My emissions light came on yesterday so I drove right over to my friendly mechanic. They said that I need to do a repair to the tune of $814.00, having to do with my EGR Valve(s), Apparently the labor cost is high since they have to take off the manifold.
The car body is in fair condition and has 160,000 miles. I have been diligent about maintenance…regular oil changes, timing belt replacement etc.
Should I do the repair or is it time to just buy another car?
Assuming the diagnosis is correct I’d fix the car. I would just point out that an EGR fault code does not necessarily mean the EGR valve is bad. That code would be the starting point for a diagnosis.
If you are not required to have an emissions test, you could defer this repair indefinitely…Your engine will operate fine without the EGR function…
Sounds like they want to clean out the EGR passages, which is labor intensive and the right thing to do.
They’ll probably also replace the EGR valve, which might not be necessary, but it’s insurance for them against a callback.
Do you do a lot of city driving?
You have a V-6? If so, the upper intake manifold needs to be removed and the EGR tubes cleared of the carbon buildup blocking the passages. There’s service bulletin for this and an update kit to prevent this problem from happening again. The price seems a little high, but perhaps they’re including a new EGR valve as well. It’s a good idea to have this fixed for a few reasons.
just drive it as is. your car is a 98, and can be considered old in some circles, meaning it is ok to have minor blemishes. i bet you could drive it this way for another 10 years with no ill effects. so why spend the 800 to make a light disappear?
Depending on certain factors, ignoring an EGR fault can lead to engine damage.
Like any business transaction, you should get several quotes and maybe even a second opinion. You could save some money that way. If the car is in good condition, it certainly is worth repairing this fault.
BTW, you should be about due for the second timing belt and water pump replacement if you haven’t done that recently, so that would be another $800 bill to consider, but with this car, that would mean another 7 years of relatively trouble free driving, and that is a bargain.
+1 for keith’s comments.