vinkodex.EGR valve and intake manifold: soot half blocks the channels
Typically above 150,000 km. It does not show up on every car.
expensive
severity
above 150,000 km
mileage
2
sources
2 sources next to the write-up.
The fault
How you spot it
The EGR system recirculates the unburnt gases into the intake manifold, and together with the fumes from the crankcase breather this builds soot into the channels. The deposit gathers slowly, and by 150 000 kilometres the channels of the intake manifold can be as much as half blocked.
The symptom is jerking under acceleration, an uneven idle and occasional stalling. Codes P0401 and P0402 appear in the fault memory, and black smoke can come from the exhaust.
The solution is proper cleaning of the valve and the intake manifold. Deleting the EGR in software is not a solution: it does not remove the cause of the deposit, and it also affects the compliance of the vehicle.
At a purchase the kind of use is what matters: in a car driven on short urban journeys the soot gathers faster, because the engine does not warm up properly.
Which model
Who it affects
The card opens the generation, the engine or the transmission.
Engines and transmissions
Engine
A17DTS
vinkodex.Checklist
EGR valve and intake manifold: soot half blocks the channels
What you would check for this fault. Take it to the car.
Before you buy
Checklist
What you tick stays on this device only.
Sources
How we know
Auto Gas GagaOpel Astra J 1.7 CDTI: DPF, EGR and the Fire RecallFrom our shop in BiH: what most often fails on the Opel Astra J 1.7 CDTI - DPF, EGR, dual-mass, injectors, vacuum pump and what to check when buying used.
What BreaksOpel Astra J — All Engines, Problems & Buying Guide (2009–2015)Opel Astra J: 53 common defects and weaknesses. 8 engines (A14XER, A14NET, A16XER, A16LET, …), 95–280 hp. Reviews, durability and buying advice 2009–2015.
Information, not an expert opinion
We write the descriptions, and we put the source next to them. A person reviews them before they go out. They are still information, not a technical expert opinion.
- A fault on the list does not mean the car you are looking at has it.
- A fault missing from the list does not mean the model is fault-free. Write-ups are made model by model. Not all of them are done.
- You decide whether to buy. This is no substitute for an inspection. That needs a workshop and a history check.