you go, an EGR blanking success  story - worth trying if you have any issues similar to mine.

Pete

[cancunia]

You need to remember that blanking the EGR is technically no longer legal, so it can't be recommended on here.

IMHO
The idea of cutting down the oxygen that goes into the engine by mixing it with exhaust in order to lower the NOX is really just shifting the goalposts from NOX to particulates on engines with no DPF. So, the EGR valve is often a bit of a mixed blessing on older engines & overall it's questionable about it's environmental benefit.

[jj9]

. . . Don't know if blanking the EGR will give me problems with emissions at MOT time, if it does I guess I will just pull out the blanking plate to get through the test them put it back in, doesn't take long!

You won't have any emission problems due to the blank at MOT time.


.

[benoliver999]

Quite tempted to try this on my 2003 2.0HDi, but

a) Looks like a very fiddly job and I have big hands
b) Worried about engine warning lights, MOT woes etc

Anyone here ever done it on a 2.0?

[cancunia]

Quite tempted to try this on my 2003 2.0HDi, but

a) Looks like a very fiddly job and I have big hands
b) Worried about engine warning lights, MOT woes etc

Anyone here ever done it on a 2.0?

You'll likely get the EML on a 2.0, the 1.6 has different firmware & ECU (Bosch as opposed to Siemens). I tried it on my 2.0 M59 & it gave more problems than it solved.

[Softweigh]

Hi Pete

I have a similar issue on my M59 Berlingo 1.3 L Petrol engine ...does it have an EGR sensor and can you also fit a blanking plate? Is location on the inlet manifold??

[Pete Smith]

Hi Pete

I have a similar issue on my M59 Berlingo 1.3 L Petrol engine ...does it have an EGR sensor and can you also fit a blanking plate?  Is location on the inlet manifold??

Hi - I'm not familiar with the 1.3 L engine I'm afraid. On the 1.6 HDI the EGR is located on the right hand side of the engine block, and you have to remove air intake pipes and fuel filter to get to it.
Fitting the blanking plate is a piece of cake, don't even need to fully remove the EGR valve, just slacken off the two mounting bolts and slip it into the gap.
Sorry not that helpful I know, but not familiar with that power unit !

[oilyrag]

No EGR on a 1.4 petrol, so no plate to fit!

[Kyleonsite]

I have a 2004 2.0HDI, just unplug the vacuum hose from the solenoid to the EGR and plug with a 6mm bolt.
Doesn't flag the EML and you don't have the hassle of trying to fit a blanking plate.

[Zion]

That works if your EGR isn't stuck open or part way open. Otherwise, a blanking plate is needed.