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Does Fuel Induction service clean the EGR Valves?

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Care, Maintenance & Troubleshooting' started by Pijoto, Jan 1, 2019.

  1. Pijoto

    Pijoto Active Member

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    My Prius is approaching 110K Miles, and I'm starting to worry about clogged EGR valves that I've been reading about on Gen 3 models. So, considering that the Dealer always pushes the nearly $200 BG Fuel Induction service on me during service visits, I'm wondering if the service also cleans the EGR Valves, and at my mileage, if it'll be worth the cost. If not, than what mileage would it be recommended?
     
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  2. mjoo

    mjoo Senior Member

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    Nope. Fuel injection cleaner does not clean. It's burned off in the engine before it reaches EGR.

    Pixel XL ?
     
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  3. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Not a chance. With your miles I would definitely get on it though. Watch @NutzAboutBolts videos, pinned at top of 3rd gen maintenance forum. Do the EGR pipe inspection/cleaning first, to get some idea of the the EGR condition.

    Intake manifold cleaning is part of it too, really the final leg of the EGR circuit. And if you want to keep it clean(er), an Oil Catch Can.
     
  4. Pijoto

    Pijoto Active Member

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    Well...bullocks. I can't do the EGR cleaning myself, and judging by the video, any place that does do it will probably cost a lot more than $200 :( Well, at least you saved me $200 on the induction service...... I'm still getting good gas mileage, and don't have any oil burning issues, I can probably put off thinking about till 150K miles or so if it's gonna cost a lot more to clean/replace EGR valves.
     
  5. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    No, they pour a bottle in the tank and check it off done.

    I've spent about $12 worth of fuel injector cleaner in the past 300k miles of driving and I think I overpaid, just for what its worth.
     
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  6. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    The $200 will not cleanse the egr circuit:(.

    So I’d find a good mechanic Or diy it;).

    It’ll be a bit more challenging than the swamp cooler:).

    Good luck and keep us posted (y).
     
    #6 Raytheeagle, Jan 1, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2019
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  7. Pijoto

    Pijoto Active Member

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    Watching Youtube videos on Induction services, I think the service is more involved than just pouring a bottle in the tank... $200 is hard to swallow though, I was just considering it if it cleans the EGR valves as well. I pour Chevron Techron Complete Fuel System cleaner bottles every 10K Miles, just for some piece of mind :unsure:

    I'm never gonna live down the Swamp Cooler post, am I :eek:
     
  8. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    I poke in good fun;).

    Happy new year and good luck (y).
     
  9. kc5dlo

    kc5dlo Active Member

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    Techron is good stuff.
     
  10. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    That might be a bit too bald, even for them.

    I'm thinking a bottle of concentrated cleaner slung off the hood latch, a hose running down, a nozzle hooked in just upstream of the throttle body intake, pressure provided by shop air, raise and hold rpm while they run the bottle through.

    That'll do a marginal clean out of the intakes and intake valves. But doesn't do anything to the EGR.
     
  11. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    It's a frustrating wasteland, EGR cleaning. You're sure it's out of the question? Apartment dweller, for example?

    @Raytheeagle has been evangelizing in North California, but Texas is bit far. Maybe someone else in your area??

    FWIW, I managed this, took me ages, and I've never taken on anything more serious than a fluid change. Watch the videos, and read through this thread:

    EGR & Intake Manifold Clean Results | PriusChat

    You will need:

    The usual assortment of ratchet wrenches, extensions and metric sockets. Also, female Torx sockets, E8 in particular. A ratcheting 12mm box wrench is handy, for the egr cooler to exhaust connection bolts, though not essential.

    A couple of tricks I did:

    1. Drained 2 liters of coolant (at the radiator drain spigot, into a clean container, before pulling any coolant hoses off the EGR cooler. This dropped the coolant level below the egr system,,completely eliminated any need to clamp hoses, zero spillage. Just pour it back into the reservoir after.

    2. Cleaned the cooler with Oxi-Clean, multiple hour-long soaks. Came out like new. A number 4 rubber stopper is a good fit at one end, or you can improvise, say blow up a small balloon. For the valve, Brake Cleaner is better: the cooler is all stainless steel, but the valve has aluminum, which might react with the Oxi.

    A few gotchas:

    a) Lift the cooler off without tipping, there is a little coolant trapped at the back corner. pour it into the previously drained fluid.

    b) When removing the cooler from the exhaust connection, hang onto the gasket: it has no clips, is very easy to drop.

    c) You might need to raise the front of car and remove underpanel, in case anything drops or spills. Like the aforementioned gasket. Magnetic and grabber reacher tools may also come in handy...

    There IS a Technical Service Bulletin, or Warranty Extension, I forget which, through Toyota. You need to either have EGR clogging symptoms or specific trouble code. Waiting around for that to happen, and dealing with dealerships, has so far not been that possible. I don't recall anyone going that route; maybe one or two??

