What Is An Egr Valve

Talking Cars: Gas-saving devices a waste of money

QUESTION: I am looking online at many gas-saving devices. They all make claims on substantial gas mileage increase. Have you tried any of these devises?

ANSWER: If any of these devices worked, the companies would give them out to automotive journalists to test and report on. Do not buy any of this junk – online or from infomercials.

QUESTION: I am interested the new Lexus CT200h. I have seen many TV commercials on this car and would like your opinion on this car.

ANSWER: I recently spent a week in this car, and I would say it is not a sports car but is an excellent four-person car that also has cargo room. Our test car drew attention every place it was parked. It seems the power of TV advertising works. The interior layout is very ergonomic for the driver. Every control is at the driver’s fingertips. Vision from every viewing point is unrestricted. Power is not what you would expect from a hybrid. There is a noticeable power increase in the sport mode. The car drives very smooth and there is no lack of power, fuel economy 43 city, 40 highway. Leather seats were very comfortable with multiple adjustments. The front heated seats were quick to heat. In the snowbelt area, heated seats are a must with leather. Our test car only had 800 miles and my average mileage was 38 mixed driving, sometimes aggressive. The car was also very quiet both on rough and smooth pavement. Bottom line, this is what you would expect from Lexus. Base price $30,900. As tested with premium audio, leather package, navigation, $36,725.

QUESTION: I am the original owner of a 2009 Sonata and no one but myself drives it. In late December 2010, I started having problems with “hard downshifting.” At first I thought it was my brakes, but shortly thereafter the problem stopped. Then in February 2011, it started again and got progressively worse. April 7, it was so bad that I thought for sure I would break down on the way home. When I looked online, I found that this appears to be a common problem with the 2009 Sonata. The service advisor at the Hyundai dealership told me that driving in the snow must have altered my driving pattern and the adaptive learning had to be reset. She said that this was a common problem and since I had 23,700 miles on the car, this was not covered under warranty and I would have to pay $107 for the service. She convinced me to also have the entire transmission serviced although I really had another 6,000-plus miles to go. Why would Hyundai make a car with this feature if driving in the snow can set it off? I live on Long Island, where it snows a lot. I am very disappointed and I sincerely think this is a design flaw and customers should not be responsible for paying any of the expenses. It’s bad enough to go through the angst and inconvenience without also being responsible for the repairs. Please respond.

3800 EGR valve and cat - LS1LT1 Forum : LT1, LS1, Camaro, Firebird ...

Long story short, yesterday I had my first real problem out of my camaro. It ran "warm". It never red lined, but it did get up to about half way between 210 (straight up and down) and 260 (the red line). It didn't stay there either. It fluctuated back and forth. Thermostat was stuck, and coolant backed up out of the overfill. Changed the thermostat. Along with this running "warm" phenomenon, I also started to loose oil pressure. Never got below about 30 PSI, but I usually sit on 60 PSI almost constantly. It was a little low of oil, and time for a change anyway. I changed the oil, and while I was at it I flushed the Radiator and refilled it. Since then I have maintained steady temperature of no higher than 210, and Oil Pressure no lower than about 45 PSI. It's running rough though. I've checked for milky spots in my oil and steam from the tail pipe, and I've seen neither. I pulled a couple plugs and found no sign of coolant. I've seen no loss of coolant from the Radiator either. So I don't THINK it's a blown head gasket that's causing me to run rough (this is most especially noticeable at idle and low rpm) I know for sure that my cat is gone. I've as yet been unable to replace it (trying to pay for a wedding) The cat being gone and the O2 Sensor seem pretty obviously connected. I understand that it's entirely possible that the Cat and the EGR system fault are also connected. I guess my question is: 1. Is the Cat responsible for the probable carbon build up in my EGR valve which has caused it to stick open, 2. Will replacing the cat and/or cleaning/replacing the EGR valve remedy my rough ride, 3. could the "warming" of the engine and lowering of my oil pressure have caused either of these issues to go from bad to worse causing my rough ride, or is this just an annoying coincidence, and I guess 4. Am I being to quick to dismiss the possibility of a blown head gasket.

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