Spent a couple of hours earlier today removing and cleaning the EGR on my 1.9 PD as it's a high-miler and could see some build up on the butterfly valve when I took the intake pipe off to take a peek.

 

Sweet jeebus! There was quite a build up! Turned out to be one hell of a dirty job and used a whole can of carb cleaner, 2 large kitchen rolls and a pack of 3 toothbrushes!

 

I'm amazed an EGR clean was never part of the Skoda service schedule, that amount of build up can't be good for an engine's breathing.

 

Also, I wonder if my hands will ever be clean again?!

They can get pretty filthy. Also the intake manifold can be a problem and needs to be removed for cleaning. Was yours ok?

Use BG244 works wonders and run it on shell vpower nitro+ as its got great cleaning properties

Is there an option to disable it through VCDS, I have been able to do it on my Mk1 TDI but that has a EDC15 ecu, but I think the Mk2 has a EDC16. There is also the option to flatten the map and disable it through software known as VAG EDC15P which is freeware.

I don't know if that's possible to disable it. It isn't an option I don't think. Why would you do that anyway? It will smoke like s***e if you do and won't run right without considerable tweeking. It's a PD remember and they are dirty compared to the CR engines. The egr enables the emissions to be considerably cleaner, reducing smoke and particulates. That's why it's there. Most owners never ever get any problems with the egr. But nick's is a high miler and depending how a high miler has been used, it can need a clean out. It's no big deal and easy to do.

Edited 1 November, 201312 yr by Estate Man

Estate Man, I didn't clean the intake manifold but managed to clean out all of the sludge from the opening. If I'm honest I didn't think the build up would be quite so heavy and hadn't thought about picking up an intake manifold gasket and some Mr Muscle. This will be a job for another day soon.

 

I'm considering putting an EGR blanking plate on the bottom of the EGR and getting it 'mapped out' when I get the car re-mapped, but wondering if I'll be leaving huge clouds of black smoke everywhere I go?

 

In other news, the black sludge is slowly starting to disappear from under my fingernails. My girlfriend is looking at me like I've never washed haha.

Blocking off your egr will decrease smoke and improve performance, and improve mpg.

It is there purely for emission control on a diesel.

Blocking off the egr will actually increase smoke and particulate emissions. It may fail the MOT if you don't tweak it. Would not advise it.