DOES SEA FOAM DO ANYTHING?

[Larz]

As you lot know, Ilya, myself, and other members periodically use Seafoam on our engines and crankcases. Understandingly, this has elicited many different opinions and speculation as to whether we are wasting our time and money. Finally, I believe I have found a vid that proves visually that Seafoam does, indeed, do what it says. This bloke used Seafoam on a car and actually used a bore-scope cam to compare pistons / cylinders before and after application. Seafoam did not make the pistons shine like new on this Honda with 125k miles, but it made a noticeable difference - especially near the edges of the pistons where carbon buildup causes friction. Also, he confirmed that Seafoam did NOT cause fouling of the spark plugs, which I was worried about.



Let us know what you think after viewing this video.
And, please, if there are any engine guru's in here, give us your professional opinion regarding the results. Is this significant enough improvement? Might Seafoam do a better job on an engine with less than 125,000 miles of buildup?

[Ilya]

I use it every 10-15k in the gas tank and 30k in the intake. My 2007 M35x had 30k when I bought it and 140k when I traded it in. Engine was as strong as the day I bought it and then some (had it UpRev'ed, etc.).

[kmiles]

I was skeptical about SeaFoam until I had a problem a year ago with my fuel tank gauge. I read somewhere on the forum that adding a can to my gas tank would fix it. I added it and after driving about 100 miles, the gauge was back to normal. About a month ago on a trip I ran into the same issue, dropped by a Walmart in Idaho and bought a can and a funnel. I added it at my next fill-up and once again, the gauge was back to reading normally again in less that 100 miles. I'm sold. This is the only additive I've ever used and a can of SeaFoam is a lot cheaper than buying a new fuel gauge, along with the trouble of replacing it. I ended up averaging about 22.3 mpg on the trip with an average speed of 73 mph. It was great driving across Idaho and Utah - they've raised the speed limits outside of the cities to 80 mph.

[Double E]

Just as preventative maintenance, I sent half a can through the intake via the brake booster hose. Cooked all 3 of my cats. Chunks of burned up material blocked them up. $3200 later new cats.
Coincidence maybe? The cats follow the exhaust manifolds immediately on these engines so if you do it, add super slowly.
I won't be doing it again and will instead add BG44K to fuel tank at each oil change.

[Brian35XR]

Just as preventative maintenance, I sent half a can through the intake via the brake booster hose. Cooked all 3 of my cats. Chunks of burned up material blocked them up. $3200 later new cats.
Coincidence maybe? The cats follow the exhaust manifolds immediately on these engines so if you do it, add super slowly.
I won't be doing it again and will instead add BG44K to fuel tank at each oil change.

this is what makes me extremely reluctant to try it. for every thread like this praising seafoam there are a few more with gunked o2 sensors and burnt cats...

[Larz]

I have contacted Seafoam in the past with questions about cats, Oxygen sensors, fouled spark plugs, etc. Their expert told me a few things regarding these issues.
First, the engine MUST be at normal operating temp before adding Seafoam from intakes or vacuum lines. If using the brake booster line you MUST be sure that you are adding Seafoam so it BYPASSES the check valve - the check valve must be on the portion of line going directly to the booster, and the portion you add Seafoam to must be on the other side of the valve leading to the manifold. The engine should be held at a constant 1000 - 1500 rpms and NO higher while allowing Seafoam to be added in a "sipping" rate, not poured into the line. The engine should labor while Seafoam is added, but it should never shut down during the process.

Spark plugs / oxygen sensors - "it is not possible for Seafoam to clog, or damage these in any way when used properly
.
Catalytic converters - Seafoam cannot clean cats, nor can any other additive, but it can cure foul odors caused by older, partially clogged cats. Seafoam will NOT clog your cats, BUT ... if your cats are old and near failure, it is possible to push them over the edge by loosening the fouled deposits that have been building up inside them. Usually, this only happens on cars that have not been tuned properly, or have been modified in other ways so the fuel burning process is no longer meeting the OEM specs for the cats, or are burning an improper grade (octane) of fuel for long periods.

Fuel injectors - Seafoam will clean and will NOT foul injectors but it must be added to a full tank of fuel. Adding Seafoam through vacuum line or intakes will not clean injectors.

