Member Since: 03 Jan 2019
Location: Cheddar
Posts: 2
EGR - to blank or not to blank...?
Hello, DiscoNoob here.
I have a P045C coming up on my 07 Disco 3. A local 4x4 Landy garage ran a diagnostic and said one of the EGR's needs replacing. They said blanking wasn't a good idea as it wouldn't make the engine efficient and then quoted me £400 to do the job. (Click Mechanic said £300)
A couple of friends who have diesel cars said they blank off their EGRs and get better fuel economy.
Tempted to blank as I'm skint at the mo, but also don't want to do scupper/bodge my car as I have MOT in March and not sure of legalities of blanking.
Suggestions and advice gratefully welcomed!
6th Jan 2019 10:59 pm
Lee Trinder
Member Since: 12 Aug 2018
Location: Henley in arden
Posts: 515
Hi
I would get them blanked, as far as I know it doesn’t affect the mot.
I wouldn’t have known a thing about them, but my my mechanic told me they were banked on mine.
6th Jan 2019 11:08 pm
MikeO
Member Since: 15 Jan 2014
Location: The Cotswolds
Posts: 1372
Do a search on here. There's a huge amount of information about EGRs and blanking.2016 Skoda Octavia VRS Estate
<gone>2009 FF Vogue TDV8 Buckingham Blue</gone>
<gone>2015 BMW 520D SE (not my favourite car)</gone>
<gone>2009 D3 HSE Galway Green</gone
6th Jan 2019 11:10 pm
Puttesthlm
Member Since: 06 Jan 2019
Location: Sthlm
Posts: 7
Re: EGR - to blank or not to blank...?
Lenita wrote:
Hello, DiscoNoob here.
I have a P045C coming up on my 07 Disco 3. A local 4x4 Landy garage ran a diagnostic and said one of the EGR's needs replacing. They said blanking wasn't a good idea as it wouldn't make the engine efficient and then quoted me £400 to do the job. (Click Mechanic said £300)
A couple of friends who have diesel cars said they blank off their EGRs and get better fuel economy.
Tempted to blank as I'm skint at the mo, but also don't want to do scupper/bodge my car as I have MOT in March and not sure of legalities of blanking.
Suggestions and advice gratefully welcomed!
EGR valves take exhaust gases and leads them back to the engine. How would they mean thats effective? Blanking them gives the engine pure air only.
7th Jan 2019 12:38 am
DiscoJeffster
Member Since: 27 Feb 2016
Location: Perth
Posts: 204
The EGR functions to reduce harmful pollutants. Studies found that under certain engine cycles, injecting inert gas (exhaust gas) into the mix reduces toxic outputs such as NOx etc. Think of the children! I understand however why you might blank it when it dies as it is costly to repair, plus the crud in the intake is awful.
7th Jan 2019 12:50 am
XDAndy
Member Since: 16 Jan 2018
Location: Gibraltar
Posts: 597
Re: EGR - to blank or not to blank...?
Lenita wrote:
Tempted to blank as I'm skint at the mo, but also don't want to do scupper/bodge my car as I have MOT in March and not sure of legalities of blanking
EGR blanking is an instant MOT failure, as of 2018, but seems that the MOT tech can’t dismantle anything to check it, so if it isn’t obvious they can’t tell.
People have been talking of solutions where the EGRs are blanked but the pipes are left in place so it’s not detectable.
My car has been blanked with pipes removed but sailed thru it’s MOT. Suspect if I had taken it to an LR dealer rather than a back street MOT station, it might have been a different story.
Always remember though, if driving a car that is not in a MOTable condition, whether you have a valid and in date MOT certificate or not, you risk a £1000 fine if caught. Blanking and trying to cover it up would, I suspect, not get much sympathy so do so at your own risk. But chances of being caught are probably negligible, and I suspect a lot of others here on the forum run the risk every day.
Oh, and not sure if MY07 is affected, but later D3s need an ECU patch to stop the MIL light from coming on once the EGRs are blanked, MIL light at MOT is another failure, so if your car is affected you will need this patch. Mine is an 05 so is not affected.
You can patch it yourself if you have a Gap IID tool, otherwise you’ll need to find someone who has such a tool, but expect a cost as unless you find someone with a pro version, home tools are vin locked and there’s a charge for the update as well.
7th Jan 2019 1:10 am
Lenita
Member Since: 03 Jan 2019
Location: Cheddar
Posts: 2
Thanks for all your advice. I think with the stricter MOT guidelines I’ll get it fixed. Totally in love with my Disco but I’m gonna have to sell a kidney soon 😩
7th Jan 2019 1:51 pm
Littlewill
Member Since: 14 Sep 2015
Location: Lincolnshire
Posts: 484
Just to wade in here. My project Disco 3 went for its MOT with blanked EGRs and all pipe work removed and it passed just fine.... That was about two weeks ago.
7th Jan 2019 4:58 pm
lynalldiscovery
Member Since: 22 Dec 2009
Location: Maidstone
Posts: 7274
In a nutshell,
Pre 2007 blank away 15 quid fix
Post 2007 blank away and a remap/rewrite of the software, cost, I dont know but got to be 2/250 quid?
I blanked mine for one reaon only and that reason is, when the egr packs up so does the car, leaving you stranded.
Blank plates fitted between pipe flanges no issues at mot a month or so ago.
