Hi Guys, I have just cleaned out my air manifold along with cylinder head ports & could not believe the amount of sludge & carbon in the system, all created by the EGR valve, I guess. Is there a way I can put a blank in the EGR flange without setting off the check engine light??
It's a combination of the EGR and the crankcase ventilation. Disabling either will probably help, both will help more. If you have no MAF sensor, I don't think you'll throw a code by putting a plate between the valve and the manifold. But you can't remove the valve.
Before you do so, consider how long it took to build up that crud, and decide if it's really necessary to do anything but clean it out every decade or so.
do a search of the speedo cable on a drill to clean out of the egr tube,also a ball bearing installed in the tube large enough to not fall into the egr will disable the function of the valve while leaving it in place.
1997 E300D EGR Valve problem 
Linear Mode
