Question about my car...?

Just yesterday my service engine soon light came on in my 1997 Plymouth Neon Expresso. So just today I ran up to autozone where my friend works and had him hook it up to a diagnostic machine to get a diagnosis. The Following is exactly what the diagnosis says...





Troubleshooting P0401


OEM Brand: Domestic





Definition:





EGR system fault (Exhaust Gas Recirculation)





Explanation:





The ECM has detected too little flow on the EGR system.





Probable Causes:





1- Blocked passage on EGR system


2- Failed EGR valve


3- EGR solenoid faulty


4- Failed EGR pressure sensor where applicable


5- Failed EGR position sensore where applicable





Before I ask any questions. Just know that with all honesty I see/hear no difference in my cars performance, whether i'm going city/highway speeds, or idleing. I'm a college student and I have a fulltime job so I need to know exactly what i'm looking at in price range for part/labor.





So heres my questions:





1. What would be your guess as to what exactly is wrong?


2. What is the best way to go about fixing it?


3. What is the average price for the part/parts I'd need?


4. How much labor does it require/ what will labor costs be?


5. Could I possibly do the job myself?


6. Is it ok to drive this car to class/work in the meantime?


7. Will driving it cause any harmful damage to my car?





I thank any/all readers for their feedback, especially those qualified mechanics, thanks.





Most of all, please include whether its ok to drive on it or not please.|||Perfectly safe to drive. If you live in an area that does roadside Emissions testing that is a legal issue. E.G.R. (Exhaust Gas Recirculation) is a component of the vehicle emissions system and will do no immediate harm to the engine. The corrective measures are usually beond the novice mechanics ability as most likely the orifices in the intake are partially clogged throwing off the reading. That has been the problem in 99.9 % of the vehicles I have worked on.|||5-yes #6-yes #7-no|||egr valve failure is most common out of all the probable causes above. and the first guy is right. you can drive the car in the mean time.|||1. the exact problem is your EGR system has failed due to age of car, worn out. you must replace EGR valve, EGR pressure and positioning sensors. when EGR fails, you must replace all 3 as they are all part of the same function.





2.best way to fix, go to auto shop, do not try yourself if you have no experience or do not know where these items are located.





3.i have no clue about price. every car is different, ive only done it on toyota camrys, and all 3 items usually go about 80-100 dollars total.





4.labor should be 1 hour. no more. dont be fooled!





5.only with experience. if never done it, dont try it.





6.yes its ok to drive but not recommended. if you persist on driving with this problem for a long time you might feel a change in idle, also performace, gas mileage and not to mention you are releasing emissions into the air. thats the main purpose of the EGR.





7. the EGR system recirculates some of the exhaust gas and sends it back into your intake, and then to your engine for combustion, it cant possibly harm your car to the point of failure, but With EGR system functionning properly, your car will perform as it should.|||1) EGR is carboned, blocking air flow


2) R%26amp;R the EGR valve


3) EGR Valve $88.99 @ O'Reilly's


EGR Gasket $2.99 @ O'Reilly's


4) Labor about an hour, depends on your area. Like $60


5) Yes, if you are handy with tools.


6) Yes


7) No, but it is failing and there is a chance it will stick in the open position which creates a huge vacuum leak so the engine will not run below 2k RPM