96 HX w/ 230,000 miles...

Got this code - thing is, the EGR valve has probably only 10K or less miles on it since it was replaced. Any other ideas?

Car runs fine, funny thing is, my g/f has the same car AND the same code too (171K on hers).

Wondering if its a short? B/c both of our little green shift arrows disappeared when the check engine light came on (not that I really use that arrow anyway).


Thanks!

 

That code means there is not enough exhaust gas being recirculated back into the intake manifold. Below is Honda's one page description and recommended diagnosis for this specific issue, along with a diagram and description of the EGR system. I would say, upfront, take off the EGR valve and inspect it. If it is dirty, clean it out. Also, get a vacuum pump and check to be sure the valve is opening correctly. Of course, it could be possible that the EGR valve is ok but the MAP sensor is malfunctioning just enough to corrupt the EGR readings the ECM interprets, but not enough to set a fault for itself. Stick with the EGR first. Aftermarket parts are not as reliable as OEM parts and can fail even when they are new, or simply never work properly in the first place.

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Thanks man - that is exactly what I was looking for (the FSM info)! I'm going to look into it further then...but -

Question though - it wont really matter if I keep running the Civic like this, will it? Isnt the EGR valve just some thing they stuck on cars in the 70s to improve emissions? I havent had a drop in anything - gas mileage, performance, etc...

 

Well, EGR valves aren't old relics from the '70s, they have actually evolved very well over the years, and are quite effective at reducing combustion temperatures and nitrous oxide emissions. The computer detects the change in manifold vacuum via the MAP sensor before and after the EGR valve is supposed to open. Although the change is slight, the computer can tell whether the valve has opened or not. If it were opening too often then that would a bigger problem, but if the car's idle and performance aren't affected then for now it'll be ok. In the long run, I would recommend getting it fixed. Just hope your state emission test doesn't require an NOx sample.