New EGR valve on Diesel

Anyone know how long I can expect a new EGR valve to last? The engine cut out and I coasted to a stop, with a "pollution control" warning. Local garage couldn't get diagnostics to find a fault, had to get Citroen franchise do it. They said the EGR was causing a short and therefore power failure to the injection rail. Cost me a small fortune to get it fixed, but if it lasts another seven years that won't be too bad overall. I keep hearing ideas about EGR valves getting sooty and sticky from too much town driving, and needing a good blast on a motorway to burn off the dirt. That sounds a bit old, like what I used to do with my Imp to clean the valves, is it really that un-technical?

Roy wrote:Anyone know how long I can expect a new EGR valve to last? The engine cut out and I coasted to a stop, with a "pollution control" warning. Local garage couldn't get diagnostics to find a fault, had to get Citroen franchise do it. They said the EGR was causing a short and therefore power failure to the injection rail. Cost me a small fortune to get it fixed, but if it lasts another seven years that won't be too bad overall. I keep hearing ideas about EGR valves getting sooty and sticky from too much town driving, and needing a good blast on a motorway to burn off the dirt. That sounds a bit old, like what I used to do with my Imp to clean the valves, is it really that un-technical?

Hi Roy,

There are 2 halves to a EGR valve. One half is the exhaust gas half which gets combustion gasses and coke form the burning of fuel. The other half (in your case) is an electronic solenoid made up of windings of fine wire electronically connected to the engine ECU.

An EGR valve should last the life of the car. Cleaning it will help the gasses flow more freely. As for why your control side blew, you probably won't ever find out why, but I would suspect a break down of the insulation on the windings.

Thanks. I'm hoping that doesn't happen again then