recently i ran seafoam through my '97. i videoed it and linked it on youtube if anyone cares to see:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMYNTKNDdDU

i noticed improved throttle response right away. Undoubtedly worth the $9 it cost. ill know next week sometime if i am getting better gas mileage, but i already had it pretty good, about 20 with mixed driving.

the only thing ive heard that could possibly go wrong is loosing of compression on higher mileage cars because the built up carbon actually helps plug leaks.

 

you didn't get that much smoke, i got more the last time i tried. yours must not be that dirty. on another note, your 1st comment is from one of those idiots

 

i have always believed that the smoke show is the seafoam itself burning

 

I bought my 08 brand new. I did SeaFoam on it at 12k miles. I lost throttle response. Car would hesitate often. This lasted for a week. I have decided not to ever do it again. I know it worked for a lot of people, though.

I also think you did not get enough smoke. My car was almost covered with smoke when I did mine. Glad it worked good for you.

 

I used to seafoam my car every oil change its awesome!!

 

Why in the world would you seafoam in 12k 2008 CAR?

 

the video makes it look like i didnt get that much, i think i was reved a little too hard and shot a lot of it off camera.

ive heard that if you drive a car hard then youll get less smoke just because there is less carbon built up... so that might be it too

 

This lastedfr a week. I hve deciuded not to ever do it again. I know t wor fora ot of people, though.
WHAT???? jesus. go get a dictionary and learn how to spell for gods sake....

 

^I never really understood that. How the hell is a dictionary going to help you spell a word if you have no idea how to spell it in the first place?

Also, that just looked like a lot of typos, the ramblings of someone who doesn't know how to spell. Better advice would be to stop using Internet Explorer and start using a browser with spell check like Chrome or Firefox.

 

Server ate my first response so here I go again

I Seafoam'd my car a few weeks after buying it, half in the brake booster and half in the gas tank. The idle speed dropped by ~300RPM (to 600-700). This was not a huge change but the engine was running well beforehand anyway. I had put half through the brake booster line and half through the gas tank. I didn't do the crankcase because I had just changed the oil.

 

Watch your mouth boy. I used a keyboard that was crap! And I typed fast and hit send without even checking my spelling. But I guess I can have you now to be doing my spell check for me.

 

boy??? are you russian or something?? i type quick all the time and always check before sending. you could've gone back in and fixed the spelling errors with the edit button. but w/e

 

Not Russian. My first language is French. Second is English. But my English is exactly as much as you can spell, write and speak it. I have more than 700 posts. And have like 10 threads. Go there or find my posts and read them, then report back to me on what you think of my English as my second language. It is almost perfect.

My screen name is french too. If you can tell. If not, well, I am just letting you know.

I used the computer at my in-laws and was in such a hurry, I did not check the screen. Just typed, sent and was off. As much errors as you saw, needless to know I must have been rushing on the keyboard. And that bad keyboard needs you to hit it as hard as a type-writer for some letters to work.

Now, let's continue talking about SeaFoaming.

 

First off, id like to say that anyone who Foam'ed at Idle.. Is absolutely Ignorant, Same with someone who did it with the car Cold. Not pointing any fingers (honest).

To properly Seafoam a car you are supposed to..

1. Start the car and let it warm to operating temperature.

2. Have a friend rev the engine to around 2K RPM's.

2.5 If your lazy get a big Zip-Tie and place it on the Throttle Cable at the current speed.

3. Remove the Brake Booster Line from the Intake Manifold.

4. Slowly pour the entire can down the vaccum line.

5. Let the car run for about 20 Minutes to cool down as the Manifolds are most likely red hot.

kthxbii

 

yep, exactly how i did it. i ended up waiting more than the 15 mins in the video, i was in the middle of a Call Of Duty game. ha

 

your video made me kind of dizzy...

FallenOne, you should do a step by step tutorial of how to use seafoam. I think it would be informative for all the forum members. I could surely use it... althought I have a high mileage 4th Gen Maxima... would it benefit me?

 

I seafoamed my 98 with 320,000 km's - no issues TONS of smoke. I let the car sit after pouring it in the crankcase/booster - and I always get someone else to rev it so I can check for exhaust leaks.

 

its called chevron techron...use it!


j/k lol. Seafoam is cool it u do it right.

