Thanks RayO! The egr plugged off gets rid of the jerking at 45mph:)

Driving around with the vacuum hoses capped off will not damage the engine, but the vehicle is out of compliance with emissions regulations.

The next step is to remove the EGR valve and see if you can scrape out some of the black deposits that have accumulated. If you cannot get the EGR valve clean, replace it.

I pulled off the egr valve and noticed the bottom of the 2 round port holes completely clogged on the intake side and the egr very filthy inside. I tried to clean the round port hole and scraped at it with a small screwdriver but decided to pull of the spacer bracket between the intake manifold and egr valve. It was bad behind there as well! I have cleaned the intake holes like new,the spacer holes like new and cleaned out the egr valve with throttle body cleaner(hope I didnt hurt it). The jerking is much better now.... Im wondering if there are any other ports on the intake that are probably clogged like behind the throttle position sensor or ??? Seems like at around the 45mph mark the car is in its overdrive gear at its lowest possible rpm (foot barely touching gas) to maintain this speed and maybe not enough vacuum due to these clogged ports...am I on the right track?? Next time Im at the junkyard I will grab a couple of egr valves to see if they make a difference. If I block the vacuum of the egr and egr modulator the car runs perfect but trips a check engine light for whatever reason. RayO..Thanks again for your aid with this!! :)

Throttle body cleaner should not hurt the EGR valve, however, make sure it is completely dry before re-installing the EGR to reduce the risk of fire.

The vacuum hoses and ports should not have any kind of carbon buildup so cleaning should not be necessary. If you want to invest in a vacuum gauge, you can check for vacuum leaks. Manifold vacuum at idle should be in the vicinity of 14 in. Hg or higher.

If cleaning out the EGR valve reduced the jerking sensation but did not completely eliminate it, I would imagine that the valve is still no opening and closing freely and is hanging up. The risk of using a used EGR valve is that it may also have the same problem so make sure they look clean inside before installing.

The check engine light comes on when the EGR is disconnected because the EGR position sensor is telling the computer that the EGR valve is not opening and closing when it should be.

Good luck!

Thanks again RayO! I will price a new egr and let you know how I stand once I install. :)

You're welcome and thanks for the updates!

Hello, My idle is too low. Im idling at below 400 on a warm engine in gear. In park its at 400 on a warm engine. I wondering if the return spring in the Idle control valve could be getting stuck also causing the slight jerking. The car runs perfectly except for the low idle issue. Ive adjusted the tps and its working perfectly as well. Would the icv working improperly cause the jerking as well??? Thanks again:)

I doubt that the idle air control (IAC) valve is causing the jerking at 45 MPH, but you can check by cleaning the idle air control valve with throttle body or carburetor cleaner. It is located near the butterfly valve on the throttle body.

An EGR valve that is not closing completely can cause a rough idle.

A dirty MAF sensor can cause drivability problems. The MAF sensor is not supposed to be service-able but you can probably clean it with throttle body, carburetor, or electrical contact cleaner. Just make sure you do not break or damage the thin wire inside.

Hello RayO. Thanks again. Are you a lexus mechanic? You sure know alot about these things! I am on the way to the garage to see what I can find. Thanks again:)

No, but I worked for Toyota Motors for about 15 years.

Good luck with the repair!

WHEW !!!!!! Ray O, sure am glad you worked for Toyota! I was afraid you had stayed in a Holiday Inn Select last night!

I'm impressed! You made a joke (pretty good actually) without coming across as an embittered old fart. Nice to see you are trying and hope you carry it through 2007! j

Thanks again RayO!