Egr Trouble?

Your car is a '97 so you should get a service engine light if the EGR is malfunctioning. However, there is a good way to check for a stuck-open EGR. Make sure the engine is COLD (put your hand on the intake manifold to be sure.) Start it up and do not touch the gas at all... let it idle for 5-10 minutes or so. If the EGR is stuck open, the area where the EGR joins the intake will be hotter than the rest of the intake. Be careful... the EGR gets hot as heck when it's open. Under normal conditions, the EGR should only open when at part-throttle, not idle or WOT.

If the EGR is stuck closed, it wouldn't give you any problems, except possibly detonation at part-throttle when the engine is under load.

have you checked the IAC? it sounds like the car is not getting enough air at idle.

Car idles ok, would the IAC cause that? And would the MIL be on if it was failing?

SO when exactly does it run rough then? from your post it sounded like it was at idle. Is it only at idle in gear? When the engine is cold, or after it has been running for a while?

Idles smooth, but when I begin acceleration from a dead stop, then it seems as if it's choking or missing for a short time, then it goes just fine. It stutters a couple times, but if I hit the pedal nice & easy, no problem at all. Engine can be cold I guess, I I've only checked when hot. I'll try it cold too

I doubt it's an EGR problem.

Sounds more like a fuel delivery issue. When is the last time you changed out the fuel filter? A partially restricted fuel injector or two could cause this. Do you occasionally use fuel system cleaners?

In addition, have you thought about cleaning your throttle body and your MAF sensor?

Well, problem solved. Come to find out it was those damned Bosch Platinum spark plugs. At first they worked fine, but after only 10,000 miles, it was the source of my problems. The original Motorcraft plugs lasted well over 100K, then I went to buy more, but at $5.00/plug, I decided to be a cheapskate and I bought those dreaded Bosch Platinims. I wish I would have known it would be such a waste of money. I've never replaced plaugs in my car so soon, as I did with these.

I never figured my problem was due to the plugs, they were too new!

Thanks for all the help!

Originally posted by ktk3438@Mar 1 2004, 08:25 AM
Well, problem solved. Come to find out it was those damned Bosch Platinum spark plugs. At first they worked fine, but after only 10,000 miles, it was the source of my problems. The original Motorcraft plugs lasted well over 100K, then I went to buy more, but at $5.00/plug, I decided to be a cheapskate and I bought those dreaded Bosch Platinims. I wish I would have known it would be such a waste of money. I've never replaced plaugs in my car so soon, as I did with these.

I never figured my problem was due to the plugs, they were too new!

Thanks for all the help!

Click to expand...

I had the same problem when I tried splitfire plugs.

Originally posted by SixFoFalcon@Mar 1 2004, 03:23 PM
The idle isn't quite steady in my '95 GL

Click to expand...

I had my injectors pressure cleaned at a shop to help with the idle, it now purrs like it did when it only had 150,000 miles!

I put Bosch Platinums in my dad's 87 5.0 Stang back in the early nineties. He failed the Maryland emissions check and took it to the dealer. They put Ford plugs back in and he passed emissions. The Boschs only had less than 10k on them. The dealer said that had seen it before with Bosch Platinums.

i'm telling you!!!! bosch plats are the work of the devil! (refer to my bosch plugs are the devil thread)

evil nasty tricksy thingses! (gollum)

worst idea ever! (in the voice of the comic book guy from the simpsons)

duffman is thrusting in the direction of the problem, oh yeah!