99-00 egr cel

[morr]

This a common problem with 99-00 NB's and my CEL is actually on for this reason. I figured it might help just to post this instructional courtesy of RSpeed (http://www.rspeed.net/). It'd also be great for members to share their experiences good/bad with this issue...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEEQQRI4nWA

[Adam]

http://www.miataforumz.com/showthread.php?t=246
http://www.miata.net/garage/manifold/index.html

Both helped me out alot.

[OOOOOMG]

just had this code pop up on me today. thanks for the info

[morr]

Thanks for the input, guys! Blu92 and I will be tackling this on my NB soon. I'll be sure to post the results in here.

[Adam]

Good luck man, careful not to let purple power or whatever pool up in the lower IM, then bolting it back on. That could be bad; what I did was stuffed 4 good paper towels into the ports and let them sponge it up.
Also definitely find something to outline the bolts with so you don't lose track of where they go.

[OOOOOMG]

Just performed this procedure this morning and have driven about 100miles without the cel comming back! Thanks again for the how to.

[psulja]

So I used this how-to to clean out my intake mani which was coated in oil too, put everything back together. Couple weeks passed by and the CEL came back on.

I think I remember there being a post about rerouting the vacc. lines to fix the problem for good but can't find it anywhere. Anybody have a link to that?

[morr]

Yikes, that sucks! I was worried about that happening to me too. Is it actually the same code as before?

[psulja]

Yep. I don't really want to open it again and clean it out all over again so soon after so I think I might just leave it for now, but if I can find that vacc. line reroute maybe it'll convince me to clean it out again.

[morr]

Yeah I hear ya... I'm gonna attempt to fix mine this weekend with a buddy, but I'm worried it'll come back on and I won't pass emissions. Last year when I had to pass, my mechanic was getting so fed up with the CEL cuz he knew it wasn't a big deal. We ended up just disconnecting the battery, letting the computer reset, and scanned it before the CEL came back on. I haven't heard about rerouting the vacuum lines to fix the issue... definitely let me know if that helps at all. I gotta get my stupid car to pass emissions again ASAP :(

[psulja]

I had to have emissions done before I attempted to fix it. I just erased the code with my scanner on the way there. Passed, and then a couple hours later my code came back.

[morr]

We tried that a couple times (it took about 4-5 visits before I finally passed) and it kept saying the computer needed to reset itself. The final solution was to drive 100-200 miles after the code was cleared, hope the CEL didn't come on, and scan it so it passed. Idk how it is for you guys, but apparently in PA when they plug the reader into the computer it goes into the state's computer system instantly. So it's not up to the mechanic, I guess it has to go into the state's system as "digital proof" that it passed.

[Neocataboi]

-_- i hate that CEL, i've cleaned the IM out and replaced the EGR and have done the vacuum reroute and it has came back every time. I have learned to just ignore it... I hate it though.

[psulja]

@morr, I don't think ours goes into the system right away, we just get a printout we bring to the MTO (DMV for you guys)..

I feel the same way Neocataboi, I'm just going to ignore it until the idle gets really bad again. How did you reroute the vacuum lines?

[morr]

psulja, is this the reroute you were talking about?

http://www.miata.net/garage/egr0902.html

PERMANENT FIX: Remove the vacuum hose (about 1' long) going from the EGR Booster on the fender wall to the vacuum port on the side of the intake manifold (Ref: schematic on hood). Install a new hose that goes from the EGR Booster to the vacuum port (unused) on the top front of the intake manifold. Cap the port on the side of the intake manifold with the cap from the formerly unused port. That's all there is to it!! Couldn't believe it was so simple there are even unused clips next to the throttle assembly you can use to hold the new hose in place.

[morr]

Son of a b*tch... Rich (blu92) pulled the codes from my car just to make sure it was only the EGR, but it looks like my bank one O2 sensor is bad too cuz it showed a code for that. So we took my manifold apart today and we cleaned everything, drove about 10 miles and the CEL is back on. I haven't pulled it yet to see if it's the EGR, O2 sensor, or both this time though. Pretty frustrated, but I'll probably end up trying the vacuum reroute too next time.

edit: pics in my build thread (http://mazdaroadster.net/showthread.php?266-Morr-s-quest-for-a-fun-daily-driver!/page4) if anyone's curious.

[psulja]

I just read your post in your build thread. Sorry to hear it came back. That's pretty much the same thing that happened to me. But it was running really nice before the CEL came back on, first time the idle didn't dip on that car from when it was new (the PO was with me when we went to try it out after cleaning it out).

I might try that reroute you posted (yea that's the one I was talking about), but otherwise I may just ignore it and learn to live with the CEL.

[morr]

Yeah the car did run better on start up and for those few miles. I honestly don't care if the light is on, but the state of PA does so I gotta get rid of it somehow :| I figure if the car is running/performing fine, having a light on doesn't really matter.

[psulja]

I actually cleared my codes again (was checking to see if I had any other codes for misfires), the idle was perfect afterwards, then I was sitting at a light the next day, suddenly my idle dipped and the code came back on. So as long as the code isn't on my car idles perfectly fine.

[morr]

Hmm, that's weird. Are you sure it's for the EGR still? We pulled my codes again yesterday, it turns out the EGR one is gone but I still have the one for the O2 sensor.

[psulja]

Yep, P0402.. I'll just keep ignoring it for now, the bigger issue my car has right now is the misfiring from bad coilpacks.

[morr]

Dang, that sucks. I agree though, it makes sense to take care of the bigger problems first.

[psulja]

Yup, it's always been there and I don't think it's really doing any harm, unlike my misfires which I'm pretty sure have already done a decent amount of damage to my cat.

[morr]

I stumbled on a great how-to with pictures for anyone hesitant about doing this on their own.

Link: http://www.madracki.com/miata/intake.html

[urban]

Ive gone through this .
and the fix for me was a vaccum sensor under the Boost sensor. its connected to it with a vaccum hose.

[morr]

Is that the vacuum reroute?

[pacman 99]

Went thru this last year. I did the vacuum reroute and it worked like a charm.

In order to get rid of the CEL right away, there's a 20 amp fuse you pull from the fuse box(under the hood) for like 15 seconds and pop it back in. Car experienced a few idles dips after the reroute but it went away after a day or so. Haven't gotten a CEL since then.

[urban]

Is that the vacuum reroute?
no .
thats different.
clean the manifold vac ports .
egr sensor
etc.
those are the usual fixes .
after i did all this it still ,came on . i changed every sensor in the bay.
the one that fixed it was the small cylinder shape under the" Boost" sensor. no one ever mentions this one.

[morr]

Ah ok, thanks for clarifying. Good to know!

[cayangco]

Man I havent had a check engine light since I changed my spark plugs and wires but this looks interesting, I kinda wanna get this started when I get a free weekend, seems simple enough and you can never do enough maintenance on your car =)

[morr]

It can't hurt to clean out the dirt. Mine was apart, cleaned, and back together in a little over an hour. The car might idle a bit funny upon startup, but it goes back to normal after a few miles.