Can a 1.9 TDI BLS engine be rebuilt without an EGR valve?

Hi there,
Currently, I'm experiencing a problem with my A3 8P 1.9 TDI 105 PS BLS where it makes an unpleasant whistling noise from the EGR cooler. However, given that the car has now reached 420,000 km, it's probably not worth investing in expensive repairs. I was therefore considering temporarily blocking the EGR supply line to the cooler as a test.

My question is whether the DPF can still regenerate without the EGR system functioning, or if I risk damaging the DPF, even if it's only for a short test period.

Thank you and best regards,
Sebo.

Yes, it's regenerated, but if you don't disable it in the software, an error occurs, and of course, it's not allowed.

On the other hand, a leaking radiator can even be dangerous.
Some manufacturers have "updated" the software, sometimes in a preemptive manner, such that the EGR valve does not always close reliably when the filter burns out. I can observe this with the Transit Euro5. This then leads to the EGR cooler burning through, flames erupting, and igniting the plastic parts in the engine compartment: resulting in total damage.

A leaky radiator can cause that to happen as well.

Best regards.

Grandpa Lothar.

Here's an update: While the EGR cooler was leaking, the exhaust manifold was also leaking, which was causing the noise that needed to be addressed. So, the EGR blocking plates were removed again, and the 1.9 TDI is now running in its standard configuration.