An apparatus for mitigating fouling within a heat exchanger device includes an internal combustion engine and an external exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) circuit. The internal combustion engine is fluidly coupled to an intake gas manifold upstream of the engine and an exhaust gas manifold downstream of the engine. The EGR circuit is fluidly coupled to the exhaust gas manifold at a first end and is configured to selectively route back exhaust gas flow as EGR flow into the intake gas manifold at a second end. The EGR circuit includes the heat exchanger device for cooling the EGR flow prior to entering the intake manifold and a surface deposit removing device configured to remove surface deposit build-up from within the heat exchanger device when the surface deposit removing device is activated.