Toyota Camry 1999 - EGR Valve
- Category: Fix It!
- Posted On: 4/23/2006
- Views: 9,444
So, tonight I did my first major repair on a car alone. After being quoted a few hundred dollars to fix a malfunctioning EGR valve on my wife's 1999 Toyota Camry, I decided to do my research and see if I couldn't save a few dollars. I purchased the parts directly from a Toyota dealer and still had more than $100 in my pocket from what we would have spent. So, I bought a Chilton's repair guide for the Camry (ChiltonsOnline.com) and a basic floor jack that actually came bundled with 2 jack stands and a repair cart. To begin...
Following Instructions
I read the Chilton's set of introductory guidelines and procedures, tools and tips, etc. Then, I read the section on replacing an EGR valve. No problemo! So, I got to work. I jacked up the car, lowered it onto my jackstands, raised the hood, and disconnected the negative terminal of the battery. I quickly found the old EGR valve and followed the connecting pipes and wires. From my cycling repair experience I grabbed a 10mm wrench and went to work on the bolts. There were some very difficult angles and I decided to not follow the instructions explicitly by removing the lower pipe connected to the valve. However, the throttle body was directly in the way of removing the EGR valve!!!
Eureka!
After scouring the book for help and placing some calls to friends and family for suggestions, I took a break. I simply couldn't figure it out and I knew the engineers wouldn't have designed this part in such a way that you would have to disassemble part of the intake manifold just to replace a valve! So, I fixed the lawn mower, mowed and trimmed the lawn and made a second attempt. Ah ha!!! I moved the main pulley on throttle body just as I had before, but realized that a space between the part allowed me to slip the EGR valve out.
Sweet Success
I was constantly reminded about the fact that when you are learning something new, you will make mistakes and, out of sheer ignorance, not realize how to take efficient steps through a process. But, after a lot of trial and error and even some help from my step-son, I had replaced the new valve and started the car. No service engine warning lights! The job was done. While working on the parts, I did notice some irregularity on the surface of the gas temperature sensor, so I'll probably have a mechanic take a look. But, that'll be a cinche after this!
- Category: Fix It!
- Posted On: 4/23/2006
- Views: 9,444