Hi ...I would appreciate any advice. The mechanic quoted over $1,550 for the fix (EGR Valve and EGR Cooler replacement). The head gasket repair which included a lot more accompanying replacements, and cleanings, etc.. was done in January ($3,750). Fuel pump (warranty replacement), 12V battery and grounding cable replaced in May ($575). Since it has become a problem for me, I decided to let it go. But, how can I sell a problem to someone else? How does this work when the car has been through quite a bit of repairs that don't seem to be ending. According to KBB, the car still has value. But I'm stuck. ANY input is appreciated. Thank you.
P0401 Exhaust Gas Recirculation Flow Insufficient Detected The problem is with the EGR and you need to solve it. On this generation, the EGR gets clogged over time and needs to be cleaned. In addition, there may be ongoing problems that escalate. Engine overheating, gasket failure, coolant leakage into the cylinders, uneven engine operation and, finally, engine seizure.
Has all of the first paragraph work been done then? If so, and if done properly, you “may” be ok for some time. Barring brake booster or hybrid battery failures. you should reclean the EGR every 50k miles. My 2 cents: failure to do this is why the head gasket failed. And Toyota is keeping quiet.
This is exactly why we opted to get out of a 13 Persona and a 2010 JBL solar roof car You personally have to reach the point where things start making sense or maybe you never do We need both types in the world unfortunately so there's always that. All of these types of people keep the industry going around and round this styles of thinking are or can be personal choices
Sometimes a quick inspection of the rotor in the EGR valve will show a rut worn through the ski-jump rotation stop inside it. That can also give you a recurring P0401, even after you've eliminated clogging as a cause.
Thought's crossed my mind a few times: could a carbon-clogged EGR system make the valve work more, be more prone to dig that rut?
Thank you everyone for your help. I really don't want to put any more money into it so full disclosure to the prospective buyer and hopefully someone will still want it. I appreciate all of you. @Mendel Leisk: Yes, all of that work was already done, and much more. Water pump replaced, EGR Valve and everything connected to it cleaned, a whole slew of other parts also replaced, etc... I have the little BlueDriver scanner tool, it shows the "Hybrid Battery Pack Remaining Life" to be at 58.4%, if that's reliable. Regarding the brakes, the mechanic said they're still OK at the last inspection in June. Thank you again.
