EGR Valve and Mechanic Shop
 

Hello, I am a complete amateur with very little car know-how. I have a 1994 Volvo 850 Wagon non-Turbo. All I've replaced myself is my blower motor and heater core and fuel filter. I usually rely on friends or mechanics for anything else.

I have an engine light that I needed identified and fixed for my peace of mind as well as an emissions test. It didn't seem to be affecting the car's performance. I took it to a mechanic who I had found trustworthy in the past.

The mechanic said that the engine light is on because of the failure of my 'EGR Valve.' They said the mechanism in the valve was totally broken, the 'seal is non-functional,' and couldn't be fixed. But they said they couldn't replace it because the part is 'not in production anymore' and they 'can't find it for sale anywhere.' They kept my car over a week asking around and then offered to just give me my car back, no charge, that they wouldn't be able to fix it.

That just seems so odd because 90s volvos are still around everywhere, and even if the part isn't being made anywhere, the demand would be there, and people should have them.

I know I'm not very experienced at all, I just am hoping for the feedback of people here about what they think of that mechanic's statement. I may try to find the part myself and replace it, although I'm worried I'll make a serious mistake, having no experience with this part or its repair.

Here's my list of Volvo parts stores that I've used for years with my 850 and S40s.

fcpeuro.com
eeuroparts.com
ipdusa.com
tascaparts.com (dealer store)
azautohaus.com

Others may add to the list - I've had good luck also shopping on Amazon and Ebay. I like to use the dealer stores to find part numbers and diagrams then search online the part.

Also to gain some insights on the design, you can search Youtube for repair vids (RobertDIY has one for EGR in the 850) and read some of the "EGR delete" threads.