April 2019

22 AFTERMARKET APRIL 2019 TECHNICAL www.aftermarketonline.net TECHNICAL UPDATE The established technology of exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) is making an important contribution towards reducing overall vehicle emissions. Cooled EGR reduces the oxygen content in the air-fuel mixture by adding exhaust gas, and decreases the combustion temperature in the cylinders. Since harmful nitrogen oxides (NOx) mainly occur at high temperatures and pressures, NOx concentrations can be reduced by up to 50%– before they are released into the environment. The formation of soot particulates is also decreased by around 10% cent in diesel engines through EGR. Peter Riegg from Motorservices commented: “Emission regulations around the world have significantly advanced the use of EGR technology. Systems with cooled exhaust gas recirculation have been increasingly required since the introduction of the Euro 4 emissions standard in order to achieve the relevant exhaust gas limits. EGR coolers have been installed All the latest technical news and updates relevant to you EGR in demand in almost all vehicles since Euro 5. Euro 6 then made it necessary to have low-pressure EGR in addition to highly cooled EGR in order to achieve the permissible level of nitrogen oxide emissions. The demand for increasingly efficient components is growing rapidly.” Peter continued: “A pioneer of exhaust gas recirculation offers solutions in this field. At its German site in Neuss, Pierburg has been producing EGR valves since 1970. The company is now the European market leader for emission control and reduction of consumption in the engine and produces a wide range of EGR coolers and valves for numerous vehicles as an OEM. Its sister company, Motorservice, which is responsible for aftermarket activities, provides the independent aftermarket with these products. Current trends The current trend in exhaust gas recirculation is for compact modules made from aluminium with an integrated EGR valve, bypass flap and additional attachments such as oil coolers and oil filters. According to Peter, this impacts on how technicians should deal with these systems: “It is therefore all the more important that the components are coordinated both precisely to one another as well as to the relevant engine. Only in this manner can they guarantee full functionality. “For this reason, it is advisable to replace worn or faulty components with an equivalent spare part. Although the components involved in EGR are not traditional wear parts, a failure may still occur during the life of the engine. Peter added: “Many people also visit a garage in the event of typical symptoms of a malfunction in the EGR system such as black smoke, loss of power, poor idling or inadequate acceleration. After all, each malfunction leads to loss of power, meaning that a repair is inevitable.” www.aftermarketonline.net Welcome to Aftermarket’s technical update section. Here you can find the latest on upcoming technical developments and updates on new methods, as well as equipment. If you have information you wish to share, please get in touch with the editor via email: alex@aftermarket.co.uk