Thanks for the tips. I'm assuming I'd have to clean it every oil change due to the dirt and junk leaching onto the brake cleaner residue?
That would be great on the how to's guides. I look forward to seeing that !!

https://www.mazda3club.com/how-tos-96/3g-protege-egr-valve-removal-cleaning-procedure-44475/

no pics for now, but I tried to make it descriptive :)

Kansei - you rock !! I was not expecting the full instructions on how to do this, but since you have - Kudos to you !!! This is exactly how a car forum should post. I might just wait until someone posts a non-residue cleaner where I wouldn't have to do this every oil change. I'm gonna ask around too. I'll let you all know what I find out.

I don't think the brake cleaner leaves a residue (that stuff evaporates crazy fast) but it's just a very harsh chemical.

It isn't actually confirmed that the harsh cleaner is in fact what causes the cleaning interval to get shorter and shorter, it's just what we're all guessing. I suspect that it could just be that it wears down more and more whether or not you clean it from all the carbon (the brake cleaner doesn't get everywhere after all) that flows through it.

I gotta remember to get some part numbers in the how-to.. like for the gasket, the revised EGR, etc.

oh no I'm such an idiot. I didn't realize this was in the Mazda3 forum!

carry on, maybe try getting the code read again, take it to the dealer, etc.

It's alright .. same procedures should still apply anyway. The EGR just might be in a different location and bolted up differently but the rest should still be helpful.

By the way, does anyone know if the Mazda 3 has the same EGR problem as the Protege5 does?

I haven't heard of any known EGR problem with the Mazda3. Plus, the engine is mounted the opposite way (intake manifold in the front.. and the intake manifold is plastic) so things are a fair bit different.

Oh well, it gave me something to do during a lull at work :D