He also stated that nearly ALL reported troubles after a Seafoam treatment are the result of 'improper use' after investigation ...... most popular causes:
RPM too high while adding Seafoam, or over-revving engine during treatment or immediately after treatment
Failure to allow Seafoam to sit with engine OFF for at least 30 minutes before starting engine or driving vehicle
Using the wrong vacuum line or wrong location in vacuum line
Adding Seafoam below normal engine operating temps
Adding to oil without a complete oil / filter change within recommended interval after adding Seafoam
Adding Seafoam to a near-empty fuel tank and driving without first filling the tank

[Rogue One]

Injector Flush: Are They Taking You to Cleaners?
Is the fuel-injection cleaning sold by many independent garages and dealerships a sound investment in your vehicle, or a marginally beneficial service pushed on consumers to fatten profits?

Fuel-injection service is part of a bigger trend in automotive maintenance that includes such procedures as flushes for crankcases, power-steering pumps and cooling systems, as well as for differentials and other lubricated parts.

How are you supposed to react when a service advisor tells you that your throttle body needs to be cleaned at a cost of $80? Or that your intake manifold is so dirty that it is causing performance loss and poor fuel economy?

Before you shell out a dollar on any of this stuff, it would be useful to know something about fluid changes and the cost of these exotic flushes.

If you read your owner's manual carefully-something most motorists never do-you will probably find no recommendation or even a mention of a power-steering flush or fuel-injection service or any of those other expensive cleanings.

Generally, auto makers are trying to design mechanical systems that require far less maintenance, not more. That has given rise to 100,000-mile tune-up intervals on many new models, elimination of transmission fluid changes and far less frequent oil changes.

So auto makers are telling owners they don't need to spend as much to take care of their cars and trucks. But some dealerships are saying almost the opposite: that you need more than ever to flush out dirty fluids frequently or run the risk of major repair bills.

It would be nice if auto makers said in huge letters in their owner's manuals: "Don't flush out the fluid in your power-steering pump because, if it were important, we would tell you ourselves."

Nobody wants to be a chump who pays for something unneeded, but sometimes a flush is a good idea. Power-steering pumps, for example, are incredibly expensive to replace, and clean fluid can help prevent a breakdown. On the other hand, lots of vehicles have power-steering pumps that can go 200,000 or 300,000 miles without any hassle.

Fuel-injection cleaning actually makes less sense than it did about 12 years ago, when the injection systems started to replace carburetors. At that time, poorly formulated gasoline and badly designed injector nozzles caused a lot of fouled and plugged injector tips. But that's far less the case today.

Unless you have a specific performance problem, your car or truck almost certainly does not need any of these services before 60,000 miles, if ever.

If you want to aggressively maintain your vehicle, you should change the oil every 3,000 miles and the transmission fluid perhaps every 35,000 miles. It also makes sense to change the antifreeze every year and the brake fluid every 60,000 miles.

Keeping accurate records of your vehicle's fuel economy, measured over three or four tankfuls of gasoline, can be helpful. Then if you suspect a problem, you can recheck it and see if your car's performance is actually degrading.

KBB.com

[EniGmA1987]

He also stated that nearly ALL reported troubles after a Seafoam treatment are the result of 'improper use' after investigation ...... most popular causes:
RPM too high while adding Seafoam, or over-revving engine during treatment or immediately after treatment
Failure to allow Seafoam to sit with engine OFF for at least 30 minutes before starting engine or driving vehicle
Using the wrong vacuum line or wrong location in vacuum line
Adding Seafoam below normal engine operating temps
Adding to oil without a complete oil / filter change within recommended interval after adding Seafoam
Adding Seafoam to a near-empty fuel tank and driving without first filling the tank

That's a whole lot of possible problem areas where repairs could be in the thousands for just a bit of cleaning.

[Larz]

I agree with Rogue. Infiniti recommended a $69 fuel system cleaning when I had my cooling system and transmission flush. I declined. I fail to see the necessity of that. The fuel we buy has detergents in it and I think that should do the injectors nicely. Since Seafoam costs $8.00 and can do no harm, so I don't mind adding it to a full tank of gas twice a year whether it's needed or not. That's less than a good cheeseburger and a cup-o-tea.
I do, however, change power steering and brake fluid - but not often. Power steering fluid maybe at 4-5 year intervals and brake fluid at every other brake service (3-4 years). Both of these fluids break down over time. That's not snake oil, its simple chemistry. Brake fluid loses viscosity and retains moisture which keeps the brakes from stopping as well as they should. Power steering fluid also loses it's lubricating properties and becomes gritty over the years. Neither of these fluids will appear 'clean' after a short time, but that doesn't mean they have to be replaced when the shop mechanic brings you a napkin with your brown fluid next to his new fluid. Keep track of the last time these were changed. Let THAT guide you instead of a well crafted sales pitch.

