EGR valve issue
 

Just got my codes read following my check engine light coming on. I have code P0404. EGR system fault. Under probable causes, the slip says: 1. Failed EGR position sensor, 2. Open or short circuit condition, 3. Failed EGR valve, 4. Failed EGR pressure sensor where applicable, or 5. Failed EGR position sensor where applicable. The Autozone guy says that a failed EGR valve is the most likely of these. Where is the valve located, and is it something that can be done at home, or requires the hand of a mechanic? Car is a 2002 Saturn SL1, 1.9 SOHC engine, automatic transmission

Watch this video by richpin6 from youtube. You'll probably need to start with removing your air filter, and air hose to the throttle body first. Then you'll see the EGR valve. I'd try cleaning it and the intake port before just replacing it. If the port is "coked up" you might get by with just cleaning them and then reassembling. Post back and let us know what you do.

Thanks Rube! Will be looking at that soon. I'm hoping that a cleaning will suffice, since I found out the EGR valve costs on the order of $135

check the wiring/harness for corrosion. sometimes the electronics in the top of the sensor fry...if so, new egr, but many folks get by a long while as long as you dont damage the pintle in the center during cleanings. If you burn alot of oil, you'll find this gunks up more quickly.

Not burning oil to my knowledge (knocking on every piece of wood within reach). I've had the car less than two weeks now.

In that case I would continue to keep a close eye on the oil level until you become familiar with its needs, if any. One of the easiest ways to kill a Saturn is to let the oil drop too low.

And don't run 5W-30 in it. I keep 10W-30 in mine and on one I had with over 250,000 miles on it, I ran 10W-40. I don't know if it gets much colder in Ohio than it does here, but 10W-30 is what I run year round in my Saturn and Dodge Grand Caravan. No cold weather starting problems at all.

They're that bad on oil? I made sure I didn't see any oil leaking before I purchased it

I think the concern is how much oil does it burn.

I've only had the car less than two weeks, but as far as I can tell, it doesn't burn oil. There's none of the tell-tale white smoke, and the dipstick level is good

The recommendation of a 10W30 motor oil is a good one and will make he difference between burning oil and not burning oil IF the car at present is not burning oil.
But once the thing starts burning oil, a symptom of wear, noting will solve it, the engine is worn out.
A condition that can be directed at the recommended use of a 5W20 motor oil which was really too thin to use long term unless the daily temperature was well under freezing.
A problem that is no longer restricted to the early Saturns but seems to prevail on or with the new cars made today and driven hard using that light of an oil.

White smoke is not a sign of oil burning, it's a sign of oil and water mixing. You REALLY don't ever want to see that coming from your exhaust pipe!

I started out looking for assistance with an EGR valve, but now I find myself concerned if my new car is going to explode at any minute. Just went out and checked the oil, again. I have just over 400 miles on since purchase, and oil is still on the full mark

As with any new purchase you need to monitor oil use. Once you know what you have you can relax. I have a Lincoln Navigator and I don't have to open the hood between oil changes. I also have a hotrod Geo Metro that uses a quart every 1500 miles. It doesn't matter as long as you know, many cars get run out of oil and they turn to crap pretty fast.

Of course. Just the way they kept on the oil burning thing, I was getting the impression that it is endemic to the Saturn S-series engine, to the point where I was wondering if I needed to be under the hood before I started it every day. (Or worse, considering how to offload it before it became a money pit)

My intention in bringing the whole thing up was to make you, as a "new to you" Saturn owner, aware of a condition that commonly occurs one the s car engines due to insufficient lubrication using 5w30. Since we dont know if the previous owner disclosed any such info, I wanted you to err on the side of caution until you know what you inherited.

At one point my 95SC2 was using 6 QTS of synthetic oil per 3k mi; more if I used Dino oil. Still drove like a champ and somehow passed nj emissions fair n square.

That's why I emphasized the importance of monitoring oil level/consumption from the very start so you find out what you have going on and don't punch a hole in the block in 2k mi because you weren't watching the oil.

Paranoia right after a vehicle purchase is good if you ask me; it gets you to focus on evaluating the health of all subsystems of the car and lets you prioritize any required remediation. You don't know the past history so you take nothing for granted, learn as you go, and all will be fine as long as you keep up w the maintenance issues.

You AND the car will be fine...

