The old EURO III figures used to be 2.10 for a pass .56 would have been a good 50% better than needed .39 is excellent for the 'real time' [not the accumulation] test. But are those figures @ fast or idle and are they PPM or Lambada values when CO must be .3% or less ? What exactly they are for post 2008 and up to current instrument tests I've no idea, if memory serves me right they are half [ish] that at around 1.5ppm - I'll look them up one day.

Regardless of the tech stuff 17 is 25% expressed as a reduction - good going.

 

Leedsman i have managed to disconnect the egr. Unfortunately there is still some smoke at high revs. I think maybe the egr itself needs cleaned

Which is the egr pipe itself on my pic. Note disconnected egr thingy

 

Yes Darkcild your picture is the same as my 2003 2.5CRD. I recon from your picture the EGR pipe is entering the intake manifold bottom centre of your picture. The one with the shinny clamp on it.
As too smoke at high rev's you may have a fueling issue with one of your injectors, dribbling etc.
Was going to say might be time to check leak off on your injectors but this would be a cutting out issue if each and one of us thinks about this on previous posts.

 

Here is a better photo. Btw whats that cable where I put red mark. I am trying to identify the glow plugs. Sorry I am a total newbie and have learned a lot

It never cuts out at all. I have taken it on a few journeys over a 100 miles doing 70, 80 mph and it performs faultlessly. No loss of power, it's just this puff of smoke at high revs. MOTdue 27 July

So the egr is the pipe under the big black one?

 

If your mpg. figs are good, (brim-brim only, not computed read-out), try a long distance run at high revs., (the italian tune-up). The smoke at high revs might disappear.
Otherwise I'd leave it alone.

Leedsman.
p.s. Simply disabling the EGR SYSTEM by pulling its plug will not cure a jammed actual EGR valve. ATM my 2.8 diesel makes no smoke in any modality of operation and has low particulates under MOT machine exhaust gas analysis. Diesels are not made rich at idle, full power and acceleration like petrols. Diesels always have excess air under any circumstances. It's a non-stoichometric system.

 

Which is why i need to remove it and clean it

 

Yes indeed, cleaning the EGR actual valve when there is a problem is good, but if it doesn't fix the problem, the next thing to go for is the italian tune up to burn off cloging carbon from the injectors which alters that all important spray pattern.
In the old days I watched my own injectors (from a BMC 2.2 diesel) being tested with a little machine and the dribbling was obvious. After he cleaned the orifce and replaced the pintles, the injectors puffed little clouds of what looked like cigarette smoke. No dribbling whatsoever. The engine mpg figures instantly went back to normal upon refit. (About 50mpg). No smoke.
Hence the value of keeping a record of mpg figs. In those days there was no EGR system in UK and Californians were just getting their first catalysers for the brown smoke hanging over Los Angeles. (NOx).
Don't waste your time putting "stuff" in the diesel tank to "clean" the injectors. It won't work with diesels as there is no known substance that will dissolve carbon. It can only be mechanically cleaned off (ultrasonic bath is best) or burnt off as in the italian tune-up.
Petrol injectors can get "gummed up" esp. if the engine isn't used much, in this case cleaners CAN work. Injectors can and do wear with long mileages and will need a refurb. This costs less than replacement -- they can be astonishingly expensive to buy.

Leedsman.

 

I think i will try the italian tune up first as i dont know how to remove egr. If that fails then try cleaning the egr. I just want it to pass the MOT on 27 July