Originally Posted by Zacharias

The EGR valve is part of the emissions system of your vehicle and as such is under the umbrella of federal legislation that forbids its removal. If I understand correctly, it is also against US law for a person to counsel removal of any piece of emissions equipment from a vehicle.

As I live in mortal fear of black suburbans with deep tint, I take that sort of thing seriously.

However, as I am a Canadian citizen, I can relate (for purposes of entertainment only) a theoretical conversation I may once have had via Skype, where a citizen of Uruguay -- who only uses his diesel offroad to herd errant sheep -- asked me about the EGR on his 300sd.

In this theoretical conversation, which frankly I may have dreamed into existence while on painkillers for my lower back injury, I may have mentioned that after being on various discussion lists and forums for diesel Mercedes since 1995, I have yet to see anyone make an impassioned plea for a diesel owner to replace that piece of equipment, were the one installed was believed to be faulty or was simply preventing the motor from running well -- as anecdotal evidence suggests they will as the motor ages.

Further, I may have referenced the fact that unnamed sources have indicated that some people make kits to blank off the EGR for testing purposes only, on vehicles that are used offroad in states where there is no mandatory inspection of emissions equipment on vehicles, at very reasonable prices.

Try Googling some of the terms in that last paragraph along with "site: Peachparts" in the search string.