I cleaned my EGR out again this weekend, as it was looking rather oily again, and I was getting oily/plastic burning smells in the cabin when booting it up hills and things.

The last time I cleaned it was back in April 2007

old clean: http://www.matthewames.co.uk/briskoda/index.php?loc=./20070409_egr

clean this weekend: http://www.matthewames.co.uk/briskoda/index.php?loc=./20100314_egr_cleaning

I found the cause for the burning smell, it was the valve for controlling the anti-shudder valve - the clip was broken and it was resting on the small exhaust feed pipe from the turbo.

Obviously the need to clean this is the crankcase breather puttings its warm oily air back into the system. Now it seems to me there are a number of options, but I am not very versed when it comes to catch cans, so please forgive me if I say something stupid / obvious:

1. Why not just vent the crank case to the atmosphere, and block off the pipework on the air intake side?

2. Option 1, but vent to atmosphere via a catch can?

3. Crank case -> catch can -> back to existing pipe work

How does the Catch Can actually work? As if the air has oil vapour in it, then how does the Catch Can actually filter it out?

I have seen some stuff on the Golf mk4 forums where people have made up their own CCs, and then questions of gause, etc keeps coming up. I had a quick google, but wasn't find much definative information.

Ideally I would like a cheap solution, and don't want to be spending loads of cash, but if I can reduce the amount of oil in the system, then that would be a good start. However I don't want to waste my time putting something cheap together that won't actually do anything.

Thanks,

Matt

Edited 15 March, 201016 yr by mbames

I'm no better than you on the practicalities of a DIY solution Matt, but:-

(1) It's an emissions control measure.

(2) Catch cans work by allowing the oil vapour to to condense back into oil in the can.

A mate made one from these instructions

http://www.angelfire.com/my/fan/Catch_can.html

Works very well

A mate made one from these instructions

http://www.angelfire.com/my/fan/Catch_can.html

Works very well

Cool... I wondered about making one from a bake bean tin.... I'll have to give that some serious consideration.

I cleaned EGR valve on swmbos passat on the weekend and while there decided to empty the intercooler of oil. Felt like I was doing an oil change the amount that came out of it !!!

I bought one of these to act as a catch can and some radiator hose and vented the crank case to atmosphere. The only problem I had was that the filter worked too well and filled up with a gunge of oil/water emulsion, so I removed the filter bit from inside.

The can is not that big so I need to keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get too full, but this is easy as it is see through - I removed the outer metal casing.

I used a plumbing screw on cap fitting to blank off the hole in the air inlet and jobs a goodun.

I cleaned EGR valve on swmbos passat on the weekend and while there decided to empty the intercooler of oil. Felt like I was doing an oil change the amount that came out of it !!!

Given the amount of oil which seems to be in my "air" pipework, I am wondering if draining the intercooler might be a good idea too. Did it you it all in-situ?

I drove it up on ramp and that was enough to allow it to drain

How straightforward is this cleaning procedure? Does it require new gaskets or seals to be fitted on re-fitting? I have always done all my own servicing etc, but have never cleaned/stripped the EGR valve.

I have cleaned my EGR twice, and neither time have I had to change any gaskets. iirc, the only gasket in the system is from the exhaust feed, and an o-ring.

I did it on a passat PD130 so as it is an inline motor I imagine it was a bit easier, on the Octavia it is transverse and at the back of the block so a bit shorter on space to work in. some of the pictorial guides show the rocker cover removed to get at the lower allen bolt holding the EGR to the manifold but I did not have to do this on the passat. I also did not change gaskets, the one on the exhaust bit is very sturdy and the one on the EGR to inlet manifold is a good o-ring. As I dropped a socket when removing the engine cover I decided to put it up on the ramps to get the undertrays off and retrieve it. I found it a much more comfortable working height when doing the EGR though but I am 6'2" HTH

I dropped an allen key when doing up the bottom allen bolt on the EGR assembly, but it fell straight out the bottom

1. Remove engine cover

2. Undo the clip for holding the vacuum hole onto the EGR control valve

3. Undo the valve fo controlling the anti-shudder butterfly valve

4. Using a 6mm (iirc) alley key undo the two allen bolts to the exhaust

5. Using a 5mm (iirc) allen key loosen the top two allen bolts for the EGR assembly.

6. Using a 5mm (iirc) allen key undo the lower allen bolt on the EGR assembly. I found I had to push the exhaust pipe feed down a bit (step 4), and then that allowed access to get to the lower bolt.

7. Remove the top two allen bolts

8. Clean (and don't drop otherwise something will break - my father dropped mine for me, so it needed a quick glue job on the anti-shudder control arm)

9. Assembly is <repeat after me>the reverse of disassembly</repeat after me>