Coil light, limp mode, visit workshop - EGR Sensor Fault Code

[Deleted member 74601]

Hi Guys,

Been having this re-occuring pretty much every time I drive the car. I have a 1.6TDI Ecomotive.

It starts fine, drives along and then not after too long, the coil light flashes, car goes into limp mode. If I turn car off and on again, it goes along happy again until I get the coil light eventually. After the coil light has come on twice it also leaves the emission system error light on.

Scanning with VCDS shows the following fault code.

1 Fault Found:
7563 - EGR Sensor 1
P046C 00 [237] - Implausible Signal
MIL ON - Confirmed - Tested Since Memory Clear
Freeze Frame:
Fault Status: 00000001
Fault Priority: 2
Fault Frequency: 4
Mileage: 123289 km
Date: 2015.04.23
Time: 11:56:33

From googling it seems this is pointing to, most likely, an EGR Valve being knackered. Up until the past 6 months I'd been using the car ideally, long motorway mileage, about 30k a year. However, I've been given a van for work, and now the car really just potters around town, doing less than a mile a day to, and from my van.

My questions are:

Is it worth trying to get EGR Cleaned before replacement?

I've tried giving it some beans on the motorway but just get the coil light/limp mode. I've already thrown some BP Ultimate in, is it worth throwing something like Millers Diesel Ecomax in?

I am supposed to be driving down to London tomorrow night for a flight on Friday morning, will I be okay to drive this far?

I don't mind if I go into limp mode, as it can still reach 70mph, but don't want to do the car more, irreparable damage.

Cheers guys.

 

[GrahamFR]

Is it worth trying to get EGR Cleaned before replacement? Yes, you can do it yourself

I've tried giving it some beans on the motorway but just get the coil light/limp mode. I've already thrown some BP Ultimate in, is it worth throwing something like Millers Diesel Ecomax in? Wont really help if the problem is already there, more of a preventative than a cure

I am supposed to be driving down to London tomorrow night for a flight on Friday morning, will I be okay to drive this far? Yeah you'll be fine, I drove to Blackpool once in limp mode, never did me any harm

I don't mind if I go into limp mode, as it can still reach 70mph, but don't want to do the car more, irreparable damage. See above, probably get the best MPG in your life, but you should be able to take off the egr and do a spot of cleaning before friday

 

[Deleted member 74601]

Thanks Graham, appreciate the feedback. I'm actually travelling down tonight and been in work today so probably won't get a look.

Are there instructions for cleaning the EGR on the 1.6TDI anywhere?

From what I've read on the internet, it's pretty hard to get to, so do I need direct access to it to clean it? MJ on here quoted 5 hours to replace one, and I've seen that on other forums.

 

[MJ]

you wont get anywhere by cleaning it I'm afraid.
The fault is caused by exhaust blow by on the potentiometer rod seal which causes the roller to become carboned up and seize. hence the position sensor fault code.
By this point it's a lost cause and requires a new one fitting.
vw group have you by the balls on it BUT they will contribute to the replacement if you complain enough to SCC.

 

[Deleted member 74601]

Thanks MJ. As much as I thought.

Will I get anything despite the car being 5 years old? Only got 76k on it, but doubt the age will get my any discount.

 

[MJ]

Still worth a try mate. They are well aware of an issue and I think they've had a kick off watchdog over it.

 

[GrahamFR]

I thought the egr was easy to get to or is it different on 1.6's? Is this not the pipe at the front that gets clogged and would a delete help or is this as you say mj too late for that?

 

[MJ]

The cr has a large cooler unit with an integrated valve on the back of the engine. All that the pipe does is serve to link the cooler and the manifold. its not that it gets blocked, it's not a blockage issue. The issue is the failed seal causing the valve to stick open, shut, partially open etc
for the effort it would take to remove it and try to repair it you might as well replace it and have 2 years motoring covered.

 

[MJ]

a physical delete will just cause limp mode. I'm not sure of anyone offering a software removal solution just yet either.

 

[GrahamFR]

Ahh wrong bit then. Sorry to get ya hopes up xeryuk! There are tuning companies that accommodate CR egr deletes but again I'm think 2.0 so again I could be talking tripe

 

[MJ]

2.0 uses a bosch ecu where the 1.6 uses simos dog sh*t

bosch is, as always ridiculously easy to reverse engineer and crack, the simos not so much.

 

[Unit9]

Delete and written out the software is a long term solution may aswell map whilst you on

 

[Deleted member 74601]

Got to and from London okay.

Funnily enough, once the engine is nice and hot, if I switch off and on again, and make sure the revs don't drop below 1,500RPM it's fine, so managed to get all the way to London and back with barely any limp mode.

Does that mean it's still the same diagnosis about the seal, or may a good clean fix it?

 

[MJ]

Again the cleaning does nothing and a new valve is the answer.

 

[NathFRMk2]

Hey MJ,

I've been having a Similar issue to Xrey for quite some time now, I've always suspected that it would be an EGR related issue, but until tonight have not been able to get a code out of the engine when using a Diagnostic machine.

The error I got is: 05187: Potentiometer for EGR (G212) Signal too Low P1443 Short With Ground.

I drive a Mk2 Leon FR PD170.

I have already had a DPF & EGR Delete, so I'm not sure why I'd still be getting this error?

Do you have any idea's on what this could be? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

P.S. Xrey, sorry for barging in on your post, just didn't want to open a new thread and duplicate the information. ​