Hi, just joined the forum. I have had my 1994 toyota pickup for less than a year. I bought it from the original owner with 96,000 miles. It is a 22re automatic. Wish it was stick but beggerst can't be choosers. Ever since I got it I have been trying to get it to runs smooth at idle.

When I got it the exhaust was leaking from the bottom of the exhaust manifold due to some rotten bolts. After a couple a smoked up drill bits it was all sealed up and it no longer sounds like an old farm truck. I changes the spark plugs, wires distributer cap rotor,k and n air filter, pickup coil, maybee the coil have to check, o2 sensor be cause the check engine light was on. Probably more than that. I bought the fuel filter but I didn't do it yet because it looks like a pain. Once in a while my check engine light comes on and the code is for the egr valve. When I pop off the cover for the modulator and pull out the filter there is rust powerder inside. So I pull that out and clean the filter and the vaccum lines with carb clean. Then I reset the check engine light by pulling the ecu fuse. The truck runs good and the light doesn't come back on. I was going to get a new egr but they are 130-190 and it will probably get rust in it again.

I should probably change the fuel filter but the egr is anoying me. It seems like the engine misses at idle once in a while. You can see it shake with the hood popped. I am getting 18-19mpg mixed.

Is there anything I am missing or looking over. I want to get it running perfect before I get bigger tires and or a lift. I love the truck but it just needs bigger tire.

 

Your EGR valve is almost certainly causing the running problems. If the valve sticks, it will cause idle problems and can also cause the engine to miss. Plus, that's what the CEL is telling you also.

 

Someone was telling me to get rid of the egr but I just want to fix it. So should I replace it. I just don't want to replace it and then have the same problem. Where could the rust be coming from. I was thinking the exhaust which I am going to replace because it is rotten but somehow it does not leak yet so I will leave it till it rots off.

 

Yeah, I would think the rust is coming from the exhaust. You'll probably need to replace the exhaust and then the EGR. If rust is flying through the EGR, some of it may be making it into the engine and that's not good. I think that bypassing the EGR might be a good idea until you fix the exhaust. At least then the rust won't be recirculated back through.

 

I am going to consider blocking off the egr. If I continue to see rust in the modulator I am going to have to do something about it. So far it has been clean lately. If I do the egr I should do the exhaust which is rotting away. What system should I go with? Has anybody else blocked off the egr or knows how to do it?

 

Have you tried removing the egr and cleaning it out ?, probably what you are seeing is not rust, but carbon build up, so try cleaning the EGR, all it will cost you is a couple of gaskets, some carb cleaner and a little time to do it.

 

I took the egr out once before and checked the diafram for leaks. I guess I will have to pull it out and clean it again.