 

I've found a flat screwdriver jammed in the slot works fine. You can adjust rpm by pushing it in or pulling it out.

Is this a mistake? You turn off the car and wait for the stuff to dissolve.... How is running the car going to cool down the manifolds?

When I removed it that close, car stalls right away. Had to move further away - at the brake booster for car to run at all.

 

[QUOTE=96i30azn;7650346]I've found a flat screwdriver jammed in the slot works fine. You can adjust rpm by pushing it in or pulling it out.

This is a great idea!

Is this a mistake? You turn off the car and wait for the stuff to dissolve.... How is running the car going to cool down the manifolds?

Well, its not just the manifolds that need cooled down. That was just a reference to how extremely hot seafoam can make your engine temperature. The reasoning behind this is the same as running a car after youve just flogged it. Basically just like a Turbo'ed vehicle.. Oil build ups and what not...

When I removed it that close, car stalls right away. Had to move further away - at the brake booster for car to run at all.

vie never had an issue, but after the 2nd or so time i foamed a vehicle i started using a 2 ft long piece of 3/8 hose to make the process a bit easier.

 

what difference does it make if u do it at idle or 2k rpm?

 

Dunno about any benefits in terms of cleaning, but mine would stall if I didn't keep the revs up a bit. I had a friend hold it at 2000 until I was almost out, then I poured in enough to stall it.

 

You lost me completely. My guess is that you're talking about running the car another 20 minutes after all the smoke. In that case you missed the step of turning off the engine right after you let it suck in seafoam.

 

Minor typos? Ok, for a 2nd grader that's acceptable, but spelling 1/3 of all your words wrong is completely atrocious.

 

So Heres my REVISED Guide to Foaming i guess..

Caution: Do Not Seafoam an engine at Idle or While the engine is cold. As a precaution also place your thumb over the Vacuum line to the manifold as the open hose to the manifold will cause your engine to run lean and extended periods of time may result in damage.

Disclaimer: You do everything at your own risk.

To properly Seafoam..

1. Start the car and let it warm to operating temperature.

2. Have a friend rev the engine to around 2K RPM's.

2.5 If your lazy get a big Zip-Tie and place it on the Throttle Cable at the current speed, or wedge a screw driver into the slot on the Throttle Body.

3. Remove the Brake Booster Line that runs between the Brake Booster and Intake Manifold.

4. Slowly pour the entire can down the vacuum line.

5. Optional: Shut off engine for period of 5 Minutes.

6. Restart and let the engine run for about 20 Minutes to bring the engine temperature back to normal.

 

i seafoamed my wifes car (98 sentra) with 197k and mine with 207k three times already. this stuff is amazing and i do agree that most of the smoke is due to the seafoam itself, but... if the smoke has a little bit of a blue tint or smells like burning oil then your engine was dirty. i plan on seafoaming it again prolly today.

just a side question; i was wondering if anyone ever put about 1/2 quart of trans fluid in there oil pan during an oil change?

 

Uh, Why...? Would you.. do that?

 

Tranny fluid inside engine oil pan during an oil change?? :metalmax:

 

:metalmax:

 

Could anyone send me an image of the brake booster line? I'm completely lost when looking at my engine as to what is what and I don't have the owner's manual to point out what's what. Thanks for the help.

 

I Shamelessly Ripped this picture from someone.. Idk who though haha.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us

The Brown Line is the Brake Booster that runs to the top of the Intake Manifold.

 

If you're gonna shamelessly rip a picture, rip one that's good. Like this:

It's the one on the top that makes a u-turn in the shaped of a "J" it connects to a big drum that on the left side on the firewall in front of the steering wheel.

 

I bought my car from the original owner with 125xxx miles on it. As far as i know he kept it regularly serviced but obviously he didn't tell me if he ever seafoamed it...i've put on maybe 1000 miles extra, tops. Think it would be a good idea to do this to mine?

 

I've heard stories about older engines losing a little compression and leaking a bit after Seafoam. So the story goes, the carbon buildup seals holes, and Seafoaming will break those seals.

I foam'd mine pretty much as soon as I bought it at ~135k. No issues. Seems to me it can't hurt.

 

Would anybody kindly like to make a video next time they do it, demonstrating the process? I'm sure it'd be appreciated...i know i'd like it at least..

 

How did you split up the bottle? