pulling engine codes - Toyota Nation Forum : Toyota Car and Truck Forums

GuJu MaN 89 · 12-26-2005, 11:28 AM

i have a 97 corolla, and i want to see if it is the EGR vacuum switch which is causing the rough idle, is tehre any way i can check myself to see if the EGR switch/valve is bad?

Corollacrazy42 · 12-26-2005, 01:53 PM

i dont even know what the egr is, but i was meaning to ask somewhere so i didnt look stupid and this looks like a great spot. I think the codes my prizm gave off are the ones related to the egr.. but i dont knwo what it is, or where it is located, or how to clean it... i would love to get my damn check engine light off!

touringcamry · 12-26-2005, 02:34 PM

I think you put a vaccuum pump on there and it should die or run rough when vaccuum is applied to the EGR or VSV.

There's two UFO saucer looking things near the throttle body. One of them is EGR and the other is EGR VSV. Spray some throttle body cleaner in there and knock the carbon stuff out of there with a hammer or something like that.

Have you pulled the code for the check engine light? If your Prism is built prior to 94 or 95, it will be OBD I and you can pull the code yourself with the paper clip or a piece of jumper wire.

89molavi · 12-26-2005, 03:15 PM

Well a '97 is OBD II and you will need a code reader. Autozone will read the codes for free with the hope of selling you something. That's where I will start. A bad EGR could be the cause of bad idle. It is the Exhaust Gas Recirculation valve, it reduces emisions from a cold engine.

Corollacrazy42 · 12-26-2005, 06:11 PM

oo ic.. mines a 98 and i got the codes for the check engine light.. i can get them later dont know where the paper is right now.. but i still confused as to where this egr valve and stuff is.. can someone take a piture of what it looks like or something or explain exactly where it is.. sry about this

touringcamry · 12-26-2005, 11:22 PM

^
Look near the throttle body. There's two UFO saucer looking things with 2 or 3 pieces of hose going into them.

Right between the pssenger side wiper arm and the TRD logo on the strut bar, there's two circular things with some hose going into it. Those are the EGR and VSV...which one is which I have no clue, but I know that's what those are. This is a pic of my Camry so your Corolla won't look the same.

OEMonkey · 12-27-2005, 05:41 AM

Those 2 circular things are the egr valve and the egr vac modulator. The egr vsv is located under the intake manifold on your camry. There's a vac diagram label under the hood for reference.
Testing Toyota's egr circuit is pretty easy. Those w/ obd II dtc's need to post your codes. The most common egr related DTC for Toyota is P0401. Usually it's a bad vsv or clogged egr and egr passages that can easily be remedied by cleaning.

OneNuke89 · 12-27-2005, 02:45 PM

Yep, I have the P0401 code. I bought my own OBDII reader and cleared the CE light, but it came on again. So, I'm figuring the EGR is clogged. I had the same problem way back when on my Ford Taurus SHO. Cleaning remedied the SHO, so I'm hoping it does the same for the Corolla. I'm wondering, though, do I have to remove the EGR completely to clean it. The Haynes tells me to remove the entire throttle body, and that's not something I really want to get into today. Thanks, and I look forward to helping out as much as possible on the board.

GuJu MaN 89 · 12-27-2005, 07:19 PM

yea i went to autozone, they said they could pull the error codes for $30 buks. i said screw that and left, it costs $80 for them to actually inspect the EGR system.

OneNuke89 · 12-28-2005, 06:00 PM

$30?? I went to my local Autozone and they let me borrow the OBDII reader by just giving them my license. I did it right outside their door, then went and turned it back in after I got the code. I finally ended up buying one at Walmart for like $60. I can't believe they'd charge you like that......sounds kind of fishy.