How do you test for if an EGR valve needs replacing on a Taurus - Sable?

Answer 1

Testing steps: * Remove the vacuum hose on the top of the EGR valve and plug it.

* Connect a short hose to the EGR valve.

* Start the car.

* Now suck on the hose, or use an appropriate tool to apply suction to the line * this will open the EGR valve the engine should stumble and try to die.

If it does the EGR valve is working. There is an "Exhaust gas manifold pressure sensor" that measures the exhaust gas flow to the EGR valve. The problem is the sensor itself becomes clogged with exhaust carbon and gives the computer a fixed false reading, the computer in turn sends too much vacuum to the EGR valve and the engine runs rough, surges and may die.

This sensor on the 3.0 cast iron engine ( overhead valve no overhead cam ) is located by the firewall on or near the intake manifold and is connected to an exhaust tube running to the EGR valve by 2 short rubber hoses and has a 3 pin connector.

The hoses measure pressure drop across a restriction inside the tube as exhaust gas flows through it to the EGR valve.

I've replaced the sensor on 2 different Taurus', my wife's 99 and my sons 2002, the cars run great afterwards and the light goes off.

About 40 bucks do it yourself easily. Twist the old sensor to loosen the hoses. Push the new sensor onto the hoses. The other engines should have a similar sensor somewhere.