7th Jan 2019 5:05 pm
heyho
Member Since: 08 May 2017
Location: Leeds
Posts: 147
DiscoJeffster wrote:
The EGR functions to reduce harmful pollutants. Studies found that under certain engine cycles, injecting inert gas (exhaust gas) into the mix reduces toxic outputs such as NOx etc. Think of the children! I understand however why you might blank it when it dies as it is costly to repair, plus the crud in the intake is awful.
Seems sensible to me BUT...
… why doesn't an EGR blanked car fail its MOT on exhaust emissions or doesn't that test actually go to the full extent of testing all the harmful pollutants?
7th Jan 2019 5:11 pm
Puttesthlm
Member Since: 06 Jan 2019
Location: Sthlm
Posts: 7
Here in Sweden, the mot just connects to the cars obd2 outlet. So if u have a older or blanked and iid fixed it sails right through.
7th Jan 2019 5:19 pm
Grumpydog
Member Since: 10 Apr 2019
Location: Medway/ Mos Eisley
Posts: 152
heyho wrote:
DiscoJeffster wrote:
The EGR functions to reduce harmful pollutants. Studies found that under certain engine cycles, injecting inert gas (exhaust gas) into the mix reduces toxic outputs such as NOx etc. Think of the children! I understand however why you might blank it when it dies as it is costly to repair, plus the crud in the intake is awful.
Seems sensible to me BUT...
… why doesn't an EGR blanked car fail its MOT on exhaust emissions or doesn't that test actually go to the full extent of testing all the harmful pollutants?
I work on trucks where the EGR system is much more complicated. They recycle up to 30% of exhaust gas but only under certain conditions. It has to be cooled before entering the inlet and can actually reduce power by doing this (one make had either adblue or EGR at Euro 5. The EGR engine was bigger to compensate for this). It reburns the gases and reduces the pollutants before going into a £12k exhaust with adblue, DPF, catalyst and other black magic. Our Euro 6 trucks (EGR and adblue are now so clean they don't even register on a smoke test and apparently put out cleaner air than they draw in (not sure how true that is but would be interesting to experiment and find out).
It's all progress in the name of reduced pollution. Euro 6 in commercials is about as far as they can go at the moment, now they are legislating safety, lane guard, anti collision blah blah blah.
On an emissions test an earlier car will pass easier as the levels aren't as high. As you go up the Euro stages they are much stricter and will struggle to pass if not in tip top condition. There was talk of having to pass at the level the manufacturer stated when new, which 5-10 years down the line will take a lot of cars off the road (VW would be knackered)!2004 Disco 3 HSE TDV6
2015 Audi Q5 S Line plus
2008 Audi A4 Avant S Line Black Edition. Gone
2005 Chrysler Grand Voyger. Gone
30th May 2019 10:10 am
rrhool
Member Since: 28 Aug 2014
Location: Norfolk
Posts: 4400
EGR adds some exhaust gas to the intake air (under certain speed/load conditions) to reduce the amount of oxygen in the charge. The reduced oxygen lowers the temperature of the combustion, and lowers the NOx emmissions.
High temperature combustion = NOx, Lower temperature combustion = Particulates!
No winning either way. Hence modern Diesel engines are covered in emissions reducing kit, and now particulate filters.Richard
D3 SE 2007. Triumph 2.5Pi 1973. Ferguson TEA20 1948.
Discovery 2 4.0 ES 2001- Gone
Discovery 1 300Tdi ES '95 - Gone
Range Rover Classic '79 - Gone
30th May 2019 10:42 am
Moo D3 Decade
Member Since: 13 Aug 2010
Location: Wiltshire
Posts: 13899
Blank the Egrs but leave the pipes in place. New Defender L663 110 SE (known as Noddy!)
Sold Volvo XC90 R-Design (known as Basil)
Sold - D4 HSE (Known as Gerty)
No longer the Old Buses original owner
231,000 miles and counting
05 S manual owned from March 2005
D4 Face lifted
Still original injectors and turbo
V8 Front brakes
BAS Remap, Allisport Intercooler and deCat
EGRs blanked
T-Max split charge
Hanibal Expeedition rack
Prospeed ladder
Duratrac tyres
IID BT
BAS FBH control
30th May 2019 12:08 pm
Breg90
Member Since: 04 Feb 2017
Location: Falkirk
Posts: 348
The egr valves only open on over run (coasting on no throttle or low load). So when you're driving down the motorway they are closed and doing nothing. So if you blank them you are only effecting emissions a fraction of the time.
Technically your not meant to blank them as it has been stated. But pay your money and take your pick depending on your wallet/conscience.
Regarding the MOT the tester can't strip the car to check if you have blanked it. He/she can't even remove the top cover off the engine. So unless you fail on emissions they can't check. It appears to be common experience that the cars pass the emissions test with blanked egr's.
As your motor is a 2007 model it might need a software patch or not as I think thats at the cross over point. Bell auto services web site states the following:
If your chassis number is a 5A or 6A chassis number this kit is compatible without needing software modification. EG: SALLAAA12(5/6)A123456.
If you are the earlier model you could buy the kit (£34), fit, pass your MOT and then sort the EGR later when funds allow if that is what you want.
As stated , for later cars you need a software update to stop the engine check light coming on. The BAS software fix for the later cars works in my experience. But its more cash and you either need a IIDT tool to apply the software update your self, or need to use a company that can do it for you. End result might be the same cost to blank as it is to change the EGR. But the EGR's will fail again. Once blanked they will never cost you again.
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