Have a 2006 mazda miata mx-5 with the engine light going on for a few days and then going off for a few days. This pattern repeats itself every week or two and has been diagnosed as a EGR valve problem by two different dealers/repair shops. The dealer wants over $500. to replace the EGR valve with a new one (parts and labor). Couldn’t a repair shop just clean out the carbon deposits on the old valve and put it back on the engine at a reduced cost…I only have 26000 miles on the car??
Cleaning an EGR valve is always worth a shot as long as the customer understands that it may or may not be a sure cure and they will not get upset if things don’t work out as hoped.
I might add that an EGR code does not necessarily mean the EGR valve itself is bad or carboned up either. There are a number of codes related to EGR function and sometimes people will assume that an EGR code means the valve itself.
With an '06 car that has only 26k miles it’s quite possible that light use has contributed to deposits in the EGR passages but that’s not a given.
Running a can of a product like SeaFoam through an intake manifold vacuum port could possibly clear up a problem related to deposits.
your cars egr is not cheap , i would try ok4450 idea first then go from there.
It would be a big help if you told us what the error code is.
It’s format is like “P0123”.
code was P0401…insufficient ERG flow
There’s a somewhat lengthy test procedure for determining the exact cause of that code. It’s possible that the EGR valve could be faulty but that diagnosis should not be blindly given on the basis of the 401 code; and especially at 500 bucks.
If they ran the by the book tests and came to that conclusion then it could be that the EGR is bad. If they simply pulled the codes and gave a diagnosis of bad EGR then the diagnosis could be suspect.
The dealer prices are generally higher because of higher dealer costs on parts and higher labor rates as compared to an independent shop. If an EGR is legitimately needed then I would recommend having an independent do the job using an aftermarket part. It should be much less but I would still consider feeding a can of SeaFoam through the intake as a first step on the offchance this is nothing more than a sticky EGR pintle.
(If you do the SeaFoam thing or have it done do not be alarmed by any smoke that may start. This is entirely normal and will clear up shortly although a prairie fire may come to mind… ) 
Thank you so much…I will try the seafoam first. Where is the “intake manifold vaccum port” and is it hard to do if I have my dad or brother try to do it for me? They are not car guru’s but they at least know how to do some of the basics…if too difficult I will just have to go to an independent to get the job done. Thank you again for your help…it is appreciated.