Honda Jazz Mk2 EGR problem?

[JazzityMcJazzeton]

Hey everyone, I am new to this site and I am writing the following as requested from my father. We own a 2009 Honda Jazz Mk2 1400cc 99PS I-VTEC with about 130k kilometeres on the clock. Last service was november 2022

This last year a strange thing has been occuring with our little vehicle and we wanted to ask some place with knowledgeable individuals, as no technician we have visited has given us a solution. Our problem, started when I felt the car that it was accelarating funny, kinda like when I started learning how to drive manual and i would miss the clutch. However, the problem was apparent at like the 2nd-3rd gear with seemingly normal RPMs and not while going from standing to moving. It felt like small haltings that would dissappear later on high RPM/high Gear.

I started researching and pretty soon I found out the culprit could be the EGR valve. I talked about it with our mechanic and he said that it would be possible. We grabbed a can of EGR Cleaner Spray, that honestly kind of felt like a scam. We removed the valve, sprayed it, let it get cleaned and reinstalled it. The car would behave normaly for 2 weeks or so and then back to its old habits.

Next up, around September of this year, we found a used but relatively new EGR Valve from a totaled car and we purchased it, cleaned it again for good measure and finally installed it. The car behaved like new but after 2.5-3 months the problem returned.

Now, we checked with our mechanic wether the sparkplugs are changed and maybe if something else is wrong, but to no avail. We always return to the EGR. However, the problem is that I cannot for the life of me justify a purchase of 350euros (around 300gbp) for a new EGR Valve. I went online on autodoc, trying to find a new EGR Valve that would work on our car, but everything is out of stock when searching for my cars specs.

So I guess my question would be, wether there is any way I can tell if there are other compatible EGR Valves from different cars that would fit in our little Jazz. For example, I have found out, yet I could not validate the correctness of the info, that one Honda Civic model of similar year model would probably be compatible. I have tried looking around this forum but could not find anything super similar to my issue, so i am sorry if am asking an already answered question

Also if someone has any other tip on how i can go about finding why the problem with the EGR happens, they are more than welcome to answer.

Sorry for any errors, english is not my first language

[Lord Voltermore]

Hi  welcome to the forum.  Have you had the car read for any fault codes  ?   There may be a cause other than than the EGR valve. Such as fuel starvation  due to a blocked  fuel filter.  Or an air leak in the air filter/induction system,  or a vacuum leak. etc.    But sorry I dont know much more. 

An engine  surging and running  erratically is sometimes ,in english , called 'hunting'.  Have you done a google search using that word?  It might help find other possible causes.   

Your English is very Good.  Your user name "JazzityMcJazzeton"  sounds very British.     When the British Government launched a new research Ship they asked the  public to suggest a name.  The clear winner was    " Boaty McBoatface"     But instead they called it HMRS Sir David Attenborough .

[Westy36]

Welcome to the forum. 

Sorry to hear of your problems, most unlike a Jazz.

The hunting you suggest could also be a fueling issue. I would be very tempted to make sure you fill the car to the brim with some decent fresh fuel and take it for a decent run with lots of revs. Often, cars that do low mileage and low revs, suffer from lack of use. Not sure if that's the case with you car, but it is a very simple thing to try. We call it an 'Italian Tune Up'.

The fact the issue went away for a few months is a puzzle. As LordV says, be very much worth getting the car on a diagnostic tool/fault reader to see if that can help.

EGR removal according to the manual is a doddle (listed under Fuel & Emissions - https://hondafitjazz.com/manual3/index.html). Youtube has loads of videos on how to clean EGR valves. EGR cleaning sprays are readily available online for a few £/euros.

HTH

[GBH]

Sorry to hear of your problem. As LordV says, it would be worth getting the fault codes read by a Honda specialist (the genetic code readers used by non-specialist garages often cannot read the Honda specific codes).

My immediate thought, going by what you describe, is that there may be a fuel blockage. Although you say it has been serviced it may not have had the fuel filter changed, so it would be worth checking this.

Another thought is that it may be an electrical problem - I had a VW Golf that would quite often not accelerate properly which turned out to be poor electrical contact at the ECU. Removing it and cleaning up the plug and socket contacts (using WD40 and a small wire brush) worked wonders.

[Westy36]

Could well be the MAF. Get that cleaned to see if it helps. I always try the cheap easy things first.

[madasafish]

As above, must be another cause.
Agree clean MAF first - care needed, Use Carburettor cleaner spray. Do NOT ouch wires (delicate).Check air cleaner is clean,
You may have a HT issue - check OBD codes with code reader. Could be HT cables/coils/plugs.

[Brakballe]

Well, as a proud owner of a so dinky tiny car as the Mk.II Jazz since Dec. 2022 I want comment a little:
First of all, I got (one of multiple) a shock see an EGR valve on a tiny engine petrol car. Taught it was a diesel thinghy.
Well, then I looked it up and also common errors (beware do NOT automatically absorb the USA experiances since that engine is different and a LOT of stuff is located different!!)
I do not experience any problems but mine is a 2011 (1.3 99ps) and my driving style might be labeled as "sporty". But besides sensible advices like read your error codes, clean MAF and the EGR the returning way in your case has in warm Greece gives me a Deja Vu: Poor petrol and tugging her around like a diesel lorry with the engine jarring overloaded below 1500rpm sooting down stuff.
Try use one gear lower at average and occasional after a decent warm up (15 mins?) red line a gear or two on the freeway.
Basically let the car run easy and varied between 1500-3000rpm and not load it below 1500rpm.
My 5 cents.

[JazzityMcJazzeton]

Hello to everyone, thanks for the warm welcome.

I have gathered every piece of advice and have forward it to my father so we can check them out. I'll make sure to update everyone. When I get something new

[tititj]

Any good news for your problems with "EGR" ?