EGR Fault & lots of limp mode!!

[Bdog]

Hey everyone , first off it looks like you guys have helped a lot of Nav owners and have kept there spirits high in keeping a nav, I hoping you can do the same with me..

Little bit of history first, I live on the central coast and have had a few dramas with Nissan so I have given up on them.

My D40 is an 06 model with 125000k, bought 2nd hand impulse buy (just had to have one) VIN no. Starts with VSK can't remember if it is Spanish or Thai built.

For the last 20 000k car has intermittently giving me CEL for the EGR control code and is going into limp mode every time I let it idol for more then 30 sec.

Also oil leaking from inter cooler pipes (which seems normal after reading some threads?) apparently was cause from "sticky piston rings"

I have done an engine flush and cleaned the inter cooler pipes used fully synthetic oils during oil changes. Nissan quoted me about $1000 + labour to replace EGR valve but could not guarantee that it would fix the issues. I had to tell them how many times and for how long the CEL had come on��.

I use this car for work and unfortunately can not afford to spend large amounts of money on possible cures.

Any advice on DIY fixes would be awesome but go easy I'm only a leco,

Cheers guys
Ben

 

[Old.Tony]

Welcome to the forum!

Sounds like there are two issues.

First - the oil. It's actually normal to see oil INSIDE the hoses, intercooler and intake manifold. It's from blow-by - and you can reduce it by introducing a catch can in the hose between the top of the engine and the air intake just in front of the turbocharger. Large amounts of oil in a short period of time do mean possible wear in the rings/bore area, but over a long period of time you should expect to see plenty in there.

Remedy: catch can as described. Some mount it on the front of the engine bay above the intercooler intake hose, others mount it near the ABS unit. The cooler this unit is, the better it works. You can mount it out the front of the radiator/intercooler/condensor pack, you just need longer hoses and be able to get to it to empty it out now and again. Doesn't matter how long those hoses are. Also remove the intercooler, rinse the inside with petrol until the fuel colour doesn't change when it's coming back out. Allow to air-dry for an hour before reinstallation.

Second problem: the EGR valve. If the valve has failed (probably from soot buildup over the years combined with that oil) then cleaning it MIGHT work. Step one is to block the EGR altogether - do it on the 'cold' side near the EGR valve itself. The 2006 model doesn't sense whether there is any actual EGR flow, it only knows whether the valve is opening or not. EGR dampens combustion making the engine less efficient - plenty of threads on that here.

Remedy: remove the EGR valve and clean it, checking that everything moves smoothly. Re-fit the valve, check the electrical connections are clean, install the blanking plate and test. If it doesn't work, grab a second hand from a wrecker, they aren't a common failure point.

 

[Bdog]

Thanks Tony

I have read a lot about the egr valve on here. I will defiantly be blocking it off. You would think in our day and age they could of came up with a better solution for controlling emissions.. Did you think that one of these issues could be the cause of it going into limp mode? And for the catch can install does that come with mounting options or should that go to the mechanic for the install?
Cheers mate

 

[Old.Tony]

Emission controls are changing all the time, and engine management is also changing. The 140kW D40 engine produces less soot than the 126kW D40 engine and produces more power - it's a combination of engine design change and better management of fuel input. EGR has been a staple of emission control for many years now. It isn't going to change in a hurry, because using EGR makes the engine less efficient, which means everyone uses a little more fuel, which means the fuel companies make more money, more taxes are raised too - and since the gubberment is the one that makes the laws, it's hardly going to do something that reduces its income!

Limp mode could be caused by EGR valve failure - it's not common though. There might be other issues like a dirty MAFS - if the CEL has come on, there should be a code stored in the ECU. A (under) $10 bluetooth OBD II port plus a free Android app will give you that code. It would help with trouble diagnosis!

 

[justbruce]

I had limp mode on long idles and a weird rattle. Fixed it with a tin of liquimoly injector cleaner. A $30 tin treats 1000 litres.