Are EGR valves made of Plutonium or something?

I had a Check Engine light come on in my 97 Suzuki Sidekick. The PART cost to get a new EGR was more than five hundred bucks. What's up with that?

In reply to stroker:

I don't know about the price, sounds crazy high. But EGR valves don't usually go bad. The passages in the valve and in the intake manifold usually get clogged. A good cleaning usually solves the problem.

Why a new one rather than a junkyard one?

I was talking cars with some dude not to long ago who owned a Suzuki, and claims it was way more expensive to maintain than any Audi or BMW he had previously owned.

Probably CARB related, either directly or just plain old extortion(buy $500 part from us to pass smog, or junk the car).

CARB won't let you buy used cats for some reason, but AFAIK there's no prohibition against used EGR valves.

I tried to get a used EGR once. The yard gave up after they couldn't get it off of 4 different cars.

Cleaning mine worked. Just took it as apart as possible and sprayed it with (I believe) carb cleaner. Then worked the valve back and forth by hand until it loosened up.

Anyone try this stuff? PistonKleen I've seen the article about it and used to know the guy that tested it...but have not seen nor talked with him in 20+ years. Sounds like it be great for overnight soaking of EGR valves as well. My old Storm GSI would clog the passage way to the valve ever 3-4 years. pop off the valve and scrape the clot out and bolt on the valve and back to 34mpg happyness

The one on my Insight was something like $300, I found you could use one from a late 90's Accord and it was $70. I think the Hybrid tax got applied to the part.

Japanese built cars, with Japanese sourced parts are expensive? WHO KNEW!

Block off plate, and appropriate sized resistor in place of the sensor to fool the computer? Works on P80 Volvos anyway. You can leave the dead EGR in place if you need to pass a visual inspection.

http://www.amazon.com/Standard-Motor-Products-EGV690-Valve/dp/B000EQA4GK/ref=au_as_r?ie=UTF8&Make=Suzuki|1&Model=Sidekick|5&Year=1997|1997&carId=3&n=15684181&newCar=1&s=automotive&vehicleType=automotive

Looks like $100 to me.