EGR Temperature Sensor

Hey guys. Been having CEL codes P0401 and P0402 so was gonna pull my EGR temp sensor and check it. I've seen on other forums people cutting slots in 14mm sockets but sadly I do not have a grinder to do such a thing. Does anyone know if you can easily remove the plastic casing where the two electrical nodes are? The part in my hand in the pic. If i could get that off i could put an open ended wrench down there and get it off I believe. Thanks guys!

 

You might be able to remove the pins from the connector... but unless you've done that before, you're more likely to damage something.

Do you have line wrenches, or a crow's foot wrench?

 

I would soak it down with a penetrating fluid, this would allow time to be on your side. Get a decent line wrench and give it a try. If it starts to slip, stop. The higher the quality of line wrench the less probability that it will slip.

 

I’d check it with a meter before you remove it and see if it’s in range. Don’t remember what the proper value is

 

Its highly unlikely that sensor has gone out....and youll find they are very expensive...

but if you must.....what you need are break line wrenches.....but I'd look for better qquality then these guys... There is possibility that carbon crud has pluged those passages up...that it screws into....could be plugged....might could clean out with the spray seafoam....

(1) spray seafoam - Bing

 

(1193) P0401 Egr Flow Insufficient Fixed ! 2.4 tacoma - YouTube

 

Just delete the EGR all together, clears up clutter under your hood, you're not circulating exhaust gas back into the intake, and one less thing to have break, there's talk of deleting it having negative effects on fuel mileage but I didn't notice that with mine, if anything possibly a bit better fuel mileage after deleting it. LCE sells a great kit for doing it. If that sensor is what is throwing the code, the resistor will correct the voltage and should clear it.

 

Sorry for the late reply to everyone. I took the PCV hose into the throttle body off and it had a lot of carbon build up. The video O'Silver_Taco sent the guy briefly mentions it. 50 miles in and no CEL yet!! Maybe it'll stay off for good. The guy in that youtube video said excess carbon build up in that port can clog and block the temp sensor from taking an accurate reading right under it.

 

The egr system effectively reduces cyclinder size so you burn less fuel....


Probably does not do this for lead foots......

I'm the slowest one going down the road.....so I know..

Would love to get rid of mine, especially with a new engine .....but been told the system was engineered to work that way........
I did alot of research, i really wanted to get rid of it.......but its not about the gas...
its about the ecm making the engine run to spec....and running like a new engine, even when its not anymore......isnt this the reason why you sprung for the toyota in the first place...




Only reason I would ever delete egr is if I have old engine with leaking rings with black smoke and getting alot of blow back......pvc valve system would eventually clog tooo.....all that crap would be sucking thru intake plenum...

Also condemns the intake plenum to be taken off every 180K or so and cleaned....sooner if there's problems.




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Update: Well I found the perfect egr delete.........dont buy american...
buy another tacoma or Hilux made to sell outside of states......nay on egr....they dont have em.....

I assume there's an international ecm programed for this specific mutation......

 

I was about to delete my EGR but now I'm not so sure. I've been having the P0401 code for 5 months now. Looking at my records, four months ago I tested the VSV and it clicks and drops vac. I also cleaned and tested the temp sensor per FSM. I tested the EGR vac. I've inspected the hoses. I haven't checked any of the above in the past few months. I'm sort of tired with messing with it and considering installing a 10k ohm resister in leu of the temp sensor. Also, 4 years ago(55k miles) I moved the entire intake and cleaned out 300K miles of build up in the runners.

1. If I install the resister in leu of the temp sensor, will the EGR still work the same way it is now?
2. Isn't the sensor only telling the CEL to turn on?
3. Could the PCV valve or grommet cause the P0401 code? I've done nothing to my PCV.

Any help is appreciated.

 

About 90% of problems not directly a part failure.....end up being a vacuum leak....

This may not be you....but thats the reason all my rubber got replaced with silicone high temp...
Got a smoker made out of old suntea jar that never got used because of this....

 

Thanks for the response. I looked at things again this evening and I think its the modulator. When I blow air into the bottom port, air slowly passes through the top ports which leads me to believe the diaphragm inside is leaking. I've ordered a new one.

 

I discovered that when I blow into the bottom of the EGR modulator that air would pass into the upper chamber. I installed an OEM EGR modulator and cleared the codes. 350 miles later and not codes.