Hi,
I have a 1999 Toyota Camry with the 4 cylinder engine and manual transmission. The car has 186,000 miles and has been virtually trouble-free in the time I've owned it, other than routine maintenance (replacing timing chain, oil changes, etc).

A few weeks ago the car started 'hesitating', or 'lurching' when under acceleration, anywhere below ~3000 RPM. Almost like the engine stalls for a split second, then comes back. Happens several times a second. The only way around it is to either shift much higher in the RPM range (well above 2500), or just veeeeery gradually accelerate, so the engine isn't under hard load.

This never used to happen. A few days ago the check engine light randomly came on, and I took it to autozone to get the code read. I forget offhand what the code was, but it was something to do with the "EGR" system.

After doing some research online, it seems like I may have to replace, or at the very least clean, the EGR valve.

My questions are as follows:

1st - Judging by my symptoms, does it sound like this could be the problem?
2nd - In the attached screenshot, to my understanding the object at #1 is the EGR vacuum solenoid. At #2 is the actual EGR valve, and at #3 is an electrical connector that connects to the EGR vacuum solenoid. Am I getting this right?
3rd - If the EGR valve has only vacuum lines coming in and out of it, and connected to the intake manifold, how does it throw any codes if there is no electrical connector? Am I missing something here?

It looks like the EGR valve is pretty easy to take off with a #10 (or is it #12?) socket - at least from the intake manifold that faces the firewall. I moved all the vacuum lines and they are all loose enough that they'll come off without much trouble I think. Not sure where the BOTTOM hose goes to, but it looked like it needed a socket to get off - looked like it wasn't a regular vacuum hose, but a metal hose. Don't know how i'm going to get that out, but i'll try.

Anyway, that's my dilemna, and those are my questions. Any light anyone could shed on this topic would be greatly appreciated

Thanks in advance!

 

Find out what the specific trouble code(s) is. The EGR system has many codes for many problems not just a plugged system. Otherwise you will be guessing at the fix.

 

Specific code is P0401

 

the best way to determinate if egr valve work is applied vacum to it when engine is at idle, a good egr flow will shut down the engine wild doing this ,(it means egr flows ) if engine dost't shut of or a least runs very rough egr is not doing its job ,possible problems bad egr valve , clogged egr tubes .If engine shuts off on this test problem is on the activation side of the egr system ,posible problem /egr vsv ,torn or clogged egr system vacum hose ,bad vacuum modulator valve, no vacum ,ecm .

 

iac valve needs cleaning or replaced?