# EGR block off plate



## Wannabe1.6owner (Dec 22, 2020)

Has anyone made or know where I can get an EGR block off plate? I'm in the process of deleting my 2018 diesel Equinox (for off road use only).


----------



## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

I mean, I can't imagine making one would be hard...tuning the 1.6TD to not get pissed about it is going to be the difficult part.


----------



## oregon_rider (Jul 21, 2017)

I haven't heard of anything either.

And I was thinking the same thing. The ecm would sense insufficient flow in egr and set a code. I am guessing it would limp after a certain period... 

To avoid soot and egr issues you can run renewable diesel also called r99. This is not to be confused with biodiesel. R99 is a synthetic diesel that is pure and has a crazy high cetane of 80. It is more available In California and is subsidized in that state. I was able able to get it in Oregon at a cardlock.

The other option is to run an additive to reduce soot and keep.the egr clean.

Boosting cetane helps in this regard. I have run stanadyne performance formula. 

The other option is to use a fuel borne catalyst. This is a catalyst which lowers the temperature at which the soot will ignite. This lowers soot output of engine overall keeping the egr and dpf clear. It also makes the Regen process in the dpf much more efficient. Regen will be faster and more complete. Also regens can happen passively - this is where soot ignites in the dpf outside of a Regen cycle in the car. On a scangsuge you can watch soot load percentage drop while a Regen is not being commanded by the ecm....

Jeff


----------



## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

I really miss the old days of pre-2010. All the Cummins guys could just unplug the EGR valve and it 100% disabled it, and the worst you got was a CEL that you put a piece of tape over the light.


----------



## JLL (Sep 12, 2017)

Barry Allen said:


> a CEL that you put a piece of tape over the light.


You are joking right? 

What about all the 900 other things the check engine light comes on for?


----------



## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

JLL said:


> You are joking right?
> 
> What about all the 900 other things the check engine light comes on for?


On those "older" Cummins, they probably just...didn't have any other major issues.


----------



## Mark cruze diesel (Oct 3, 2019)

Did you check ebay? I believe there's one listed but somewhat pricey


----------



## Wannabe1.6owner (Dec 22, 2020)

I've checked everywhere, but it's only for the 2.0 diesel in the first gen Cruze. There's literally nothing for the LH7. I can look again I guess. 

I'm not worried about tuning. I have a guy from overseas who is selling me the full delete and tune. The only part I'm worried about is the exhaust work. I'm not a welder, so I am going to have to take it to a friend for a weekend to do the straight piping. Maybe he can make me an EGR plate. Or I can probably make that myself. 

The dealer wants $4k to "fix" the emissions problem, but it is just putting a band aid on the real problem that we all know about. 

Anyways, thanks guys. I will be making a detailed build thread whenever I get it done.


----------



## Mark cruze diesel (Oct 3, 2019)

Wannabe1.6owner said:


> I've checked everywhere, but it's only for the 2.0 diesel in the first gen Cruze. There's literally nothing for the LH7. I can look again I guess.
> 
> I'm not worried about tuning. I have a guy from overseas who is selling me the full delete and tune. The only part I'm worried about is the exhaust work. I'm not a welder, so I am going to have to take it to a friend for a weekend to do the straight piping. Maybe he can make me an EGR plate. Or I can probably make that myself.
> 
> ...


The same guy that sells for the 2.0 for the first gen also sells a downpipe and EGR plate kit. I bought from him for mine. Was pricey but great quality


----------



## Wannabe1.6owner (Dec 22, 2020)

Mark cruze diesel said:


> The same guy that sells for the 2.0 for the first gen also sells a downpipe and EGR plate kit. I bought from him for mine. Was pricey but great quality


 Got a link or a contact?


----------



## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

JLL said:


> What about all the 900 other things the check engine light comes on for?


Kidding about the tape part. Leave the CEL visible because if it's flashing that's a more serious issue that could be "TURN THE ENGINE OFF RIGHT NOW." 

But a solid CEL? Who cares? Do you have any idea how many cars I or my family has owned with the CEL illuminated 100% of the time we were driving it? Who cares?