    One strategy that might work better for you, is to obtain a used EGR cooler and valve, on Ebay (they're around $100, for the complete assembly), and preclean it, then work with a mechanic, show them the videos, and so on. So they only need to do the swap.

    The sand pounder: they all clog, and I don't think anybody realized what they were getting into, when buying their shiney new 3rd gens, and Toyota's so far more-or-less ignoring the problem, doing too little too late.
     
    #11 Mendel Leisk, Jan 1, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2019
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  12. Raytheeagle

    Raytheeagle Senior Member

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    For an induction service, BG Products does offer such a thing through authorized dealers and it does involve pressurization and special equipment. Never had it done, but the rep out here was recommending it for our 4runner at 260k miles before we sold it off.

    So it can be done, but I’m not sure what benefit you’ll see ;).

    Maybe Matt @Texas Hybrid Batteries has some Dallas connections or can recommend a local shop to help:).

    Good luck and keep us posted (y).
     
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  13. RMB

    RMB Senior Member

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    I had done BG Induction Services on my own cars before, they work pretty good. Twice on my EG Civic and a few times on my AE86 Corolla (free of course). I forgot how much the shop charged customers for that service, but I done mine for free as an employee . That was a good 15 years ago, don’t know if BG has a new and improve cleaning system or cleaning agent now?

    Edit: Like previous posts already said, this induction system service won’t be able to clean the EGR system, but I do think it does help clean the oil/gunk sitting at intake manifold, intake ports, valves, and injectors, may even clean up piston tops and oil ring?
     
    #13 RMB, Jan 2, 2019
    Last edited: Jan 2, 2019
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  14. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    Gunk (flammable can, NOT the foam) and oven cleaner will clean the egr in minutes, not hours.
    Spray the oven cleaner into one end then cover it to force it through to the other side. I did that a few times.
    Then let it side for 30 minutes. Then hose it out. I didn't use the pressure washer because I didn't think about it.
    I just use the pressure from a regular hose using the "jet" function from the nozzle. Then I used the gunk and let it sit.
    I cleaned the other parts while I was waiting. It did a GREAT job! And the oven clean did all the hard work! :)

    I forget who it was, but they also use a pressure washer which also helps. I have a spare I got for $50 that is less
    clogged than mine was, which wasn't much, that I plan on washing out the oven cleaner using the pressure washer.

    If you EGR Cooler is really clogged, you may have to use a metal rod to clean off the carbon. But try letting the oven cleaner
    soak and soften it first. It may take several times to get it clears. You may have to put it in a bucket and soak in the GUNK
    for a while to soften the carbon if it's really clogged.
     
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  15. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Oven cleaner and Oxi-Clean are similar. Both are caustic bases, soaps. Oven cleaner is stronger, also tends to throw off a lot of fumes. It's also strong enough to cause skin burns. IIRC the ph difference, oxi-clean vs oven cleaner, is about 11 vs 13.

    I'd second the "metal rod", except: it needs to be quite thin, maybe 20 gauge. I would say it's function is not so much to clean as to allow the liquid cleaner to get in, especially with near-totally clogged coolers.
     
  16. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    Oven Cleaner, about $3 a can, that you won't use all of.
    oxi stuff, $15 for 1/2 gallon? I believe that is what someone in one of the treads posted, but I'm not certain.
    I just know it was expensive. Plus it takes much much longer, and several soakings.
    Since you will, or SHOULD be cleaning outside, and you stay upstream of an "fumes", they are not a problem.
     
  17. Leadfoot J. McCoalroller

    Leadfoot J. McCoalroller Senior Member

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    Let the fumes work for you. The nastiest of charcoal grills can be restored to sparkling new appearance by spraying half a can of oven cleaner into a big black plastic yard waste bag holding the grill parts. Tie off the bag and leave it out in the sun for half a day.

    No opportunity to test, but I bet it would also work for a bagful of EGR pipes and coolers.
     
  18. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    We've got a 5 kg box ($23 at Costco): it's like any powdered detergent.

    3~4 tablespoons in about a cup of hot tap water, swirl and dissolve as much as possible, then shoot it in. Rinse the cup with maybe 1/2 cup additional hot water, pour that in.

    OxiClean Max Efficiency Stain Remover, 5 kg

    Safe to use indoors, and you're not running oven cleaner (or petroleum solvents) into storm drains.
     
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  19. ASRDogman

    ASRDogman Senior Member

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    I don't run oven clean into storm drains. It does evaporate.
    Oven cleaner does NOT hurt anything....
     
  20. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    Some info on the egr, part numbers and dimensions:

    EGR COOLER INFO:
    part number: 25601-37010
    Intake opening diameter (at exhaust): 20.9 mm
    exit opening diameter (at EGR valve): 25.7 mm
    EGR VALVE INFO:
    part number: 25620-37110