It's true that I don't know the history. The car had a mechanical inspection prior to purchase, so I hope any big, bad stuff would have been caught there. I had been monitoring the fluid levels. I've had a lot of cars (My Saturn is lucky 13), so I know the drill. I hadn't known they had issues with the lubrication. I will remember that when oil change time comes around

I replaced my EGR valve within the past year. I saw that you said you found it within the $135 area. Take some time if you have it and search thoroughly! I think I found mine for way less when I replaced it. It was OEM spec but by a different name. I have also found that often parts like Delco will be right up there on most sites, but you can find them cheaper. I just replaced my IAC valve. I originally found it was going to be between $150-$195 online but then after some extensive searching, found it for around $70 (still Delco). Good Luck!

where did you experience said miracle?

I believe I found it on amazon (the iac valve). I know I also found the egr for less as well but can't find the old receipt

And they were actual AC/Delco, not counterfeit ripoffs from China?
I'm not bashing you on this, but I've come across things like this before -- in fact most recently w repl a laptop battery for my neighbors. Some older laptops will only recognize genuine OEM batteries. Found a purported OEM battery for 1/2 the price on amazon. Label on batt IDENTICAL to factory battery. Works. We'll see how long it lasts.

You got me on this one. The box looked just like a Delco...everything did to the point I'd have no idea if it was a knockoff or not. The only thing is, I found a site that listed oem numbers and other makers numbers. Delco had two. The first when I looked up on amazon was the $100+ part and the number on the one I purchased was titled AC Delco Professional Performance or something like that. I'll go back and see if I can find the two listings and if possible, upload a pic of each. Now you have me wondering. While we're on it, what is the best way 5o tell if it's a knock off?

varies by part type, but can have things like murky part number imprints/embossments, missing markings compared to originals (although things DO evolve w time), feel flimsy, gross weight difference (again, part design CAN change). Just a few examples.

There's no hard and fast rule.

For all we know, some AC Delco parts probably ARE made in China; I know the Saturn OEM s car rotors were after a while....I was asking a Saturn tech about a badly warped rotor I had; it was implied that the source country of the Saturn OEM ones and the aftermarket ones were the same so I would not be getting a superior product at the parts counter---which was part of the reason for talking to him.

As for the AC Delco Professional Series --that is a real thing but usually costs more than the regular AC Delco version. rockauto.com is a great place to purchase as well as window shop some of the best prices on the web for what appear to be authentic parts.
If there is a Pro Series AC Delco version, they will usually offer both versions

"MADE IN CHINA"
A phrase that some times indicates a knock off of something and is so questionable value.
And as far as I have found in the support of the hobby I enjoy, that of putting back together a car for example that no longer has factory support because? The factory has been purchases, razed to the ground and a shopping mall now sits where the factory was.
Reproduction parts are often made in China if for no other reason than no where else can they be made as China in some cases has no or few laws that have to do with paten rights
However they are known for some of the best cast iron workings too.
I just bought a pair of replacement window lift motors for the front windows of my 1994 SC2. I bought them about 4 months apart and from Rock Auto. Why? Because if I go to my local Chevy dealer and purchase a repair piece for the vehicle (which I have done) the replacement parts is the entire lift mechanism for something looking at more than $200.00 and from GM.
Where as I found that from Rock Auto I could purchase the motor only for $45.00 and my budget has become tighter as the car has gotten older.
Both motors clearly stated with paper work, packaging and labels on the motor that they were in deed a genuine GM part and part number.
However stamped into the motor housing was the logo "Made in China".
Either it was whale of a good knock off or it actually was a GM part number and they came from a broker some were in the Rock Auto parts net work. And if so, GM sourced out the manufacturing of some of their parts.
Something that frankly is commonly done.
But I am still having fun with the 4bbl carburetor intake manifold I purchased actually from a friend of mine in the auto repair business, a brand new Chinese knock off of what appears to be an Edelrock Air Gap intake manifold for a SBC. The only marking being? Made in China.
It was deal! It works! And it makes an interesting conversation piece.

On my egr I was mistaken. I replaced it with a delphi...no issues so far and got it off amazon for under $70. Delco had one around $130. +/-. The iac I got is a Delco and got it for around $40 +/- ...I can post some pics to assist anyone looking or searching as soon as I figure out how to do so

Ok so I uploaded the screenshots I took into a folder under my profile. How do I post pics here though? When I go to do so it asks for a url and I have no idea what the url is for the pics

Click on the paperclip and it will load photos as thumbnails. It's the only way that works for me, but some others have succeeded in imbedding their photos in the text. I'm not that gifted, apparently.

Most people embed the photos in their threads by posting pics to places like photobucket and then copying the img src html code right into the post. Otherwise it's the thumbnails via paperclip

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https://www.saturnforum.com/forum/me...-43-32-805.png

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(Flank -- I used the icon that looks like a picture and pasted your URL's into it to get the images to show as images, not just URL text. If you go back into this post, you'll see the [IMG] and [/IMG] tags....(Derf)