egr problems 2003 mazda protege lx stuck closed

A vent hose is part of the design in order for the water vapors to escape. The Canadian EGR valve is a much superior design in which that not only combines the 'sealed' design, but also utilizes coolant hoses to heat the EGR valve in order to 'cook' the condensation out. After almost 3 years of experience with this updated part in the harsh Canadian climate, it was proven that even this 'new' valve was still prone to failure because it's not moisture from the outside but what condenses behind that metal shield! Due to this, Mazda has specially engineered an EGR valve for the cold Canadian climate which basically eliminates failure possibility and released a new TSB 01-07-17 (for 1.8l FP/2.0l FS engines) and TSB 01-07-46 (for 1.6l ZM engines) which offers an extended warranty on all Canadian 3rd gen Proteges regardless of mileage as long as it is less than 7 years old. The FSY1-20-300-9U part has a shield around the assembly but looks like the original factory part. Mazda USA's TSB 01-028/05 and Mazda Canada's (now obsolete) TSB 01-05-24 shows diagnostic procedures as well as replacement parts information. So note to the wise, if your car has always been properly maintained following the recommended schedules and your car is experiencing the above driveability issues, look into a new EGR valve! Either way, ignition system parts have been replaced and a lot of times money wasted. Many have misdiagnosed the early symptoms of a bad EGR valve or like me just simply disbelieve the EGR valve has failed. The only way for the ECU to monitor the EGR functionality is with the boost (MAP) sensor but because it takes a lot of pressure change to cause a failure to be detected, the ECU misreports a P0300 code. The Protege's EGR valve does not have a pintle position sensor so it does not know that it is stuck unlike other cars such as some GMs with electric EGR valves out there (despite the fact that our cars also use electric EGR valves). A P0401 is not as common and usually no driveability issues are experienced. A P0300 code is a more common occurrence with stuck open EGR valves. Later on as the problem progresses, a P0300 random misfire or P0401 EGR flow insufficient codes along with a 'Check Engine' light occurs. Early occurrences of this problem usually includes any or combination of the following: rough idle, cruise surge, low idle, or stalling. When combined with carbon build up (which is normal for all EGR systems) this is a perfect recipe for the EGR valve to seize. The TSBs state that the problem is with water condensation built up in the EGR valve which causes the motor to rust. Mazda USA and Canada has released TSBs on this common issue and also released an updated EGR valve which has a metal shield to seal the stepper motor from the valve/pintle assembly from the elements in order to 'correct' the problem. Many have resorted to disassembling their EGR valve and cleaning off the carbon build up in the pintle and housing, but this is only a temporary solution as the problem comes back at a later time.

This problem is extremely common on our cars and usually occurs on higher mileage vehicles and especially during cold weather (especially if humid). Many of you have either experienced or know someone who have experienced engine performance or driveability issues with their Protege.

Egr problems 2003 mazda protege lx stuck closed