[The00Dustin]

He also stated that nearly ALL reported troubles after a Seafoam treatment are the result of 'improper use' after investigation ...... most popular causes:
RPM too high while adding Seafoam, or over-revving engine during treatment or immediately after treatment
Failure to allow Seafoam to sit with engine OFF for at least 30 minutes before starting engine or driving vehicle
Using the wrong vacuum line or wrong location in vacuum line
Adding Seafoam below normal engine operating temps
Adding to oil without a complete oil / filter change within recommended interval after adding Seafoam
Adding Seafoam to a near-empty fuel tank and driving without first filling the tank

That's a whole lot of possible problem areas where repairs could be in the thousands for just a bit of cleaning.

Not only that, but K&N makes similar comments about their air filters, and yet it seems like almost no one here trusts them/those. I find that a bit humorous even though I'm not aware of Larz's position on the K&N air filters.

[Ilya]

I would never use a K&N or any other oiled filter in a car due to the MAF, but I do use them in my bike because my bike does not have a MAF as far as I know. Nothing that can get gummed up with the oil.

Again, snake oil or not, I've had a car do 110kmi of pretty hard miles (they call me Fast Lane Ukraine for a reason lol) and the engine purred the same way it did at 140k that it did at 32kmi when I got the car. Then again, I also changed my oil every 5k (even though it was synthetic), changed my PCV valve every 15k, changed my air filters every 25-30k (OEM paper kind), had the coolant changed twice at 40k intervals, etc. My 07, and now my 11, are extremely well maintained.

And before that I had a 1999 Maxima go from 26kmi to 101kmi before a bunch of sensors started to fail (CEL galore) and that car also lasted quite a while because I took care of it but also because I ran Seafoam which IMO does work.

[EniGmA1987]

I would never use a K&N or any other oiled filter in a car due to the MAF, but I do use them in my bike because my bike does not have a MAF as far as I know. Nothing that can get gummed up with the oil.

Again, snake oil or not, I've had a car do 110kmi of pretty hard miles (they call me Fast Lane Ukraine for a reason lol) and the engine purred the same way it did at 140k that it did at 32kmi when I got the car. Then again, I also changed my oil every 5k (even though it was synthetic), changed my PCV valve every 15k, changed my air filters every 25-30k (OEM paper kind), had the coolant changed twice at 40k intervals, etc. My 07, and now my 11, are extremely well maintained.

And before that I had a 1999 Maxima go from 26kmi to 101kmi before a bunch of sensors started to fail (CEL galore) and that car also lasted quite a while because I took care of it but also because I ran Seafoam which IMO does work.

As a counter point, Id like to mention that I drive my card harder than probably 99% of the people here. Tons of very hard accelerations, staying near redline for quite a while at times, going 155 mph, hard turns, etc. My car is now almost to 160k miles and I have never done Seafoam, used a dino/synth blend and changed every 4K miles, never changed my PCV valve and otherwise kept up on schedule with all normal maintenance and my car has not had a single engine or trans problem and runs great. The only major issues I had were a wheel hub bearing going bad (common problem in these cars) and a crack on a plastic radiator fitting. Oh and the camshaft sensors went bad and needed replacing, also a somewhat common thing in these cars around this time of their life.

I wont be able to provide much more data on how long the car lasts though as I am nearly done acquiring all the parts needed where I will be putting in a whole new engine, trans, suspension, driveshaft, and axles. The built engine just arrived 2 days ago But up till now, Id say the car has been incredible for having no real problems up to 160K miles on it.

[Ilya]

That was my point, it might not be doing much, but based on the video it is doing *something* (cleaning up the carbon). So, given that it isn't expensive, and only done every 30k or so in most applications...it's not a big deal. If it helps the motor run even 1% more efficiently, IMO that's worth it. If over the course of those 30kmi it saves me $10 in gas and cost me $8 to pour in...that's a win lol.

But, as you and I both said, as long as maintenance is current you don't *need* this product. I do it because it's part of my maintenance plan.

[steelcity]

A friend of mine swears by Seafoam "Deep Creep". He buys, fixes and sells classic cars. So he deals with 50+ year old bolts that need to be loosened. He uses nothing else. I had tried it last month when I was trying to pull off that one caliper bolt that was stuck, it didn't work for me, but I don't want to blame Seafoam if I'm the idiot

[Ilya]

I wasn't aware that it could be used in place of WD-40 or PB Blaster or *insert product here*. Hmm.

EDIT: My bad, didn't know there were different types of Seafoams lol. I've only ever noticed one on the shelves at the store...there is in fact 5 different products:

http://seafoamsales.com/