----------



## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

Even better was the mid-2000s Jeep Liberty CRD. I knew a guy who owned one and he had a manual switch for the EGR. Start the engine, count to 60, and you can flip the switch to disable the EGR. The ECU only checked for flow after startup and turning it off after self-checks would not illuminate a CEL - and it boosted fuel economy by greater than 10% city, with more gains on the highway.


----------



## Wannabe1.6owner (Dec 22, 2020)

Barry Allen said:


> Even better was the mid-2000s Jeep Liberty CRD. I knew a guy who owned one and he had a manual switch for the EGR. Start the engine, count to 60, and you can flip the switch to disable the EGR. The ECU only checked for flow after startup and turning it off after self-checks would not illuminate a CEL - and it boosted fuel economy by greater than 10% city, with more gains on the highway.


That CRD would've been a great fuel miser if they didn't put the Ram 3.73 gears in it and it had a more economical setup.

The diesel option in the Jeep Liberty or Cherokee made no sense because the fuel mileage was about the same as the gas version and the diesel option was considerably more expensive. Chrysler (much as GM did with the diesel Cruze and Equinox) then blame the pulling of the plug on the diesel because of poor sales. 

The US has a vendetta against diesels.


----------



## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

Wannabe1.6owner said:


> That CRD would've been a great fuel miser if they didn't put the Ram 3.73 gears in it and it had a more economical setup.
> 
> The diesel option in the Jeep Liberty or Cherokee made no sense because the fuel mileage was about the same as the gas version and the diesel option was considerably more expensive. Chrysler (much as GM did with the diesel Cruze and Equinox) then blame the pulling of the plug on the diesel because of poor sales.
> 
> The US has a vendetta against diesels.


Which Cherokee? The Grand Cherokee's (WK2) 3.0L was epic and got stupidly good fuel economy, even if you beat on it...but yeah, there was a premium in regards to cost.


----------



## Wannabe1.6owner (Dec 22, 2020)

MP81 said:


> Which Cherokee? The Grand Cherokee's (WK2) 3.0L was epic and got stupidly good fuel economy, even if you beat on it...but yeah, there was a premium in regards to cost.


He mentioned the mid 2000s, so that's what I was referencing. 17/23 isn't what I call good.


----------



## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

Wannabe1.6owner said:


> Cherokee


The VM 2.5 engine was never offered in the USA. The only Cherokee diesel we saw was the 2.1 Renault diesel engine from 1985-1987 and reliability of those engines was atrocious. I'd be surprised if there are more than single digits that survive in user's possession.


----------



## Wannabe1.6owner (Dec 22, 2020)

There were diesel Cherokees in the 2000s in the US. They had a 3.0l though.


----------



## MP81 (Jul 20, 2015)

Okay, I was thinking of the recent WK2s that had them - they were _easy_ to get mid-upper 20s with them, even while beating the **** out them, so low-30s were not out of the question either...all while having a _lot_ of low-end torque on tap. I remember unintentionally drifting a 2WD one with minimal throttle making a turn...it was a blast.


----------



## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

Wannabe1.6owner said:


> There were diesel Cherokees in the 2000s in the US. They had a 3.0l though.


Jeep GRAND Cherokee with the 3.0 V-6 diesel engine, offered as 2008 and 2008.5 models. This engine was revised and offered in 2014-2019 models, and is on hiatus to see if it comes back in the 5th generation Grand Cherokee.


----------



## Wannabe1.6owner (Dec 22, 2020)

Barry Allen said:


> Jeep GRAND Cherokee with the 3.0 V-6 diesel engine, offered as 2008 and 2008.5 models. This engine was revised and offered in 2014-2019 models, and is on hiatus to see if it comes back in the 5th generation Grand Cherokee.


Ok 👍


----------



## BodhiBenz1987 (Jan 13, 2018)

Wannabe1.6owner said:


> That CRD would've been a great fuel miser if they didn't put the Ram 3.73 gears in it and it had a more economical setup.
> 
> The diesel option in the Jeep Liberty or Cherokee made no sense because the fuel mileage was about the same as the gas version and the diesel option was considerably more expensive. Chrysler (much as GM did with the diesel Cruze and Equinox) then blame the pulling of the plug on the diesel because of poor sales.
> 
> The US has a vendetta against diesels.


