# 2000 Honda Accord EGR valve nightmare **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** valves, engines, accord, lights, honda\ **Created:** [November 9, 2008, 11:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-honda-accord-egr-valve-nightmare/21889 "2008-11-09T23:01:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![epkc2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e9bcb4/32.png) [@epkc2000](https://community.cartalk.com/u/epkc2000)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 11:01pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-honda-accord-egr-valve-nightmare/21889/1 "2008-11-09T23:01:23Z")
Had check engine light come on. Mechanic said needed EGR valve replaced. I gave them $353.33 and they replaced valve. Check engine light came back on, so they tried cleaning out carbon which they said had clogged new valve. After a couple more tries, they replaced valve again. But after replacing the valve again, the check engine light came back on the same day. Would appreciate some advice. ---
**Author:** ![METOO2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b77776/32.png) [@METOO2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/METOO2)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2008, 11:13pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-honda-accord-egr-valve-nightmare/21889/2 "2008-11-09T23:13:10Z")
what codes? go from there. ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 12:45am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-honda-accord-egr-valve-nightmare/21889/3 "2008-11-10T00:45:54Z")
Carbon can’t accumulate in an EGR valve in a short time, unless there is something horribly wrong with the engine, which you would know, because the car would be nearly impossible to drive. You need a new mechanic. ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 12:59am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-honda-accord-egr-valve-nightmare/21889/4 "2008-11-10T00:59:52Z")
I agree with mcparadise. When you replace the EGR, which may not have been necessary, you MUST clean out all the carbon from the passages. Carbon may have been clogging the passages, leading to the code to begin with, and the old EGR may have been good. ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 1:01am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-honda-accord-egr-valve-nightmare/21889/5 "2008-11-10T01:01:01Z")
is your car subject to emissions testing? If not, don’t worry about it… ---
**Author:** ![mcparadise](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/mcparadise/32/32_2.png) [@mcparadise](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mcparadise)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 1:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-honda-accord-egr-valve-nightmare/21889/6 "2008-11-10T01:03:44Z")
I’m having a hard time believing there is any carbon build-up at all. This is a 2000 Accord. Why would there be a carbon build-up? ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 1:57am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-honda-accord-egr-valve-nightmare/21889/7 "2008-11-10T01:57:53Z")
Carbon buildup can occur at even a short interval and it sounds to me like the shop is guessing. Getting an EGR system code does not necessariy mean the EGR valve itself is bad. Once a code is obtained this is when the manual and the diagnostic procedure is used to determine exactly where the problem lies in the EGR system. ---
**Author:** ![METOO2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b77776/32.png) [@METOO2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/METOO2)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 3:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-honda-accord-egr-valve-nightmare/21889/8 "2008-11-10T03:07:15Z")
as i said. CODE PLEASE! a CODE can mean its doing what it was designed to do ,read improper flow. smell what Im standing in? I think I asked the proper ? on the first response.yours just reads much more HALLMARK like. ---
**Author:** ![epkc2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e9bcb4/32.png) [@epkc2000](https://community.cartalk.com/u/epkc2000)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 3:46am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-honda-accord-egr-valve-nightmare/21889/9 "2008-11-10T03:46:49Z")
I don’t the code at this time. I can get it tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![epkc2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e9bcb4/32.png) [@epkc2000](https://community.cartalk.com/u/epkc2000)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 3:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-honda-accord-egr-valve-nightmare/21889/10 "2008-11-10T03:51:54Z")
Not subject to emissions testing, but have been told bad EGR valve can cause poor engine performance and lower gas mileage. Also, don’t want to keep driving with check engine light always on, may not know when another problem may show up. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![epkc2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e9bcb4/32.png) [@epkc2000](https://community.cartalk.com/u/epkc2000)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 3:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-honda-accord-egr-valve-nightmare/21889/11 "2008-11-10T03:58:56Z")
I don’t have the codes with me. Will post them tomorrow. Thanks ---
**Author:** ![Caddyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/caddyman/32/23_2.png) [@Caddyman](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Caddyman)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2008, 4:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-honda-accord-egr-valve-nightmare/21889/12 "2008-11-10T04:53:45Z")
Cars ran FINE for 65 years WITHOUT EGR valves. So will yours. If it’s stuck closed or the passages are plugged up, no problem. If it’s stuck OPEN, then your car won’t idle or accelerate properly. Sometimes EGR valves are fed by an external tube coming from the exhaust manifold. These tubes can plug up and throw a “EGR low flow” code. Remove and clean, or replace, the plugged up tube that FEEDS the EGR valve. ---
**Author:** ![epkc2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e9bcb4/32.png) [@epkc2000](https://community.cartalk.com/u/epkc2000)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 1:23am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-honda-accord-egr-valve-nightmare/21889/13 "2008-11-12T01:23:59Z")
CODE was P0401 exaust gas recirculation flow insufficient detected ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 1:33am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-honda-accord-egr-valve-nightmare/21889/14 "2008-11-12T01:33:29Z")
If this is the same code as before it sounds like either a clogged EGR passage or a stuck EGR valve. The entire passage way needs to be checked out for clogs. I’m not sure how the EGR is configured on this car, but a lot of cars run the exhaust through a passage in the cylinder head from the exhaust to the intake. Some others tap the EGR off a tube on the exhaust manifold. Either way, I think this is where to look next. ---
**Author:** ![epkc2000](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e9bcb4/32.png) [@epkc2000](https://community.cartalk.com/u/epkc2000)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 2:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-honda-accord-egr-valve-nightmare/21889/15 "2008-11-12T02:21:39Z")
Thanks for your advice ---
**Author:** ![METOO2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b77776/32.png) [@METOO2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/METOO2)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2008, 2:25am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-honda-accord-egr-valve-nightmare/21889/16 "2008-11-12T02:25:51Z")
I second the passage prob,no parts needed the PCM saw an actual mismatch. commence cleaning. GOOD LUCK. ---
**Author:** ![snookie](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@snookie](https://community.cartalk.com/u/snookie)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2008, 7:55pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/2000-honda-accord-egr-valve-nightmare/21889/17 "2008-11-27T19:55:01Z")
There was a warranty extension for this 8 years/80k. You might find this interesting from [automotiveforums.com](http://automotiveforums.com): It is a design flaw in the V6 EGR ports caused by the port being to small and the metal it is made from actually attracting carbon buildup. The reason it wasn’t an actual recall was because it isn’t a safety concern, and it doesn’t happen to all cars. Using higher octane fuel and babying the car contribute heavily to the speed at which problems develop. It is a much more common occurence in Odyssey vans because they tend to be driven more gently. I’ve seen the EGR kit done on vans with 20,000 miles on them. As far as doing it yourself, if your car is out of the emmissions extension warranty, 8 years/80,000 miles. Spend the $350-$400 dollars to have the dealership do it. The pipe they install after drilling out the EGR port is the most important part because it’s made from a different metal that the carbon doesn’t collect on.