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UPDATE*** Judder (misfire) Under Light Acceleration

Discussion in 'Gen 3 Prius Main Forum' started by Nick Major, Aug 18, 2021.

  1. Nick Major

    Nick Major Junior Member

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    Hi Guys

    just an update on my problem with juddering (misfire) under light throttle.

    I took my car into my local tech shop who unearthed this (see photos) the EGR system was completely blocked including cooler, valve and intake manifold. No wonder my poor Prius couldn’t breathe.

    The previous owner mostly drove it around London City Centre at slow speeds.

    Apparently the gen 3 EGR system is far from adequate for the job.

    Give your engines a regular good blast out down a fast road to keep this from happening to you.

    She drives like a new car now

    Nick 03ACEC97-3C01-4198-AD5D-C2733599B7C6.jpeg D6787BEA-90F8-4AB4-B225-9DB8B6EAAD53.jpeg 7C624314-40E2-49E2-91EF-B1552723DF39.jpeg
     
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  2. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    I've pretty much never known a vehicle with an EGR system where the system didn't need maintenance.

    My folks had a 1979 Colt where the EGR system needed to be reamed out like that every time we turned around.

    It might intuitively seem like good blast-outs down fast roads would help, but I'm not sure how much it does; the ECM is in control of how much EGR is used, and it's more complicated (in fact, it's reduced at full throttle).

    I'd suggest just watching the car's own EGR flow self-test result from time to time, and deciding how low you're willing to see it go before you clean it out again.
     
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  3. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    Wow, that's pretty nasty looking for 120k miles on the odometer.

    Ours is at 124k now, and still have to get to the EGR cooler swap. I have one soaking/cleaning now.

    You didn't post pics of your EGR pipe, the short 90 degree pipe between the EGR cooler and the intake manifold. Ours was about 30% blocked.

    Next, you should clean out the intake manifold and consider installing an oil catch can between the PCV valves and the intake manifold. Install a new PCV valve while you have everything apart.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  4. douglasjre

    douglasjre Senior Member

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    Opening the throttle doesn't blow anything through the EGR. On a gas engine the two times the EGR is closed is at idle and wide open throttle. Diesels are a different story. Pretty soon you'll probably figure out you have an oil burner
     
  5. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    IF......you had posted before about this same problem, then you REALLY should have added this update to then end of THAT thread so it will all be together.
    (y)
     
  6. Nick Major

    Nick Major Junior Member

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    What is classed las an oil burner? How much oil? I changed the oil approximately 2500 miles ago and it was bang on the max line on the dipstick. It is now about half a cm below the max line. Is this a lot of oil burnt in 2500 miles??
     
  7. Nick Major

    Nick Major Junior Member

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    Yes. I will do I’m future. I never thought.
    Cheers
     
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  8. Nick Major

    Nick Major Junior Member

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    The intake manifold was done with the rest of the EGR system. What are these oil catch cans all about?
    Cheers
     
  9. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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  10. sam spade 2

    sam spade 2 Senior Member

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    NO. Perfectly fine. You are lucky.......so far.
     
  11. Tideland Prius

    Tideland Prius Moderator of the North
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    Next time, just continue in the same thread.
     
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  12. douglasjre

    douglasjre Senior Member

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    I'm not sure what that equals in qts/litres added. You do oil changes often....
     
  13. douglasjre

    douglasjre Senior Member

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    Catch cans won't prevent EGRs from clogging. It just catches what comes out of the PCV.
     
  14. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    And, where does what comes out of the PCV go?

    It goes into the intake manifold.

    By using an oil catch can, I'm trying to reduce the amount of oily residue accumulating in the egr passages in the intake manifold, and in the intake ports as well. Hopefully, the amount of oil burned in the cylinders will be reduced, and thus the EGR will be less sooty. Hopefully.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  15. ChapmanF

    ChapmanF Senior Member

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    Nothing that goes into the intake manifold can end up in its EGR passages, except what comes in through the one port on the side where the EGR pipe attaches.

    (Unless you were only talking about what passes completely through the engine, burns, and comes around again through the EGR pipe.)
     
  16. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    Yes, that's what I meant. I'm trying to reduce oil burning in the cylinders, which is probably the source of the oily, sooty carbon, that is in the EGR valve and small EGR passages in the intake manifold.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
  17. Mendel Leisk

    Mendel Leisk Senior Member

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    I’d hazard the PCV’s “contribution” to the intake is partially responsible for carbon build-up in EGR system. And, the oil catch cans reduce but don’t completely eliminate that contribution. So they help, some.

    Maybe good for the MAP sensor operation too: otherwise it’s pretty much swimming in the goop.
     
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  18. xliderider

    xliderider Senior Member

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    Time will tell, I guess.

    I've also relocated my PCV valve to a vertical position, on the way to the intake manifold, after the oil catch can. So that's another variable in this complex conundrum.

    Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
     
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  19. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    ironically, mine is doing the exact same thing at 30,000 miles. judder, stammer, wobble, shudder on light acceleration and deceleration