EGR/IAC cleaning

[mario4346]

Hi, quick questions....can I clean out my egr valve w/sea foam? ...if so, is it as easy as just taking it out and soaking it or what? Also, just cleaned my throttle body using sea foam (love the stuff!) w/the help of a DIY on TN but my question is regarding the IAC, can I just spray/pour sf into the hole or will that damage it somehow? THANKS.

[2000le4cyl]

i know i did not get there those two bottem screws to take EGR out easily,......
SPECIAL tools?

[mario4346]

anyone?

[hooRAH]

I've never taken out the EGR on a Camry before, but I've done it on a corolla. It was just 2 13/14mm nuts and it came right out - am I missing something?

Anyway, I know you guys all love seafoam, but I'd use some carb or throttle body cleaner, as the stuff is in spray form and much easier to get into things like the EGR that have tubes, inlets, and outlets.

When I cleaned mine, I just popped it off, sprayed it with TB cleaner, let it soak, sprayed it some more, and blew it out with compressed air. Nothign to it.

[Kep]

You can use the Sea Foam to clean the EGR. However, if the EGR is crudded up a lot you will probably need to carefully chip the crud off the valve with a small screw driver or pick. Try not to scratch the piston or poke a hole in your palm. When I did mine I let it soak without getting the diaphragm in the solution and then chipped and scarped. Then I let it soak a little more and just kept doing that until I finished.

Also check the vacuum lines going to the EGR modulator. The lower one on mine was completely plugged with carbon.

It is a lot easier to get the lower nut of the EGR on the pipe if you remove the throttle body first. Otherwise, a crows foot kind of works. However, if you remove the throttle body on an I-4 it gives you easy access to the IAC valve to clean it.

Also look down the vertical pipe that the EGR sits on and verify that it is clear. If it isn't I believe that you can disconnect it at the bottom but check back someone will know.

Kep

[Riick]

Originally Posted by mario4346

Hi, quick questions....can I clean out my egr valve w/sea foam? ...if so, is it as easy as just taking it out and soaking it or what? Also, just cleaned my throttle body using sea foam (love the stuff!) w/the help of a DIY on TN but my question is regarding the IAC, can I just spray/pour sf into the hole or will that damage it somehow? THANKS.

Just did the IAC on my 2000 Avalon, got a new one on Ebay a while ago, and finally installed it - must have fallen off a truck, under $50.

Job was pretty easy, once I figured out I needed a #0 phillips screwdriver,
plus some WD40 and a few strong taps with hammer to loosen the screws.
Ordinary screwdriver has blades not large enough to grab screw heads, just distorts them.
You can clean the IAC, but I've heard it is a temporary solution, only good for a few thousand miles.
If you clean IAC, soak it overnight in a cleaner to loosen & get everything out, then toothbrush it clean - DON'T soak the plastic housing - it holds a small motor, that does not like solvents!