Ford Ranger 2013: Problems with check engine light, power loss and exhaust odor - Possible EGR valve fault?

Hi, I drive a 2015 Ford Focus and once had a very similar problem. I'm not a car mechanic, but I've had a few experiences with cars. On my car, the EGR valve was actually defective, it was stuck and caused the same chaos as yours. I then drove straight to my regular garage and the guys took care of it. The valve was replaced and it cost 355 euros. It wasn't cheap fun, but everything ran smoothly again afterwards. But to be able to help you more reliably, a little more information would be great. Exactly which model do you drive and have you ever had the fault memory read out? This can help to narrow down the problem. I hope this helps you a little.

(Translated from German)

Hi, thanks for your quick reply! I drive the 4x4 crew cab and no, I haven't had the fault memory read out yet. I think that's the next step. Interesting that it was the EGR valve in your case, I already had a similar suspicion. My speedometer currently shows 52719 km - so the car is no longer the newest, but it's still in pretty good shape, at least until now. The last service was six months ago... I'm curious to see what it is in the end. Greetings!

(Translated from German)

Hey, your Ranger already has a few kilometers on the clock, but that doesn't matter, a car has to run! So, I would really recommend having your fault memory read out. As I've already said, the problem with my Focus was the EGR valve, but there may of course be other reasons. Let me tell you what happened to me: The EGR valve in my car organized the exhaust gas flow back into the combustion chamber. But if the valve jams or breaks, it injects more exhaust gas into the engine than it can handle. That would explain your symptoms exactly. The strong exhaust gases that are then also produced cause the engine to stutter and even stall. You can even attribute the strong exhaust smell to this. This also explains why the check engine light is illuminated and you have a loss of power. Since the EGR valve is directly linked to the engine management system, it can even cause your car to shake when idling. But as I said, only the mechanic can tell you whether it's really the EGR valve or perhaps something else after he has read out the fault memory. In any case, I hope that the repair on your Ranger won't be as expensive as on my car. Good luck, buddy!

(Translated from German)

Hey, thanks for the very helpful advice! That definitely makes sense, definitely sounds very similar to my problems. The story with the EGR valve and how it works is super explained, thanks for that! I will now tackle the issue and have the fault memory read out. Let's see what the mechanic says and hopefully it's not too expensive... I'll let you know what it was in the end. Thanks again and take good care of yourself, buddy!

(Translated from German)