My 97 had poor performance, but never showed cel. I replaced ks, performance is better, but now cel is on. I ran codes on the ecu and the egr solenoid came up. Is there any relation to the changing of the ks or just coincidence? is it easy to replace solenoid? Thanks

 

You replaced the knock sensor without gettting a code or verifying that it was bad? That could very easily have been a waste of money.

No, the knock sensor and EGR are not related.

 

...maybe he was running on a bad ks for too long and had too much carbon built up. After the install all the loose carbon could have choked up the egr?

 

I test drove several max's before buying mine. i actually had mine about two years before replacing the ks. I knew from the others I had driven that my ks was bad. the car had a huge lack of power. It still does not seem nearly as quick as some of the 95-96 I drove. Thanks for the input

 

For some odd reason, I too experiened the same thing..after I replaced the EGRC solenoid valve, I noticed a huge power increase, and my car runs like new again.

 

That is a stretch

 

So you never got the code? You could tell by driving other cars that yours had a bad knock sensor?

 

Huge, like what? 20hp? 30hp?

 

I was being sarcastic...

 

huge meaning at least 10 hp...Trust me, when you get the dreaded 0302 code, car runs sluggish.

 

Really, I ran a 14.2 at the track with an 0302 code

 

Dreaded code he said...
lol

http://forums.maxima.org/showpost.ph...54&postcount=8

 

That's because there's no EGR flow at WOT anyway.

 

okay..let me rephrase..combination of 0302 and 0304.

 

Yup. EGR flow helps partial-throttle power. It keeps combustion chamber temps. down which allows the ECU to ramp up partial throttle timing.

 

Im glad someone in here knows what i'm talking about

 

You aren't WOT during the first 60' of the track either though. Way too much torque for a Maxima to get a decent 60' going WOT.

 

I actually could tell a big difference between several of the 95-96 I drove and my 97. I bought my 97 because of color combo, for some reason very hard to find, at the time. I wouldn't say the ks made a huge difference anyway. The first time I have had the cel come on in the 2 yrs I have owned the car is for this egr solenoid. I just don't want this car to start nickel adn diming me.....

 

I am WOT from the get go with my drag radials. Even with my street tires I am WOT very quickly

 

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I don't know if that is true or not, but it is besides the point because it would be almost impossible to judge how fast a car is when your at 30% or 40% throttle. One would never know if they are at exactly the same throttle point during different runs. Uless you have an SAFC that tells you TPS you could be at 35% on one run and 40% throttle on another, hence you would not be able to be accurate.

 

Check this:
How to troubleshoot EGR problems.

Credit to Dave SZ.

http://img52.photobucket.com/albums/v158/evilBIGD/EGR/

Also: Maxima Repair manual.

http://members.dslextreme.com/users/maxima/esm/

Enjoy!

 

Cleaning the EGR system is also a fix that works alot. I just had my intake manifold off and my EGR port on the back of the manifold was almost completely seales with carbon.

 

My point is that a malfunctioning EGR won't hurt WOT performance. Thus it won't greatly affect 1/4 mile times. Your around town performance will suffer however.

 

My point is that I don't think a person could accurately tell if part throttle performace is down or not.

 

^^ Not a difference in performance/gas mileage like with a KS out anyway.

 

You must not know what the EGR system does.


It's primary purpose is to keep combustion chamber temperatures down. This has two main benefits. One is lower NOx emissions. The other is to allow the ECU to ramp up the ignition timing in the mid-range at partial throttle. A malfunctioning EGR system will cause the CC temps to go up in situations that typically call for EGR, eg. partial throttle acceleration. These higher CC temperatures can lead to knock on a heat-soaked engine in warm weather. Knock=retarded ignition timing=less HP/lower MPG as you well know. Now with that said, it's your turn to explain to me how it couldn't affect performance.

 

I had the same problem. Of course, that I have replaced the EGRC-SV for the first time. I am not getting a code yet for the EGR vavle. And the knock senor code has not come back either. Somehow the A/T is effected by this. My shifting has returned to better operation. I have a new EGR valve to install but I want to see if the EGRCSV has done the trick. Also, when I had the Air Box and assebly off, I cleaned the air intake, throttle body with Deep Creep. That seemed to work fine. There is also something int he TB area that looks like a post or something. It has carbon build up all around it. Just do know what it is. Perhaps this weekend if its not raining, I will tinker with it. Try to clean it off with a toothbrush. Its not normal to see something that looks like a black turd in your TB. LOL. Guys, if you know what that is, let me know.

 

Did you replace solenoid valve yourself? and if so, was it easy to do?

 

Yes Knight. By removing the air intake system, you are able to get to it with ease. Used a 10mm wrench to remove the nut that holds the EGRC-SV and replacing the cut hoses to the EGR and other places...there are three. I recommend, buying the EGRC-SV from the dealership. 66 bucks for me. Then ask for about two feet of hose. Not sure of the measurements but, they will know. Then, pull off the AI system, replacement takes 10-15 minutes. While you are down there, why not clean out the Air Intake Manifold with some intake cleaner. I did. Works great. I think there is a stick for the operation. I find it and post it for you.

 

Thanks for the reply!..I think you should post this under "how to stickies" page 2 (how to troubleshoot EGR problems) I think this would be very useful for other org'ers who have experienced the dreaded 0302.

 

EGR seems to be a hot topic lately. Everything is explained in the links below. Mike, part throttle performance is hurt by removing EGR. For me the benifits far outweigh the disadvantages. I drive for pleasure not purpose therefore I don't care about fuel mileage or emissions. I care about WOT power, simplicity and weight of my vehicle. Also, I plan to have my IM EH'ed within the year and I sure as hell am not going to throw $700 down the drain because the smooth surface of the IM gets clogged up with carbon. Hel! no!

The definative article on EGR.
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....&highlight=EGR

The definative thread on EGR.
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread....&highlight=EGR