Seafoam

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

They probably wouldn't mind if 8 or 10 of us showed up.

 

We should have a Seafoam party!!!

[cmcveay]

Voyager - I usually do a seafoam treatment as a precursor to an oil change just because I don't want any of the solvents in the seafoam to have a chance to get into the crankcase and do any harm.

 

Ali - I can only offer this to the 1st Gen folks but if anyone wants to do a seafoam treatment and then and Oil change, I'll be glad to help out. Oil changes in the 2nd Gen sound really scary but it's actually pretty darn easy!

[Themixer]

I would love to join in on the seafoam party! I feel there will be a rediculous amount of smoke in my older baby

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

We really do need to plan this, the issue always is, where can we do it?

[orcadog]

Over the weekend I tried Seafoam in my 94 Jeep Wrangler with 136XXX miles on the odo. No real PVC so I disconnected the intake cranked up a few rpms and trickled some in the intake. About half a can and shut it off. The other half went into the tank. Just after dark I took it out for a couple of miles. Smoke? Yes. Run smoother? Yes. Am I impressed? Pretty much.

 

It's running smoother and quieter. Will do another in the oil soon then an oil change. Impressed so far.

 

Indeed - thanks to this thread, I did my "other" car - a '97 Isuzu trooper with 184,000 on it. The engines in those are famous for valve train tick due to build up on the valves. Usually I can run some lower viscosity oil through it and that fixes the issue for a while. But this time I had the "tick" so bad it sounded like a Cummins diesel. Long story medium, I seafoamed it, it smoked like heck for 2 or 3 minutes but it's been very very smooth since. Oddly, none of my neighbors questioned why that old beast was smoking!

 

It should be noted that I put 1/2 in the crank case and left it in there about a week (50-70 miles of driving) and then sucked up 1/2 in to the PCV that weekend. I put another 15-20 miles on it and did an oil change.

Edited May 18, 2011 by orcadog

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

It's always good to hear the Seafoam testimonials.

[orcadog]

We really do need to plan this, the issue always is, where can we do it?

 

What about that DIY place in Sterling? Think you could work a deal out with them?

I was just thinking that using a "shop" of some kind would be less likely to have someone call the fire department or the cops over all the "toxic smoke".

Dealer might not be too keen on getting mixed up in "non-factory recommended maintenance" events.

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

Actually Katie has just offered to let us use her place for a detailing and Seafoam party. I also have an Exxon station in Annandale that will let us do a detailing party and we could do Seafoam there. So that's two places where we can do it for free!

 

A few of us once went to the DIY for Seafoaming, he didn't charge us a lot. We were also detailing our cars and applying stripes. It was a decent location.

 

I have to work with Katie on a date for her detailing/ Seafoam party and will post details!!!

 

Ali

[orcadog]

:top:

[Themixer]

Craig was telling me that the DIY garage was a great place to do it, since there is a chance you can throw a code while clearing out the carbon and they have a code scanner. Did you find this to be a common issue when you used it?

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

I think Tigger threw a code once and have done a slew of Seafoams , it cleared on it's own in a few days.

 

Mark's Gen Two throws a code each time, I think it cleared on it's own also, but I may have had Craig clear it. I can't remember.

 

Ali

[cmcveay]

I'd steer clear of using the exxon station in the middle of a strip mall for a seafoam treatment as I can see the scenario playing out in my head... (vision shifts to a dreamy view as I see Ali and Quitta under the hood of Tggrr and the Blur in my head)... As the billowing clouds of stinky white smoke belch from the exhaust, the unmistakable sound of sirens begins to grow louder and louder. Two Fairfax country patrol cars arrive, followed closely by the hook and ladder truck, fire chief and an ambulance to the consternation of the Starbucks, Tropical Smoothie and Foxfire patrons... Somehow, the emergency responders simply aren't humored by the stories of improved performance and a series of summons are handed out... Hence, my vote for the DIY since that kind of thing isn't unexpected from a garage located in an industrial complex.

 

Yes, sometimes they will throw a code that's caused by the rough idle and random misfires as the "crap" blows through the combusion chamber. Sometimes, it'll clear itself. Sometimes, it requires the magic touch of an OBDII Code scanner.

[Bigprfed22]

The code is a check sum code of air flow and will correct itself its you turn off then on the ignition after you have sealed the system off:top:

 

Craig was telling me that the DIY garage was a great place to do it, since there is a chance you can throw a code while clearing out the carbon and they have a code scanner. Did you find this to be a common issue when you used it?

[cmcveay]

Federico,

The last couple of times I've helped folks do this (or cleared the code/CEL), it's been for random misfires but I don't remember the code off the top of my head. A couple of times, the CEL was on for a couple of days before we could meet up to clear it. That particular car didn't get driven very much so that's probably why it didn't clear on it's own. That said, it's not harmful and once it's cleared, it stays away.

 

Quitta is a great example of what this can do for a car though. She had the Blur in the shop 5-6 times for rough idle, misfiring, stumbling and rough starts. After a treatment, the Blur has been behaving nicely!

[kgdblu]

Yeah, if Seafoam produces that much toxic smoke, I would ask that it not be done at my house. My neighborhood is very close knit (read: paranoid)and tend to call LEOs at the drop of a had...or should I say, a puff of smoke.

Also, I just remembered my next door neighbor's kid has had respiratory problems in the past, pneumonia being one of them. I'm really friendly with them, and don't want to jeopardize anyone's health, least of all an 8 year old kid who's already a cancer survivor.

I'm sorry to be a wet blanket on the Seafoam blowouts, but I really don't think it's a good idea to do around here. Having said that, I hope folks will still show up for detailing.

[Isadinho]

Wherever you guys decide to have this seafoam party, Id like to come, I'm doing all the maintenance stuff right now so this seems appropriate, although im still stock...minus the filter

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

Advance Auto Parts on Duke Street in Alexandria is having a sale on Seafoam this month. I have a friend that works there. He said it's all month and it's $6.99 a can. :top:

 

Ali

[Poison Ivy]

Advance Auto Parts on Duke Street in Alexandria is having a sale on Seafoam this month. I have a friend that works there. He said it's all month and it's $6.99 a can. :top:

 

Ali

 

 

Maybe this is what Lola needs for that sound I was talking about...

[Aether]

The sale price is at all locations.

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

The sale price is at all locations.

 

Great, my friend didn't tell me that part, He probably wanted us all to go to his location

[FAST060]

Oh joy! I can stock up again!

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

When are you going? I can go with you.

 

:motor::motor::motor:

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

Oh joy! I can stock up again!

 

Blur can do her Christmas shopping!:cheers:

[Se7er]

Ok, well I went and got my Seafoam and added one can to the gas tank, the second I was going to add about 1/3 to the vacuum line. Well I did that with the engine running, and waited 5 min as per the directions and there was no plume of exhaust, or performance difference. The only difference is a check engine light that came on and will not turn off.

 

Suggestions?

[TGGRRR (Ali)]

I don't always get smoke, and when I do I have to leave it sitting for like 30 minutes. I have had the check engine light come on, but it clears on it's own in a day or two.

 

There are some people in the club that have a gizmo that will clear it