EGR Valve blocked. Any tips to avoid this again?

[gsf600y]

So, I've read quite a few posts on here about EGR valves.  Mine has become blocked, and I'll be taking it to the local garage - I'm expecting a bill somewhere between £600 and £800 by the sounds of what I've read.

Mine is a 2021 1.6 TDI Octavia.  I gather this will be the damned awkward to get to engine, hence lots of labour costs.

 

RAC got the thing drivable again by removing a gasket near the top front of the engine and blanking it off with a flat bit of metal (coke can actually, as he'd run out of blanking plates!).

 

Point of this post though is I'm wondering about how's best to avoid the thing becoming blocked in future.  I used to do long easy drives to and from/work, which RAC guy said would have helped it, but since I'm now permanently working from home, it only ever does short journeys now.

Is there anything I can do to avoid this clogging up happening again?

 

I was planning to switch to a petrol Octavia at some point, but want to delay that now that used prices and choice are pretty cr4p currently.

 

Thanks

 

 

[Guest]

Drive it like a hire car!

[gsf600y]

22 hours ago, MicMac said:

Drive it like a hire car!

Ha   Is that all it takes really then?  I do tend to drive like an 80 year old nearly all the time.

[Guest]

You just answered your own question, regular use of a fuel additive could reduce further build-up.

[J.R.]

Have a £99 EGR emulator fitted instead and you will never have any problems again, you will also get a proper blanking plate to replace the coke can.

 

It should only be 30 minutes labour if they have done one before, 45 tops if they havn't.

 

Much cheaper than replacing something which is going to fail again given your journey profile.

[Aj77]

It's such an easy job cleaning it you just remove the pipe to the side of the egr valve and clean it. A 5 min job.

[Breezy_Pete]

@Aj77 which engine are you talking about? 

[gsf600y]

RAC chap did say mine was difficult to get to.  I guess @Aj77 is referring to other Octavia engines, which I've read are quite easy to get to.

Where he inserted the coke can blanking plate was the top front of the engine, but he said the valve itself was at the back lower down, and quite a lot of work to remove.

 

On the emulator front, I've read it also needs the DPF removing too?  I'll do some more reading on it, but I wasn't completely sure if it was a good idea or not.

 

Cheers for replies.