Toyota Repair: EGR valve, steering and dashboard light, dashboard light, toyota corolla

Question
Ted, I own a 1996 Toyota Corolla with 120,000 miles on it. I bought it a month back, but I have got a few problems already.

Problem #1) The check engine lite came on. Got it checked with Toyota dealer. They diagnosed it as failure of EGR valve, VSV valve and EGR modulator, all of which needs to be replaced. Also EGR ports needs to be cleaned. They said it will cost $650 for replacing it. Can this be done by myself, if I could get the valves and the modulator?

Problem #2) When the steering is turned left/right, it gives a sound. And when I accelerate, the sound is very prominent. The sound goes off sometimes. What might be the problem, and how can I repair it?

Problem #3) Two days ago, the dashboard light became dim when I switched on the headlight. At night, eventhough the dashboard light turns on, I am not able to see the speed of my vehicle clearly. Do I need to change anything?

I am a newbie to car repair.

Thanks
SJ

Answer
If you are new to car repair I would not recommend doing any of this work yourself.
The toyota dealer's diagnosis sounds correct, in order to clean out the egr passage the throttle body has to be removed along with the egr valve, this is quite involved and labor intensive, you can check with an independent garage for another quote.
I need to know what type of sound the steering makes(knocking,popping,steady squeeling etc.
Check the dash light adjusting rheostat wheel and try moving it to make the dashlights brighter.