Timty Posted February 3, 2013 Share Posted February 3, 2013 Hi, I've fitted a blanking plate (not really 'blanking' as it is the one with a 10mm hole in it) to my 2009 Focus 1.8 TDCI. I can't say I've noticed any effects - good or bad but I'm a bit nervous about it. Am I in the long term doing more bad than good for the engine? What has been your experience? Have you fitted this plate and if so have there been any bad effects and if so what were they and after what mileage? I get nervous when I read this: http://www.wynnoil.c...atured-egr3.htm Is there any good guide, with photos, on cleaning the manifold and egr on this car. The plate is fitted at the point where the pipe from the cooler attaches to the inlet manifold/EGR system (see attached photo). Would there be any merit in spraying EGR cleaner in here and letting it have a good soak occassionally? Does this get at the part of the valve that sticks? Regards, Tim Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jynxy Posted September 17, 2013 Share Posted September 17, 2013 I would also be interested in knowing if this is the correct location and a guide on how to remove the egr, inlet manifold etc so i can clean mine out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOCA Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 The blanking plates with a hole or holes in them are a waste of time (defeats the purpose of the plate) because they still allow exhaust gasses through to contaminate and choke up the cars inlet (including the manifold, inlet valves, EGR valve housing etc ) and a blate that is not solid requires a working EGR (exhaust gas recirculation) to work A solid (no holes to let gasses through) blanking plate completely stops exhaust gases from entering the inlet, this is replaced with clean air, so engine runs better (turbo spools quicker with less "flat spots"/ hesitation) engine responds better to the throttle A solid blankig plate "fixes" a faulty EGR system or leaking EGR valve - no need to buy a new valve - save ££££s After a solid plate is fitted, the carbon will stop building up in the inlet, if it is also cleaned out (by taking the inlet manifold off) - it will stay clean (from carbon from the exhaust) If the EML (engine management light) comes on with a solid plate, it can be reset with a code reader My advice is to fit a solid EGR blanking plate (preferably stainless steel - mild steel rusts, aluminium can melt) or dont bother - Plates with a hole are a waste of time Spraying in EGR cleaner is a bad idea - if it works its liable to fill your engine up with muck - take the inlet manifold off and fill a bucket with muck instead 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
georgen Posted September 18, 2013 Share Posted September 18, 2013 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ x2 ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timty Posted September 20, 2013 Author Share Posted September 20, 2013 FOCA - what happens when the eml light is cleared, will it come back on regularly after? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOCA Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 FOCA - what happens when the eml light is cleared, will it come back on regularly after? It can do, with Euro4 Mk3 Mondeo TDCIs being bad for the EML coming on fairly quickly after the codes are cleared, Many Euro4 Focus owners however that have fitted solid EGR blanking plates have reported no problems/ the EML not coming on at all With an EGR plate only costing about a fiver its worth trying to see what happens Im not surprised you have not noticed any difference with the "holed" plate (because it does almost nothing)- with a solid plate you should notice a difference, eg- better pick up, less flat, spots, better pull from low revs etc There are pros and cons to where exactly where to place the plate, or you can fit 2 plates - one at each end - or even remove components like pipes etc- the main thing though is stopping the exhaust gasses/ carbon from getting into the inlet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jynxy Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 I have done mine, but no diffence, still dont get much pull from the turbo till atleast 1800 revs if not more, by that point im practicly chaning gear so a waste of time :( is there something else wrong ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOCA Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 I have done mine, but no diffence, still dont get much pull from the turbo till atleast 1800 revs if not more, by that point im practicly chaning gear so a waste of time :( is there something else wrong ? You cannot expect miracles from a £5 blanking plate - it will reduce flat spots and pickup from low revs, as well as prevent the inlet from getting contaminated with carbon from the exhaust, as well as "fixing" a leaking EGR valve or prevent future problems with the EGR system So a solid EGR blanking plate is not "a waste of time" An ECU reset may de required as well as cleaning out the carbon/ muck from the inlet manifold to get the full benifit You