warranty enhancement; P0401 EGR Valve

I did clean the intake manifold and EGR pipe. I wanted to clean the cooler before the warranty notice arrived. My 2010 does not have the hardware described in documents I have seen so I have no idea how to separate it from the exhaust manifold. I still think it is strange that the valve assembly price on the work order is the price if I ordered it from Toyota.... perhaps a dealer shortcut? I will look into this a bit further. Has anyone had their cooler replaced under this extended warranty?

 

@Raytheeagle has removed (replaced?) cooler, he mentions in post #39. Maybe he can share some tips.

I'm thinking it would help to remove windhield cowl and wipers, per @NutzAboutBolts video of spark plug change, pinned in maintenance section.

Also, think you should be resigned to a coolant change. And best to have a replacement EGR cooler on hand, in case it proves impossible to clean.

Bit of an undertaking.

If you suspect, maybe just remove EGR valve and look in with good light, see how cooler interior looks.

 

The cooler is connected to the exhaust manifold by 2 nuts and the cooler is connected to the egr valve by 2 nuts. There are a couple of support nuts that support the cooler that will need to be removed. Sounds easy to do, right?

The engine coolant runs through the cooler on the shell side, so draining the engine coolant is prudent to avoid a cascade throughout the engine bay. I only lost an ounce or 2 while doing the job by draining before doing.

As @Mendel Leisk said, removing the windshield wiper mechanism and skirt is best for access, but the nuts in back that hold the cooler to the exhaust manifold are poor at best and required 2 sets of hands (one underneath) to ensure everything was seated correctly.

There is a fair bit of strain on the cooler, so getting it out and in is a challenge. I got a cooler and valve from the salvage yard ($100). I modified the support for the underside of the cooler( cut the support), as getting it back in place otherwise was too challenging.

Total job was done in about 8 hours. Having the spare cooler and valve helped ensure I didn't rush the cleaning and putting back together process. There is also on the top hose of the egr cooler the bleed valve for the system as this is the highest point in the loop. So when you put coolant back into the system, you can use that for removing air. I did not and did the process like what @NutzAboutBolts video shows and it worked out well.

What did you find when you cleaned the intake manifold. A lot of carbon deposits? How much in the egr pipe? What is the miles on your Prius?

Keep us posted.

 

If you can get the whole EGR, cooler and engine coolant replaced for free, under warranty... get it done. Why do it yourself? Why install a used EGR when you can get a new one for free? They're pretty expensive; it's not like a $10 PCV valve.

When you cleaned the intake manifold, did you clear our the small openings which Ray mentioned?

 

^ Good points. Is Toyota still dodging EGR cooler replacement?

 

Well, I don't think anyone who has had the warranty enhancement work has come back and said that they needed to go back and also replace the cooler. So they probably should be dodging the EGR cooler replacement, because it isn't necessary.

In post #17 of this thread, I had just had the warranty enhancement work done (back in July), with the EGR valve replaced, ECU flashed, a wire harness modification, but no EGR cooler change. The work was done per the latest TSB. I speculated that Toyota probably knows what they are doing and why I thought that. I figure now is a good time to follow up, since this thread has been bumped back up. Since then, I've driven from NH to CA to AK and more - around 8,000 miles. The car is running well, and the check engine light has not come back on. The misfires that I had been getting are long gone. That's all for now...

 

I did clean all the little vent holes following instructions from this site. This was performed prior to Toyota Extending the warranty, albeit a few weeks before. I will need to call the dealer and see what they say about the light coming back on. it has been around 12K miles since the extended warranty work. Currently just over 192,000 never noticed a miss fire. Since smog was just done I have two years to go maybe I will ride it out trade in value is not going to change much before next smog is due.

I will follow up with what the dealer responds with.

 

I have the knocking issue at low speed idle. Had it for a few months. Read up on it here on the forums. I was hoping my MIL would pop prior to 150k mileage warranty here in CA for SULEV. It just popped 2 weeks back P0407 EGR flow insufficient. They replaced the valve, reprogram the ECU and harness modification. I still get the occasional knock but not nearly as often. One thing I noticed is on some occasions I'd step on the gas not pedal to the medal but a good 75% punch and it would hesitate not sputter just wouldn't go. That issue went away once the EGR was replaced. First time my check engine light popped up i'm at 135k. Car burns oil since I purchased it at 35k previous owner had done the oil changes every 5k.

 

Hey Mendel...I got my notice here in Ottawa yesterday. It's a lot shorter than the one they sent U.S.

 

Same here, it came yesterday. By "shorter" do you mean the 10 year or 240,000 km, that's shorter than in US?

 

oh wait...It's actually the other way around. Our Primary ends May 2018 yet. cool

 

Got this letter as well. Our cars does stutter sometimes and I've had it kcock/rattle a few times, but honestly thought, it if blows, it blows. I contacted the dealership for the airbag recall thing and mentioned this as well. They want to charge me $120+ tax to "test" the EGR and if it proves faulty, then I can choose to order one if I want.

 

My only code is P0403: EGR Circuit Malfunction.

I do not have a P0401: Insufficient EGR flow.

I will call the Stealer and see if I am covered under warranty?

 

Since you are not in Canada, the first post applies.
Secondary coverage is 10 years from first use or 150K miles. If you are less than that it may be worth a try.

 

But I do not have rattle or P0401.

I have P0403.

I'll call dealership when they open in 1 hour 30 minutes but doubt I'm covered.

 

All they do as part of the warranty enhancement is replace the valve.

You’ll still have the intake manifold and cooler to deal with.

I’d save my time and energy for the whole circuit if it were me.

 

They don't replace the cooler? That is absurd.

 

Nope because it is “the valve”.

 

I don't qualify for enhancement. Unlimited mileage expired in March. Have over 200K.

What is your suggestion? Start by looking at the EGR and possibly just cleaning?

Or replace EGR valve and cooler?

I think it's over $400 just in parts if I start replacing! Code is P0403. My mechanic will probably charge $50 to do a light (not super thorough) cleaning of the EGR vs. 10X price to start replacing things.

 

What I did, one right after the other:

1. DIY Clean Intake Manifold and install Oil Catch Can, between Positive Crankcase Ventilation valve and intake manifold.

2. DIY Clean Exhaust Gas Recirculation, the complete system.

Brake cleaner spray was fairly effective, and for the the EGR cooler I followed up with repeated soak-and-rinse with OxyClean solution, as near-saturated and hot as possible. Let soak about an hour, repeat 5~6 times. The cooler is stainless steel, and this got it shiny-steel new.

Watch @NutzAboutBolts videos, he has one for the intake manifold cleaning, and another about the EGR. The latter references a few other videos as well, mainly for improved access.

A few tips:

When removing the intake manifold, it's not necessary to remove the throttle body coolant lines; you can just unbolt the throttle body and lift it out of the way. Also, you don't really need to disconnect the dipstick tube: when you remove the leftmost manifold bolt (or nut?) the dipstick tube can just be unclipped. You'll probably find the Manifold Absolute Pressure sensor (bolted on, directly below throttle body, around 3 oclock) completely oil soaked: I'd suggest MAF sensor cleaner, or electronic parts cleaner, for that.

When removing the EGR valve and cooler, draining a couple of liters of coolant (at the radiator drain spigot), and then pouring it back into the reservoir after reassembly, will avoid any spillage of coolant when disconnecting lines. Just be sure to hold the EGR cooler in it's installed orientation until free of the car, and then tip it into your cooler catch basin. Use something new/clean as a catch basin, btw, since you're reusing the coolant.

Here's a couple of relevant Repair Manual excerpts: