Engine Light P0401 EGR performance

[hexeis]

Is work like this typical for any mechanic? My concern is that its advanced work and I don't want to take it to just any mechanic. Am I overthinking it ?

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[Will]

Any mechanic should be able to do the work of replacing the parts. Doesn’t have to be a Jeep dealer, though techs who perform the same procedure on the same vehicles over and over will be more proficient at it as far as speed and knowing where the potential pitfalls are. If I had a mechanic I trusted, I would not hesitate to ask them to do this work even if he didn’t work on Jeeps regularly. If I were to do that, I would discuss ordering the parts myself and bring it to him/her to complete the work.

 

[roaniecowpony]

I thought it would be worth linking this blog on a test of 4 different cleaning solutions. Good test and surprised me that the Purple Power Degreaser did a lot more than just degrease. It actually seems to have decarbonized. Granted this was with a diesel EGR cooler. But, it's very likely applicable to gas engine EGR cooler carbon.

Until recently(May 2025) methylene chloride was the active ingredient in most carburetor cleaners and de-carburizing cleaners. The EPA has banned methylene chloride for all consumer and most commercial uses due to its strong link as a carcinogen and effects on the human body and environment.

We bench-test diesel EGR Cooler cleaning solutions

 

[roaniecowpony]

Hey guys! I got rid of P0401 by cleaning both EGR Valve and EGR cooler, I filmed a step by step guide how to do that:

Part 1. EGR Valve Cleaning:


Part 2. EGR Cooler Cleaning


Hope that helps! Like subscribe lol

Overall, great job to help the first timer on this task. Especially on using Purple Power.

I'd just like to correct the point about the cooler metal in Part 2 at the 5:44 hack. In there you said the insides of the cooler are made of aluminum. The correction is that the entire cooler, outer shell, and the plates inside, are made from stainless steel and furnace brazed together using a nickel alloy. Both the nickel and the stainless steel are highly resistant to corrosion and corrosive effects of chemicals. As you can read in the article I linked above, cleaning the inside for at least a couple hours will remove a lot of carbon. If my cooler was plugged up badly, I'd fill it with the cleaner and let it go a couple hours and repeat until water freely flowed through it. Even overnight wouldn't hurt.

However, the bracket on the outside is made of aluminum and banded on with stainless steel straps. The aluminum has a relatively higher reactive to the caustic cleaners like Purple Power. It's not going to fall apart, but it could change the surface color or cause a green powdery corrosion, especially if any is trapped between the parts or straps. Ideally, you would remove the aluminum bracket. But few people would have the tool and straps to replace the bracket. So, just flush the areas in and around the bracket well.

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