cannot expect massive power/ torque improvement from just a plate To seriously increase your power/ torque - you will need a tuning box/ remap, and other modifications such as exhaust and more In the meantime if you keep your engine "in the power" (rev the engine untill it reaches peak power ) / rev your car to about 3k- 3.5k it will accelerate much faster - as it produces less than 50Hp at 1800rpm (even peak torque is above 2500) - the car should make "good" progress if you rev it to 3k, then change up, if you change earlier, you will "loose power" - this is called "short-shifting" and although peak power is at 4100, it "levels out" above 3.5 so the "usable band" is 2 to-3.5k (on the stock car - the Superchips remapped one it is higher- you would rev that to 4k for maximum acceleration) , (if you rev the engine past peak power you are "loosing power" as well, it takes skill/ timing to get it "spot on") here are the power/ torque curves for your car - including the stock car (courtesy of Superchips) - http://www.superchips.co.uk/curves/Focus18TDCi115ps.pdf Turbo- diesels often have a narrow power band - they are "all like that" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timty Posted September 21, 2013 Author Share Posted September 21, 2013 Can anyone explain to me when does the EGR valve 'do its thing'. Does it go from fully closed to fully open or by gradual steps in between and what is the 'event' that causes this to happen. What detects combustion temperatures to be high enough to deploy the valve? I've just done 300 miles of motorway driving with my Focus 1.8tdci today and with 50 miles to the end of my journey i noticed (as did my passengers) 2 distinct 'misses'. These were 25 miles and just for an instant but - noticealbe.It's as if the engine was shut off for a milli-second and back on again. No codes, no alarms. Is this the EGR valve opening? Is this normal, does anyone else experience this on the 1.8 tdci?? I have no complaints regarding performance or economy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOCA Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 Can anyone explain to me when does the EGR valve 'do its thing'. Does it go from fully closed to fully open or by gradual steps in between and what is the 'event' that causes this to happen. What detects combustion temperatures to be high enough to deploy the valve? I've just done 300 miles of motorway driving with my Focus 1.8tdci today and with 50 miles to the end of my journey i noticed (as did my passengers) 2 distinct 'misses'. These were 25 miles and just for an instant but - noticealbe.It's as if the engine was shut off for a milli-second and back on again. No codes, no alarms. Is this the EGR valve opening? Is this normal, does anyone else experience this on the 1.8 tdci?? I have no complaints regarding performance or economy Different designs of EGR valves work in slightly different ways depending on the engine, some are simply "off" or "on" (eg a solenoid) others are motor driven (variable opening) sometimes with a position sensor that is fed back to the ECU Combustion produces heat - combustion requires oxegen - and if the oxegen is replaced with carbon monoxide combustion cannot happen, so less heat produced/ but less power - originally the EGR valve systems were used on petrol engined cars and the valve opened on the overrun/ lift off and shut when the thottle opened again Your "misses" is probably the EGR valve opening - it is often descibed as "flat spots" or "hesitation" - it must be bad if your passengers noticed it - i suggest you try a solid EGR blanking plate - you might find this dissapears, and engine runs smoother, with no "flat spots", better pickup, throttle response etc I am very happy for you that you have no complaints about performance or economy, many other motorists do, the forum is full of posts asking/ discussing ways of increasing their cars performance or economy, and manufacturers spend a lot of money on the same as well If you run a diesel with an EGR valve/ system that is not completely banked or disabled/ deleted, you will contaminate your ilet with carbon from the exhaust, which will build up over time, eventually choking the inlet and reducing performance/ economy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timty Posted September 23, 2013 Author Share Posted September 23, 2013 Thanks FOCA for the comprehensive answer, I'll give it a go and let you know. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firetrappp Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 i have an 2006 1.8tdci ford focus , egr valve was the problem , i have replaced it with secondhand one , after couple days problems started again like black smoke , car goes in to a limp mode , loss of power etc, then i took it to the ford for diagnostic , code came up p0489 which they said egr valve , or wiring , electrician checked the wiring , there is no problem , so thinking now second egr was faulty with 1.8 engines i have been told that its part of the manifold i am wondering, would blanking plate sort my problem out many thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
