UKSaabs

I have a 2003 Saab 2.2 TiD Arc, 65,000 on the clock. I have had a recurring problem with the engine management light coming on intermittently, often after sustained revs and motorway driving. The light resets around town. The final straw was when the car went into 'limp home' mode. After a swift check by the RAC the EGR valve was diagnosed as the problem. The RAC guy told me to have it checked by the dealers but warned me that if it was the EGR valve the dealer would suggest a replacement at a cost of a couple of hundred quid. He said that 9 out of 10 faults on the 2.2 engine could be cleared by cleaning.

I took it to to Saab, they diagnosed the EGR valve and quoted £295 for a new one fitted. Rather than pay needlessly I decided to have a go. It was so easy, and clearly it was the carbon build up that was the problem. The EGR is on the front of the inlet manifold, two studs are easily removed with an 8mm ring spanner. The whole sensor was filthy, sprayed it with carb cleaner repeatedly and wiped, a further sensor (one stud) on the top was equally filthy. I cleaned this and the inlet manifold with the carb cleaner. It took less than 30 mins and has completely cured the problem, the car is running like a dream. I had appalling economy at 31mpg, this has gone up to almost 38mpg.

Dont rush to change the EGR valve unless necessary. As a matter of interest I priced up a replacement valve in case cleaning it didnt work, from Vauxhall it was only £193!!

Anyone with a similar problem then I hope this helps....another tip... I bought the Saab workshop CD on E-bay for £1.99.....worth a look.

Nice one Sir!, Thats saved you a few Quid

I bought the Saab EPC & the Saab 9-5 WIS CDs off Ebay a while back, they have been very useful & i would recomend both for the home DIY mechanic.

I read the feedback left for the seller & quite a few buyers were unhappy with them but I wouldnt be without mine as the Haynes 9-5 manual is very basic by todays standards!

Oh, welcome to the gang by the way!

I did the same thing with the wifes 02 Mondeo

Took it off and the inlet manifold as well....

Left it soaking in parrafin wash for a couple of hours,cleaned and blew it out,refitted..

Jobs a good un

Have just taken the EGR valve off and given it a good clean.

Have only cleaned with WD40 (that's all I had) might get some carb cleaner and give it another clean tomorrow.

Haven't taken the car out for a drive yet, because it's rush hour traffic and I want to test 'drive' rather than test 'sit in traffic' but when I started the engine everything started OK and no warning light came on.

Just in case anyone isn't sure where the EGR valve is, a few pics.

Excellent piece of advice Dranners, Thanks!

Ade

EGR Valve-2002 9-3 2.2TID.

Thank you so much for the vaulable advice on the EGR valve.

The engine behaved exactly the same as yours. I have removed the EGR valve, cleaned it, and put it back.

The car is back to its old self, i.e. like a bullet!

Engine light still on though, but I think the computer needs to be reset by Saab.

Thanks again.

Didge wrote:
Engine light still on though, but I think the computer needs to be reset by Saab.

Take the ECU fuse out or disconnect the battery for 10 mins.

You think this is worth doing as a precautionary thing? My mpg is not as good as I'd hoped (had the car a few weeks and it's done 95k)

i cleaned the egr valvle on my old 9-3 TiD just as a routine for servicing. I averaged 43mpg at 140k-odd miles

hey thanks for posing this
i cleaned mine today 1.9 tid 120bhp and the difference is unreal
was getting about 28 to the gallon round town and thats now at 36 mpg
and the flat spot has dissapeared, took just over an hour to do but well worth it !

some very good tips there guys

I'll make sure I spread that around

well done

Steve

Hi Been trying to remove my EGR Valve from my 2.2tid, undone the two screws, but can't seem to get it to come off, it almost seems welded to the block! is there a technique to this? as have tried WD40 to loosen it but doesn't seem to want to budge.

Knowing my complete lack of mechanical knowlege it probably just unscews or something?

Any sugestions greatly apprecited!

A gentle(ish) tap with a hammer should do it.

Mine was the same, un-done the bolts and it wouldn't budge, a gentle tap with a hammer (or if you have a mallet, even better) and it came loose.

Hopefully (weather permitting) will be servicing the cars next week, and I'll be taking the EGR valve of for a clean as well.

HTH

Ade

Many thanks for the advice on the EGR valve. I have a 9-5 2002 2.2 TiD. Engine has been running a little rough recently and once warmed up on motorway drags it can simply cut out leaving me on the hard shoulder with no power. After about 10 attempts to turn it over the engine starts and the limp home mode kicks in. I took apart the EGR valve cleaned it up with some petrol and a toothbrush reassembled it and now things are running smoothly again. Saved a trip to the garage and a £300 bill for a new EGR valve. Thanks again chaps for the advice posted.

Hi ,

How did Saabski123 get on with the seized valve? I tackled mine today but even a mallet and wooden drft would not shift the thing more than 1mm. I tried the small hammer and metal drft - would only rotate a very small amount.

in the end, I gve up and cleaned the MAP sensor instead. That has 3 or 4 arms that make a triangle/pyramid shape, with some sort of element in the middle. Most of the pyramid was full of soot. After some carb cleaner, the element was clean and the colors on it visible. Might be in my head, but the car felt more torquey.

So, any tips for getting the EGR out above and beyond the hammer approach?

Many thanks,

Phil

BTW, in the top photo, there is a hex-hed screw with a rubber gromet on it which bolts the black cable-holder to the top of the manifold. On my car, that hex screw was in the bracket at the top of the cam cover, next to the silver metal air pipe that goes to the turbo.

Anyone know which is correct? The hex screw has such a weird pair of grommets on it that it must have a very specific purpose.....

Phil

robbins wrote: The hex screw has such a weird pair of grommets on it that it must have a very specific purpose.....

It does, it holds the plastic engine cover in place.

Ade

Ade93

It certainly looks as if it should hold the cover in place, but it is not one of the 3 you have to remove in order to get the cover off. Also, in the photo in this thread, and in the Haynes manual's photo, the hex-head screw is clearly in place. So whilst I agree it could well hold the cover in place, I don't think that is what it is for...although I might well be mistaken!

Phil

The engine cover hooks onto it, then there is 3 other screws that bolt the cover down.

Ade

Had the engine light come on a couple of times in the last few weeks. The car coughed and sounded really noisey for the few seconds of hard accelerator blipping that it took to clear the fault. Any way having read this thread before I duely took the MAP out and gave it a clean with carb cleaner and a paint brush (it looked like it had been dunked in a pot of grease!), then tried to take the EGR off. Out with the hammer, a screwdriver and a punch. After a little percussive persuasion it slid out.

Now the question is this; what are the rubber tubes attached to the EGR and what hydraulic fluid do they hold, and (for good measure) what have you used when disconnecting them from the unit?

Oh, by the way - the engine fault lamp was caused by a dodgy crank speed sensor (1 bolt slide in job down by the bellhouse-engine block join) which is £7 cheaper at CESUK Ltd (NW UK) than at Saab (£30.18 v £37.60).

Chris
9-3, 2002, 2.2TiD, 130,000, 48mpg!!!

Chris Garland wrote:Now the question is this; what are the rubber tubes attached to the EGR and what hydraulic fluid do they hold,

It's not hydraulic fluid, it's water/coolent that feeds into the EGR vlave.

Chris Garland wrote:and (for good measure) what have you used when disconnecting them from the unit?

Pair of pliers.

Ade