obdII meter code questions - egr sensor

[Car Doc]

his 'car' is an 04 or 05 dodge grand caravan couldn't tell you engine size, yes I do have a vom, but no vacume pump.. er.. well.. I know a guy with an electric vacume pump used for vacuming down ac systems.. could maybee get that...

soundguy

The reason a vacuum pump is necessary (or vacuum source the engine can be used in a pinch) is being able to operate the egr manually and test the sensor.

I am presuming it is a egr position sensor code (could be egr temp and that is a different procedure its a thermistor) and if so the sensor is simply a rheostat so as the egr is drawn up with the vac pump it will change resistance now there will be a range thats acceptable to the ecu and we will or may be testing several ways.

And like I mentioned I am a member of iATN I can search the database for pattern failures and that saves me a ton of time in many instances and is the first thing I always do when I get a new car I am not familiar with so once I know the details I will check it out for you. ( I fix Toyota and Honda is my specialty I can tell you off the top of my head 95% of their issues)

 

[JB4310]

I am one of 25,000 or so techs that help people diagnose and fix cars all over the world on iATN so once I have enough info I can point you in a direction to find more out.

I'm gonna remember that Car Doc, if you don't mind

How are you paid for that, do you work for iATN or is it it just volunteer?

I recently had a knock sensor code on an 01 Subaru, there were all kinds of directions the fault might of been coming from but I just changed the sensor since it was cheap enough, luckily that cleared it. Wouldn't want to chance that approach with an ECM/ PCM.

JB.

 

[Car Doc]

I'm gonna remember that Car Doc, if you don't mind

How are you paid for that, do you work for iATN or is it it just volunteer?

I recently had a knock sensor code on an 01 Subaru, there were all kinds of directions the fault might of been coming from but I just changed the sensor since it was cheap enough, luckily that cleared it. Wouldn't want to chance that approach with an ECM/ PCM.

JB.

JB,

Yeah sure pm me or find me on here somewhere I will be happy to help you!

iATN is a paid membership for auto shops and techs its an invaluable resource for us, anyone with a question can post it and 25,000 techs can read and respond its a very powerful tool. When we post help its hopefully making some guys day go a little better and someones car get fixed properly.

We all pay them quarterly but it pays us back by letting us talk to 25,000 good professional techs not A zone parts replacers or internet knowitall hacks and we have access to 3 or 4 hundred thousand fixes in the data base so thats why I check there first on problems I am not familiar with.

Most of my friends know what beer I drink its Keystone light btw thats my payment on the side work other than that seriously I fix cars not replace parts and thats where I make my living knowing exactly what I did and why.

My rep is (I am told by my peers anyway) solid as far as folks being able to trust my judgement. I never replace anything until I can prove its bad and everyone around here knows that and that takes a good understanding of all things pertinent.

 

[Soundguy]

your story reminds me of a buddy who was in the army. he was a tank mechanic.. but he didn't like how they did business there.. he called himself a profesional parts changer as that was all they were allowed to do...

soundguy

 

[BobRip]

A little off subject. A friend's car gave an oxygen sensor code. We replaced it and that did not help. Then the idle was fluctuating. Months later the cranking was slow. We checked the battery. An 800 CCA battery testd at 160. Replaced that and all other problems disappeared. Sometimes the problem is so weird you just have to replace parts.

 

[Car Doc]

your story reminds me of a buddy who was in the army. he was a tank mechanic.. but he didn't like how they did business there.. he called himself a profesional parts changer as that was all they were allowed to do...

soundguy

Sometimes you have to do what the boss says!

(I am my own boss :laughing: )

 

[Car Doc]

A little off subject. A friend's car gave an oxygen sensor code. We replaced it and that did not help. Then the idle was fluctuating. Months later the cranking was slow. We checked the battery. An 800 CCA battery testd at 160. Replaced that and all other problems disappeared. Sometimes the problem is so weird you just have to replace parts.

That is what is bad about codes Bob they dont always mean its a bad part thats indicated and also why I despise anyone selling parts that checks codes for people that doesn't actually fix cars for a living.

 

[automech]

no vacuum supplied to 04 or 05 Caravan egr valves. These are tested by commanding egr operation with scan tool and monitoring the position sensor signal. Most of the time the sensor is bad when you see a high or low signal code. It is part of the valve. The valve is expensive so you should walk through the step by step diag.

 

[SSdoxie]

well, now that most of my friends found out i have an OBDII scanner, they all 'visit' me at lunch so I can scan their car and see why their check engine lights are on.

Buddy came by yesterday ( at lunch.. ho-hum.. didn't even bring me any either! )

and had a EGR sensor range high error.

only that 1 stored code, no pending codes, no codes on other modules either.

I take it this is a sensor fault as in it returned an out of range reading, IE.. something on the high side?

soundguy

My experience has been that if a sensor gives an Out of Range code means the voltage is so high or low that system should not be working at all if there was a real problem. If engine runs fine, no other codes, no smoke or anything else wrong then either sensor is bad or there is short in wire harness. Out of range high would be short to power, Out of raange low - short to ground of the signal (feedback) wire.

 

[Short Game]

I'm too old. I can fix just about anything that doesn't have a computer chip in it. My '98 Honda Civic HX with 190K just popped up a Check Engine light. I have no friends with the tool. I have a keg of IPA and no where to go this side of Soundguy.