karlos the jackal Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 I blanked my EGR earlier this year, straight away I found the power delivery to be smoother and I also get 1-2 more mpg. 4000 miles later it's still running well and I've not had the EML come on. Best £4 I've spent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blurredfocus Posted November 5, 2013 Share Posted November 5, 2013 Could this be my problem on the 1.6 tdci ? I've bought the blanking plate just not had time to fit it. I've had it deleted from the Ecu but I've be told with the remap it could possibly still be opening slightly from the back pressure. It's causing an intermittent flat spot around 3000rpm its annoying and definitely not what you want while overtaking :-/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOCA Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 i have an 2006 1.8tdci ford focus , egr valve was the problem , i have replaced it with secondhand one , after couple days problems started again like black smoke , car goes in to a limp mode , loss of power etc, then i took it to the ford for diagnostic , code came up p0489 which they said egr valve , or wiring , electrician checked the wiring , there is no problem , so thinking now second egr was faulty with 1.8 engines i have been told that its part of the manifold i am wondering, would blanking plate sort my problem out many thanks Yes, a solid blanking plate can "fix" a faulty/ leaking EGR valve/system the solid plate effectively disables the EGR system - so if it is not working right, (sticking, leaky jammed etc) the solid plate blocks this off, "fixing" the problem - this does not happen with plates with holes in them, plates with holes to let the gasses through need the EGR valve/ system to be working A solid plate made of stainless steel, and decently thick, (aluminium can melt, mild steel rusts, if its too thin and its near the exhaust it can burn through) is the best 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOCA Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Could this be my problem on the 1.6 tdci ? I've bought the blanking plate just not had time to fit it. I've had it deleted from the Ecu but I've be told with the remap it could possibly still be opening slightly from the back pressure. It's causing an intermittent flat spot around 3000rpm its annoying and definitely not what you want while overtaking :-/ Always best to get a solid plate on there - then you know its not leaking and you don't have to worry about it There is often a performance advantage in twin plates (one at each end - the inlet end and the exhaust end) or even completely removing the EGR components / replacing them with smooth pipes etc (depending on the engine) some tuners make/ supply parts to do this on some cars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WAZ91 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Interesting read there FOCA. ive toyed with the idea and would proberly do it however when I do mechanical things to my vehicle i just make things worse. If the EML came on i wouldnt want to have to take it to a garage to be charged £60 for them to plug in. Can you buy these readers that do the trick just in case? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firetrappp Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Yes, a solid blanking plate can "fix" a faulty/ leaking EGR valve/system the solid plate effectively disables the EGR system - so if it is not working right, (sticking, leaky jammed etc) the solid plate blocks this off, "fixing" the problem - this does not happen with plates with holes in them, plates with holes to let the gasses through need the EGR valve/ system to be working A solid plate made of stainless steel, and decently thick, (aluminium can melt, mild steel rusts, if its too thin and its near the exhaust it can burn through) is the best i have been told after blanking the egr u need to remap the ecu and take the egr programme out , othervise eml light comes on or engine system fault and car goes in to the limp mode is that true ? if its just the eml light comes on thats not a problem i can drive with light on it doesnt bother me but if the car goes in to the limp mode its impossible to drive ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IINexusII Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I've been running a blanked plate on my 06 1.8 tdci since feburary, no EML lights since. