EGR Vacuum Modulator

[BoSoxGal]

My RAV CEL came on back in March, then off, then on again, then off, then on . . . you get the picture.

I took it to AutoZone right after it went on the first time and got the code, which showed the likely fix as the EGR vacuum modulator valve. I kept putting off going to the mechanic because I was poor and it was still running reasonably well and I barely go anyplace, anyway - but over the summer it got rougher and rougher and the gas mileage got worse and worse and finally I had to break down and fix it.

So I stopped in to see the mechanic up the road who comes highly recommended as both honest and reasonably priced compared to most places around. I tell him about the code and that I've found the part online better quality and cheaper than AutoZone, and he tells me $100 to fix it. He says he'll have to diagnose because it could be the EGR valve, which is a more expensive part. But then he says, if I want to just bring the cheaper part he'll put it in for me and I can always come back if that doesn't fix it. But again, he quotes me $100 - which frankly I'm relieved, because I was worried it would be a lot more.

Then I get on YouTube and plug in 'replace EGR vacuum modulator' and I get this:



So the part arrived from Amazon today, it took me less than 10 minutes to install it - even though I didn't have a pick tool so had to work a little harder to get the hoses off - and I'm on the road again and my RAV goes ZOOM ZOOM ZOOM! I had no idea just how bad it was running until it's running great again.

I'm ridiculously proud of this accomplishment. Next up, I have to disconnect the battery for 15-20 minutes so I can reset the CEL.

And I have $100 to spend! I'm gonna use it toward a new amplifier so I can have tunes in my ride again for the first time since 2012 - I've been stuck listening to my damned phone, just too busy to get it fixed.

HAPPY HAPPY CAMPER!

[Burning Petard]

Good on you! The ghosts of Clik and Clak and the old Cafe Dartre BBS bless you. snailgate

[RayThom]

BSG sez: I tell him about the code and that I've found the part online better quality and cheaper than AutoZone..."

There are so many parts that can be easily replaced without specialized tools. Plus, if careful, you don't need to disconnect the battery. YouTube explains almost every auto repair that can be done on one's driveway. As far as parts go, be sure to check "RockAuto.com". They have everything you need and the cheapest prices -- even with S&H factored in.

A very reputable neighborhood auto mechanic/technician has also told me that he'll install any part I bring to him and he'll only charge for labor and, obviously, no 25% parts markup. Brake pads, rotors, and spark plugs are all my '10 KIA Forte has needed so far. All simple repairs.

[MajGenl.Meade]

Well done, BSG! Maybe a new career???

[dales]

Good for you, BSG!

[BoSoxGal]

Well done, BSG! Maybe a new career???

When I was 19, I had this idea of starting a mechanic shop of all women mechanics - a place women could go without fear of being taken advantage of in repairs pricing, because by 19 I already knew this was an issue.

My very controlling mother naysayed this 'stupid' idea, and insisted I become enslaved to student loan debt for the rest of my natural life instead.

I'm convinced that if I'd launched my lady mechanics shop and then franchised it as I'd envisioned, I'd be as rich as the Midas muffler peeps by now. C'est la vie.

[RayThom]

Well done, BSG! Maybe a new career???

When I was 19, I had this idea of starting a mechanic shop of all women mechanics - a place women could go without fear of being taken advantage of in repairs pricing, because by 19 I already knew this was an issue...

Check it out. Here is the shop that recently opened up in Upper Darby PA -- just west of Philly:
http://girlsautoclinic.com/

[BoSoxGal]

*sigh*

It was MY idea first, back in 1989/90. Still, I'm glad *somebody* is doing it!

[Jarlaxle]

I worked with a woman mechanic for a while...she was very good, though our areas of expertise were quite different (she was a factory-trained Nissan tech). And she drove a Datsun Z-car with the vanity plate "MSLEGS". And her jumpsuits were pink.

[BoSoxGal]

Mine would be purple!

[Jarlaxle]

Chartreuse?

[BoSoxGal]

Um, no - chartreuse is yellow or green. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartreuse_(color)

Of the many shades of purple, I'd likely make my mechanic overalls mulberry - dark enough to hide the oil nicely. Something like this:




For what it's worth, when I Googled to find a link to show you what chartreuse is, I found a link with a bunch of people swearing they remembered it from childhood as a magenta/purplish color. I wonder if there might have been a mislabeling event at the Crayola plant at some point in history?

[Burning Petard]

I though chartreuse was something ancient monks made that was for serious drinking, when you did not want to be able to look through the glass and see anything beyond it.

snailgate

[Jarlaxle]

I know what chartreuse is...I wear it every day. (My work shirts are hi-vis chartreuse.)

[BoSoxGal]

I though chartreuse was something ancient monks made that was for serious drinking, when you did not want to be able to look through the glass and see anything beyond it.

snailgate

Not ancient, but since the early 1700s. The color is named for the liqueur.

[BoSoxGal]

Okay, so the car is definitely running better - but still some power lagging and such, and after resetting the CEL it stayed off for a short while and then came on again.

From what I've read online, it's most likely the vacuum switching valve, but it could also be the valve assembly. Both of these parts require tools and strength I don't really have to remove/replace, so I'm going to bite the bullet and spend the $100 to have the mechanic replace them. I was thinking I'd get both parts, have him put the VSV in first, then install the valve assembly only if the VSV doesn't correct the problem.

Here's my question: I have the choice to buy genuine Toyota parts for $330, or Standard Motor Products parts for $130. When I replaced my plug wires with aftermarket years ago, they kept popping off and caused me no end of grief - and stalling out - until I finally got Toyota wires and haven't had a bit of trouble since. But I also know some aftermarket parts are fine.

Should I go cheaper aftermarket, or spring for the real thing? I'd like to get another 75k miles/5 years out of Reva, and I've only spent $20 on repairs this year so I'm still miles ahead of a car payment. Thoughts?

[Jarlaxle]

Check Rock Auto. SMP has gone downhill. At RA, try for Denso, which the Toyota part probably is.

[BoSoxGal]

That's where I found the SMP parts, there were no Denso parts on offer for my vehicle. My RAV is now 18 years old, I imagine it will get harder and harder to find parts for it?

eta: I went straight to the Denso Parts website - they don't have any of the EGR system components in their catalog for my year/model. Bummer.

Maybe it's worth it to just spend the extra on the genuine OEM parts, as least I know they'll perform as they should and it's still a pretty low repair cost for the year.

[BoSoxGal]

What about Dorman parts?

Or Airtex/Wells?

Those are my other aftermarket options.

[RayThom]

BSG, this is probably rhetorical but... do you have an OBD II and CAN electronic scanning tool? I use one when troubleshooting and it pinpoints the problems quite accurately. It's fairly obvious what parts are needed after the diagnosis. I hate buying parts I don't need.

I bought a Cen-Tech, on sale and cheap, from Harbor Freight many years ago and it's done well for me. It can be updated online so it stays current. You may want to consider it.