All:

For you guys with more under the hood Honda experience, I have a question.

I spent a good part of Saturday and some of Sunday working on a 2.3l 1998 Honda Odyssey that keeps throwing CELs for EGR valves, and continues to do so even with the intake passage cleaned out (blech ) and a new EGR valve on the car. Reading the net and forums this appears to be a common problem on these cars, and the passage between the EGR and the intake was FULL of caked crud. Appears to be an issue that the breather tube and PCV vent right near this port and this allows the build up to increase.

Anyhow, this got my interest, so I took the 12mm socket and opened the hood to the Fit and pulled mine.

First, a nice light brown build up (no black or oil, but 27K miles compared to 190K on the Oddy) and the use of Top Tier gas and 5K oil changes compared to the van...well, it gets gas and oil....

But I also noticed that the passages in the Fit's EGR on the intake side are larger.

Anyhow, do any of you tech minded guys that have been poking around under the hood see any potential cloging or back up issues in the Fit EGR and intake design? If so, what is the best preventative programme to put the car on Vs me laying on a VTEC for two hours on Saturday removing the intake off of the Oddy (I am getting a two-four of beer for the work tho) just to have the car pass emissions and have the CEL come BACK on at 44.5 miles later?

I have never had this issue with other cars I have owned or serviced, but I do have a Gen IV 5S-FE Camry coming soon with the same situation.....and a history of its owner using crappy gas.....

Thanks

 

I had a similar problem on a 92 Civic with 160K on it. A mechanic suggested that I use Chevron Techron Fuel System cleaner at every oil change, and use Mobil 1 synthetic oil and a good filter to avoid this. After reading your post, I pulled the Fit's EGR valve and it still looked pretty clean, but the car only has 6,500 miles on it, and I just did the first oil change at 5k and used mobil 1 oil and filter. Probably not a good comparison......

 

How is the Funky Bunch doing? Sorry.....

Good point, I forgot about Techron, I had a Mercedes diesel that I got about an extra year out of the injectors with it. Amazing stuff, car would run with a minor occasional missfire, dump it in, blast down the interstate, and a few miles later, purrs like a cat. Once it quit helping, new injectors....

The problem I am seeing with the Ody is (what I think) more of a problem of the oil vapor caking inside and baking on with the heat, on top of the impurities from the exhaust. But that is for another forum.

I guess time will tell with regular oil changes using Honda or Motorcraft oil and Top Tier gasoline.

 

The Funky Bunch is less one member because he sold his NSX to buy an SC430. Now accepting applications.

 

Unfortunatly most hondas that have had EGR systems have problems later in life.

My 90 B18A1 i built, i made a block off plate for it, so i dont have to run it anymore. I know most of the H22/Prelude folk block theres off early in there life.

It might be worth it for the future longevity of the Fit to figure out a way to block if off, then remove the Check Engine Light, either by blocking it off with the Valve still bolted down, or making a Simulator so the computer thinks all is well.

 

True, but with emissions tests here in Nashville consisting of OBD II scan and not sniff test, bypass is not an option (maybe if you trick it as above?). The mod of blocking it off is all over the net, have not found a way to "trick" it to prevent CEL.

I guess the best thing will be regular service and inspection.

Thanks for the reply.

 

Thanks for your reply Claymore:

I searched before posting this initially. However, the only EGR posts I can find are ancient ones that pertain to other cars (did not know that FitFreak was extant back to 2005?). For example:

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/othe...=Exhaust+valve

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/othe...=Exhaust+valve

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/othe...=Exhaust+valve

https://www.fitfreak.net/forums/othe...=Exhaust+valve

...so I would be interested in seeing the post you mention that deals with preventative maintenance for this for the FIT.

I think one of the problems is the fourm not allowing for searches for less than four letters.

 

You could always stick the egr valve back on it for inspection, then pull it back off once you got home.

 

Garrett, if you need, I have a ScanGauge II which is supposed to be able to reset ODBC II codes.

I'm still trying to figure out your original post of the '98 Ody with a 2.3l engine? The original Ody had a 2.0l and the remainder had V-6's.

Now, more to the point - I've never had an EGR throw a code on any of my 11 previous Honda automobiles. But, on my '89 CRX, it did get quite gunked up. When I replaced the head gasket on it, I spent about 1/2 hours cleaning the EGR valve out. It was nice when I got done. Of course, the hose needed to be de-gunked, too!

Let me know if you need to use my SG, as I'm now working in northern TN, and not that far away.

 

Hello David:

I had always been told that simply disconnecting the battery would reset the code, maybe not?

Yes, the 1998 Ody has a 2.3 four pot, one year only oddball.

The code it is showing is

P1491 Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Valve Insufficient Lift

Where are you in north TN right now, anywhere from Clarksville to Westmoreland is about an hour a way.....

THANKS!

 

Garrett -

I'm working in Portland. On the '98, disconnecting the battery may clear the code. If it stores it in the ECU then it will need to be cleared via ODBC.
I'm still having trouble with there being a 2.3l engine. The early Ody's were using the same engine as the CR-V, which was a B20. (I had a '99 V.)

Let me know what I can do here....

 

Thanks Claymore.

Interesting that it does not cause any CEL problems, as any restriction in flow seems to throw a code or when the engine cannot correct its NOx.

Codes that were thrown, for example in the Ody above:

P2413 Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) System Range/Performance Problem

P0401 Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) Insufficient Flow

As we have a "plug in" emissions test (no sniff for OBD II cars) with NO inspection under the hood (for now) if in fact this will work that would be good. Heck, our inspectors don't know what they are looking at anyhow, a friend's grey market 1980 Merc 280E passed the visual cat converter inspection because it had a smaller muffler up front with a heat shield....

However, I wonder why it won't work with the path plugged already in the intake and the valve in the car where it belongs?

Thoughts?

 

Portland, we have had a lot of work up there, know it well. Let me get with the van's owner and see what we can come up with. I will PM you on this later to get the Ody stuff off of the Fit forums .

Yup, I found it interesting too, the 1995-7 had a smaller motor at 140 HP, where this one is up to 150, to help with complaints about it being "underpowered".

Honda Automotive Parts

1998 Honda Odyssey Review - 1998 Odyssey MSRP, Specifications, Drive Test, More

I have found out more about the Honda Ody than I ever wanted to. Neat van, wish they kept it this way instead of the large ones of today.