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firetrappp Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 I've been running a blanked plate on my 06 1.8 tdci since feburary, no EML lights since. gonna buy one now and get it done did u get urs from eBay or home made ? and is urs got a hole or without hole thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FOCA Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Interesting read there FOCA. ive toyed with the idea and would proberly do it however when I do mechanical things to my vehicle i just make things worse. If the EML came on i wouldnt want to have to take it to a garage to be charged £60 for them to plug in. Can you buy these readers that do the trick just in case? Thank you, - you can pick up a code reader for about £20 or even less, then you can read/ reset your codes as often as you like ("do the trick")- the EML may not come on anyway, both 1.6 and 1.8 Focus TDCIs have had solid plates fitted by FOC members with no EML lights/ problems (only benifits) whether there emgines are Euro3, 4 or5 compliant i have been told after blanking the egr u need to remap the ecu and take the egr programme out , othervise eml light comes on or engine system fault and car goes in to the limp mode is that true ? if its just the eml light comes on thats not a problem i can drive with light on it doesnt bother me but if the car goes in to the limp mode its impossible to drive ? As above, the EGR has been blanked on several different engines/ models with no problems, it has not been nessesary to remap the the ECU for this - i have not heard from anyone actually have the car going into limp mode because a solid blanking plate was fitted, apart from rumors/ 3rd or 4th hand, so its probably BS The Euro4 Mk3 Mondeos with electronic EGR valves will put the EML on, but will not go into limp (home) mode - this can be reset with a code reader, the Euro3 ones can have a solid plate fitted with no problems/ EMLs. "Limp home mode" is where the ECU dedects a fault but allows you to continue with less power/ lower revs - so that you are not immobilised/ can "limp home" - hence the name it does not make it impossible to drive, and, of course, fitting a blanking plate would not cause this gonna buy one now and get it done did u get urs from ebay or home made ? and is urs got a hole or without hole thanks A blanking plate with holes to let gasses through defeats the purpose/ is a waste of time and does not "fix" a leaking or faulty EGR valve/ system like a solid one does Best to fit a solid one (stainless steel) or not bother Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stooge75 Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 If you take your car to a polish mechanic,he will( or will know someone most likely) know someone who will map 'delete' the EGR out of even euro4 engines. Things have moved-on a lot this yr regarding EGR deleting etc. last yr i found only 1 person who claimed to be able to do it,but it threw up another problem code when done. Now though,its a different story,theres quite a lot of people doing it. Its just luck finding one. I had mines done ages ago & never looked back since. It'll probably cost you about £200/250 though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firetrappp Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 Thank you, - you can pick up a code reader for about £20 or even less, then you can read/ reset your codes as often as you like ("do the trick")- the EML may not come on anyway, both 1.6 and 1.8 Focus TDCIs have had solid plates fitted by FOC members with no EML lights/ problems (only benifits) whether there emgines are Euro3, 4 or5 compliant As above, the EGR has been blanked on several different engines/ models with no problems, it has not been nessesary to remap the the ECU for this - i have not heard from anyone actually have the car going into limp mode because a solid blanking plate was fitted, apart from rumors/ 3rd or 4th hand, so its probably BS The Euro4 Mk3 Mondeos with electronic EGR valves will put the EML on, but will not go into limp (home) mode - this can be reset with a code reader, the Euro3 ones can have a solid plate fitted with no problems/ EMLs. "Limp home mode" is where the ECU dedects a fault but allows you to continue with less power/ lower revs - so that you are not immobilised/ can "limp home" - hence the name it does not make it impossible to drive, and, of course, fitting a blanking plate would not cause this A blanking plate with holes to let gasses through defeats the purpose/ is a waste of time and does not "fix" a leaking or faulty EGR valve/ system like a solid one does Best to fit a solid one (stainless steel) or not bother MANY THANKS FOCA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
IINexusII Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 gonna buy one now and get it done did u get urs from ebay or home made ? and is urs got a hole or without hole thanks got mine from eBay and with no holes. make sure its a steel one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
firetrappp Posted November 7, 2013 Share Posted November 7, 2013 got mine from ebay and with no holes. make sure its a steel one. just got one from eBay as u said james bought steel one with no hole it has been nightmare for last 3 weeks many thanks guys much appriciate it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Ford UK Shop
Sponsored Ad
Name: eBay
Ford Model: FordUK Shop
Ford Year: 2024
Latest Deals
Ford UK Shop for genuine Ford parts & accessoriesDisclaimer: As the club is an eBay Partner, The club may be compensated if you make a purchase via the club
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.