My 2005 Liberty CRD 4x4 did 30 mpg stock on the highway which you definitely were not going to get out of the 3.7. Even in local winter driving with shorter trips I would get low 20s, which though not impressive now, was better than its gas equivalent and most SUVs in 2005. It is also much more pleasant and torquey to drive than the 3.7. A tune did add some mpg and I can get 35 mpg highway now (if I ever am able to finish fixing the roof and thermostat). You are right that it was expensive, and like the LH7 vehicles was poorly marketed. When I heard the CRD was coming I went into a Jeep dealership and asked for information on the CRD. The guy looked at me like I was an idiot and told me they didn't sell Hondas. After I insisted he went back and came out with a CRD brochure, surprised to find out I was right about their existence. That story tells everything you need to know. Still a great little truck and luckily there is a pretty good aftermarket.


----------



## Wannabe1.6owner (Dec 22, 2020)

BodhiBenz1987 said:


> My 2005 Liberty CRD 4x4 did 30 mpg stock on the highway which you definitely were not going to get out of the 3.7. Even in local winter driving with shorter trips I would get low 20s, which though not impressive now, was better than its gas equivalent and most SUVs in 2005. It is also much more pleasant and torquey to drive than the 3.7. A tune did add some mpg and I can get 35 mpg highway now (if I ever am able to finish fixing the roof and thermostat). You are right that it was expensive, and like the LH7 vehicles was poorly marketed. When I heard the CRD was coming I went into a Jeep dealership and asked for information on the CRD. The guy looked at me like I was an idiot and told me they didn't sell Hondas. After I insisted he went back and came out with a CRD brochure, surprised to find out I was right about their existence. That story tells everything you need to know. Still a great little truck and luckily there is a pretty good aftermarket.


Same here with the Equinox diesel. 4 GM dealerships I've been to didn't know there was a diesel Equinox.

Wow, I didn't know the Liberty CRD could get 30 MPG. I heard and read it did mid 20s at best. Do you still own it?


----------



## JLL (Sep 12, 2017)

Barry Allen said:


> Kidding about the tape part. Leave the CEL visible because if it's flashing that's a more serious issue that could be "TURN THE ENGINE OFF RIGHT NOW."
> 
> But a solid CEL? Who cares? Do you have any idea how many cars I or my family has owned with the CEL illuminated 100% of the time we were driving it? Who cares?


I do. It's one of my pet peeves. I hate dashboard lights. But if your ok with it, more power to you.


----------



## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

JLL said:


> I do. It's one of my pet peeves. I hate dashboard lights. But if your ok with it, more power to you.


We owned some Subarus with the CEL on for evap cylinder purge valve malfunctions. The dealership technician: "Those break all the time. If I fix it, it will break again."

So, we left the lights on for hundreds of thousands of miles.

If there are problems where the car doesn't drive well, we fix those. Having a CEL for an O2 sensor will get you terrible fuel economy, so we fix things like that. But the things you can ignore because it doesn't affect the car at all? We left those.


----------



## BodhiBenz1987 (Jan 13, 2018)

Wannabe1.6owner said:


> Same here with the Equinox diesel. 4 GM dealerships I've been to didn't know there was a diesel Equinox.
> 
> Wow, I didn't know the Liberty CRD could get 30 MPG. I heard and read it did mid 20s at best. Do you still own it?


Yep still have it, as well as my dad's 2005 CRD he bought at the same time I bought mine. Mine developed a rust spot on the roof that turned out to be much worse underneath, so I had to cut out some metal ... it's been in the garage for about a year as I haven't been able to finish welding everything for a variety of reasons. Otherwise it was doing great, just the typical older car stuff now and then. I used to drive it all over the Eastern part of the US (and a couple times to Canada) to concerts, and that was where I would see the 30 mpg numbers and a bit higher since the tune (I think I managed a 33 or 34 mpg tank once, though I never put all my receipts into a log, just have them in a pile, and don't remember exactly). Since I got the Cruze in 2018 that became my highway car, though I haven't traveled at all lately. Even though the Cruze will be my go-to if I can get back on road trips, it would be fun to take the Jeep on one for old time's sake when it's fixed. I also purchased a modified thermostat that allows use of a higher-temp t-stat, which should improve efficiency a touch.


