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Hi all,

I just bought my first Civic a couple weeks ago, and I love it.

However, not long after I bought the car, and just after I filled up the tank for the first time (using regular unleaded at a Shell), my check engine light came on. My grandpa has an ODB II code reader, so I plugged it in and it showed DTC P0401: Exhaust Gas Recirculation Flow Insufficient Detected.

I've done a little research, and it looks like it could be caused by a few different things. I'd like to start with the cheapest and easiest so I don't throw away a lot of money trying to diagnose this or buy a new EGR valve only to have the code come back.

I'm wondering if it could've been a bad batch of gas, and if running some seafoam or something through my next fill-up would help.

Thankfully I don't need to get an emissions test, but I'd like to get the code cleared soon. Where should I start poking around to solve this?

Thanks!
Ben

 
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Strangely, on my way to work today, the CEL went off and didn't come back on the rest of the way to work.

From what I've read about P0401 and EGR problems, the solution seems to be pulling off the EGR valve and chamber and scrubbing them clean of carbon buildup. I'm wondering if whatever buildup was in there broke free on its own? I plan on picking up some fuel injector cleaner today and putting that in the gas tank with my next fill-up, and seeing if that helps at all.

I'm also going to try to pick up a couple gaskets for the EGR valve and chamber, and if the light comes back on again, I'll pull those off and give them a good cleaning.

 
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Well the next day the light came back on while I was driving home from work, and it's been on since. I forgot to put in the fuel cleaner last time I filled up (oops!) so I'll do that next time. I'd like to order an EGR valve gasket and EGR chamber gasket and follow the steps in these two articles:

http://honda-tech.com/showthread.php?t=2674082

http://www.tegger.com/hondafaq/egr-fix/index.html

Where do you recommend I buy these parts from? I'm assuming they'll be most expensive buying straight from Honda, but since I'm a new Honda owner I don't know where to shop.

I've done some car work (slowly fixing up a '68 Mustang), so I can feel my way around, and I picked up a shop manual, but I'm just curious, is there anyone who's had this issue and resolved it that could give me some pointers?

Thanks in advance!