Firstly, many thanks to the posters on here and elsewhere who have documented the EGR issues, and solutions. My 2010 2.0 110 Yeti 130k miles started showing the management light and some times heater plug light. Car always drove very fine, but this is MOT fail. It started to go into limp mode occasionally, so I thought the end was near. Garage quoted £1k to scare me, but did diagnose EGR "failure". I followed the advice on removal and cleaning, including reversing exhaust gas pipe orientation. Four very oily hours later I had finished. Lots of white spirit and toothbrush. My wife was astonished car even ran!  The flap valve was not able to open or close fully, causing the management lights. Car passed MOT, low emissions, runs fantastic. No Cost. Car even did a regen, which it hadn't done for ages. Now, several  months and 100s miles later, all is still good. Just goes to show a DIY fix is sometimes more than good enough.  

You have reminded me to pull off the venturi, cut the lug off and reverse it.

 

I now have an USB endoscope so will try to thread it down the intake tract to see what the ports & back of the valves look like.

 

Your one was really oily & cruddy, mine was at 79K miles & had a lot less soot & barely any oil holding it together, it pretty much brushed off.

 

I wonder what the throttle valve etc would have looked like on a car with the same mileage without the emissions fix?

 

I bet your fuel economy will improve as well, mine has gone from 45mpg to 52mpg and was a lot less clogged than yours, I could feel the difference as soon as I drove it, much better low speed flexibility.

Edited 11 November, 20205 yr by J.R.

Yes, fuel average is now 50mpg. I always use proper VW spec low ash oil at changes, and did long motorway runs for work; that's maybe how I got away with it for so long! Now my wife runs this car, so shorter journeys.

Any link to a guide for reversing egr? 

22 hours ago, J.R. said:

 pull off the venturi, cut the lug off and reverse it.

 

I remember in the pre internet days when you could point someone in the right direction and they would find their way.

Sorry, I can't find the link to where I saw the Audi fix for this. BUT it is very obvious when you remove the pipe from the exhaust, loosen the flange, remove the venturi and clean it there is a small notch, just file one on the opposite side (180 degrees) to allow the flange to fit with the outlet facing towards the engine. Should have photographed it.

Sorry, I can't find the link to where I saw the Audi fix for this. BUT it is very obvious when you remove the pipe from the exhaust, loosen the flange, remove the venturi and clean it there is a small notch, just file one on the opposite side (180 degrees) to allow the flange to fit with the outlet facing towards the engine. Should have photographed it.

 

Found the PDF I used, see pages 9-10 

Throttle body clean V3.pdf

or even better, here's the link on here.........

 

Inspired by this thread I got busy with my 2015 yeti 2.0tdi 170 at 60k miles.

Glad I did.

Haldex filter etc next!

Hi, novice here. How did you get the egr valve off? I've heard it's a nightmare job.

Just followed the directions posted by others.

I wasn't in a hurry, and accept that you have to get quite physical with rubber hoses at times!

Nightmare jobs are always relative, but I wouldn't consider this one in that category at all.