Found a weird trick for cleaning EGR valves without taking them off

My 2002 Silverado started throwing a P0401 code last week and I was dreading pulling the intake apart. Tried dumping a can of Sea Foam through the vacuum line while the engine was warm and let it sit for about 20 minutes. Cleared the code and the truck's been running smooth for 3 days now. Has anyone else gotten lucky with this method or did I just temporarily mask a bigger problem?

2 comments

2 Comments

olivia_morgan88d ago

Did you have any trouble with the Sea Foam smoking out the whole neighborhood after? I used to be one of those "pull it off or don't bother" guys but I tried this on my old Ford and it actually did the trick for about 6 months.

alice_wilson738d ago

You said "it actually did the trick for about 6 months" - that's kind of my point though. If you have to redo it every half a year, how much of a fix is it really? People act like pouring a can of something into your gas tank is some miracle, but you're basically just masking the problem. I'd rather just save up and get the real work done than mess around with stuff that makes the whole street look foggy for a day. Feels like a lot of hassle for something that doesn't actually last.