[brucepick]

Sorry, I can't guess why you have no CEL. Lucky you!

I've read that Honda's lean burn setup uses the EGR to feed exhaust gas back into the intake during lean burn. Clogged EGR passages in the intake path or in the EGR itself will reduce your lean burn capability, or eliminate it entirely.

So yes, it's for emissions. So are your cylinders and the intake and yada yada yada. But the EGR figures significantly in the lean burn system so you do want it working.

See the "Garage" link at top of this page, go there and do a search on Civic VX to see what other VX drivers are getting. From what I remember, they will do better than 50 mpg without mods if everything is working right.