I just got done putting a egr solenoid and new egr valve on my car, and I also had to solder on a connector from TPI-parts. The old wires were black and gray, but the wires on the new pigtail were pink and gray. I hooked them up pink to gray, and gray to black. Holding the two connectors in the same position, that's the way they looked like they should go. For my vacuum lines, the old line from the throttle body went to the metal port on the solenoid, so that's the way I hooked up the new solenoid.

I took the car for a spin around town and it seemed to run fine, then I get home and let it sit for about 30 minutes. I get in it again for another drive and notice it's running like crap. The idle seems really low and it hunts back and forth between 500-700 RPM. If I put it in drive it almost wants to go dead.

This sounds like the solenoid is staying open, but why didn't it run like crap on the first drive? Now I see why the last owner just plugged it up.

 

check the vacuum out put on the solenoid while monitoring the solenoid control circuit (ground) , the oem solenoid is normally open so vacuum flows to egr valve when it is "off", when the ecm grounds the circuit and turns it "on" it closes and blocks vacuum to the egr. so you should have 12v at one wire all the time and see a switch of 0v to 12v on the other. when vacuum is flowing to the egr valve you should see 12v on both circuits, when there is no vacuum output to the egr you should have 12v on one circuit and 0v on the other.

you might have a normally closed solenoid or reversed the polarity by mixing up the wires. it might be working backwards but it does sound like you have to much egr.

 

I think I have decided to take these parts back to AutoZone for a refund and order a block-off plate. I'll just deal with the SES light or remove the bulb.

If I use a block off plate, what do I do with the vacuum line that comes from the throttle body? Block it off somehow?

 

anyways you still have that ball that the p/o used?

 

LOL, yeah AutoZone. The solenoid and the valve were both made by Wells, and that's the same brand every other place had, even Rock Auto.

That ball bearing was stuck really good in that rubber "L" connector, so I had to throw it away.

 

ok then you can just use a small screw or something to plug the line.

 

According to one book I have, if you ground the EGR Temp Sensor wire, you should not get the SES light for non EGR function.

 

Well I was out there taking everything back apart getting ready for my block-off plate, and I noticed that the vacuum line that goes to the heater valve was not connected. Merely bumping it causes it to come loose. Could this line cause my idle problem?

I'm still going to go ahead with the delete though.