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What Is an EGR Valve? (EGR Valve Service)

Posted May 11, 2025 3:52 PM

If you've ever felt your vehicle hesitate, go, then hesitate again, you might think there's something wrong with the transmission.  After all, it's not moving smoothly  down the road.  But there are plenty of malfunctions that can cause those symptoms, one of them being something you may have never heard of: the EGR valve.

EGR stands for Exhaust Gas Recirculation. It's a system that channels small amounts of exhaust back into the engine to cool down the cylinders and reduce polluting gases.  Those include nitrogen oxides that can cause smog. The EGR valve regulates how much of the vehicle's exhaust gas is recirculated. After years and long distances traveled, that valve can get clogged or fail. Sometimes the EGR valve can stick open.  When the EGR valve isn't working properly, your vehicle can start releasing those nitrogen oxides and pollute the air.

The symptoms of a malfunctioning EGR valve include:

  • Engine losing power
  • Engine idling roughly
  • Pinging and knocking sounds in the engine
  • Stalling and hesitation
  • Fuel economy decreasing
  • Check Engine light illuminated

 

Depending on its condition, the EGR valve can be cleaned or it may need to be replaced.  Consult with your service advisor to see what options are recommended to you.

The EGR system is part of your vehicle's pollution and emissions control equipment. If you care about keeping our planet's atmosphere clean, you'll want to make sure it's doing its job—for everyone's benefit.

Ken's Auto Center
9555 Black Mountain Road
San Diego, CA 92126
8585788200



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From start to finish Ken's Auto Center was incredibly efficient, transparent, and easy to work with. I love that you can schedule online, down to the very service and exact time you'd like to bring your car in. Cindi was so helpful and explained the process clearly. I thought my car was acting unusual and suspected it was a break issue, which it ended up being. Ken's team also replaced the rotors, spark plugs, and a sensor on one of my tires. Pricing was fair and they made it very easy to understand recommended repairs - I loved seeing everything in writing, before any work was done! Incredibly transparent, very convenient and they really leverage technology to communicate with integrity everything about your car. My car was with Ken's team for less than 2 days. My car is much safer now and my new breaks are amazing! Thanks Ken, Cindi and team!

, 09/18/2026

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