Yesterday my check engine light came on, so I took it to Auto Zone. The guy scanned it and the code was insufficient egr flow. He recommended trying Gumout complete fuel system cleaner, before spending $45 for a new valve. Is there a chance it will work? I have a 2000 Mercury Sable by the way.
Remove it and check for buildup or a sticking valve. Also check that the passage going into the intake manifold is not blocked with gunk. If it looks OK, chances are the DPF sensor is bad. Fords are notorious for bad DPF's. (DPFDifferential Pressure Feedback sensor)
Not likely. A EGR pulls unburnt gases from your exhaust and recycles them into your intake. Gumout would be burned inside your cylinders to get rid of carbon deposits in the block and not much if any would be able to get recycled in your EGR. You can remove your EGR and soak it in carburetor cleaner overnight to loosen the deposits and then use a soft brush to get the stubborn dirt out. Be careful when soaking the valve though, the (I don't know the technical term) rubber parts on the inside can be damaged by carb cleaner so try to soak as much of the metal parts as you can in it and keep that rubber part dry. $45 isn't bad for a new valve by the way. A new one in my truck is over $100 and thats considered cheap by some.
I do not think it will. Sounds like a clog in the EGR. How many miles are on the motor, and have you ever replaced the EGR before? EGRs go bad, most of the time you can do nothing about it. You could try to take it off and clean it out, that might help.