----------



## Wannabe1.6owner (Dec 22, 2020)

BodhiBenz1987 said:


> Yep still have it, as well as my dad's 2005 CRD he bought at the same time I bought mine. Mine developed a rust spot on the roof that turned out to be much worse underneath, so I had to cut out some metal ... it's been in the garage for about a year as I haven't been able to finish welding everything for a variety of reasons. Otherwise it was doing great, just the typical older car stuff now and then. I used to drive it all over the Eastern part of the US (and a couple times to Canada) to concerts, and that was where I would see the 30 mpg numbers and a bit higher since the tune (I think I managed a 33 or 34 mpg tank once, though I never put all my receipts into a log, just have them in a pile, and don't remember exactly). Since I got the Cruze in 2018 that became my highway car, though I haven't traveled at all lately. Even though the Cruze will be my go-to if I can get back on road trips, it would be fun to take the Jeep on one for old time's sake when it's fixed. I also purchased a modified thermostat that allows use of a higher-temp t-stat, which should improve efficiency a touch.


Man, that's cool. 

Well hopefully you can finish it and start driving it again.


----------



## Mark cruze diesel (Oct 3, 2019)

Wannabe1.6owner said:


> Got a link or a contact?


Sent you a private link


----------



## mocorral217 (Sep 28, 2018)

Wannabe1.6owner said:


> Has anyone made or know where I can get an EGR block off plate? I'm in the process of deleting my 2018 diesel Equinox (for off road use only).


I have a 2014 cruze diesel, can I ask where did you get your tune from I've looked in the US and Canada no one makes one, thx Mike.


----------



## Wannabe1.6owner (Dec 22, 2020)

mocorral217 said:


> I have a 2014 cruze diesel, can I ask where did you get your tune from I've looked in the US and Canada no one makes one, thx Mike.


PM sent


----------



## Boots (11 mo ago)

Wannabe1.6owner said:


> PM sent


Would there be a delete kit for my 2018 equinox 1.6/lh7? I'm tired of CEL lights coming up.


----------



## Paper_Wait (10 mo ago)

Mark cruze diesel said:


> Sent you a private link


did you ever get the tune installed and running/still have the contact info?


----------



## Mark cruze diesel (Oct 3, 2019)

Paper_Wait said:


> did you ever get the tune installed and running/still have the contact info?


Ya I'm deleted. I can send the info but I had some issues with the tune. I mailed off the ECM and got it back and there was isues so I had to take it to a local place so I do not know if I would recommend the you use the same person


----------



## chadtn (Feb 27, 2018)

Mark cruze diesel said:


> Ya I'm deleted. I can send the info but I had some issues with the tune. I mailed off the ECM and got it back and there was isues so I had to take it to a local place so I do not know if I would recommend the you use the same person


What kind of fuel mileage do you get after the delete? I've always wondered how much extra has to burn during regens.

Thanks!

Chad


----------



## Barry Allen (Apr 18, 2018)

chadtn said:


> What kind of fuel mileage do you get after the delete? I've always wondered how much extra has to burn during regens.


Regens will still be necessary as the DPF loads up with soot (if you haven't deleted it).

You should get excess fuel economy during regular running, as well. Modern Diesel engines can run with extremely clean exhaust (no soot) when they run with lots of oxygen in the intake air for clean, complete combustion of fuel injected. The problem is the NOx generated because combustion temperatures get too hot. EGR is used to cool combustion temperatures by substituting exhaust gas in place of oxygen in the intake charge.

If you eliminate EGR, you'll get better fuel burn (better fuel economy). The side effect is you also lessen regens because you're generating less soot. AND you'll have higher exhaust temperatures (from that clean, high-temperature combustion with no EGR) so you'll get better passive regeneration of the DPF as you drive. It's a three-way win.


----------



## Mark cruze diesel (Oct 3, 2019)

chadtn said:


> What kind of fuel mileage do you get after the delete? I've always wondered how much extra has to burn during regens.
> 
> Thanks!
> 
> Chad


I would say maybe 1 to 3 mpg better after the delete maybe. there's so many other variables that come in as well and I don't have good enough documentation to know how much better it gets after the delete


----------

