Coolant loss

Only if they aren’t his or a couple of his buddies programming.

 

That's good news. No major repairs are needed. Was any bubbles coming out?

 

Beg to differ, new egr cooler is 1300.00 and couple hour job to change (if that's what it is).
If he plated it off "just to check out", he'll be have a day job through all the process: start to finish.

Bottom line still has the coolant lose issue, smell, and white smoke (occasionally on last two).

So being in his own words, " at best a shade tree", it time to run it back to shop that worked on it.

 

I don't know anything about an EGR because I don't have one but that could be it. I have had good results from using this to test the system too, it's cheap and it works. $25.

Combustion Leak Detector

 

You can't bring it to anybody competent because they might just report you to the EPA and get you a nice fine of $10,000 plus return to original condition. So you got a dud. Everybody did with the first gen, just like when catalytic converters first came out. They're better now. Doesn't give you the right to over pollute.

Hope you get caught.

 

Society only works if there are rules. One of those rules is that exhaust treatment systems cannot be removed. If you don't like it get it changed. Or you might end up like the diesel brothers.

Diesel Brothers Hit With $850,000 Fine for Tampering With Truck Emissions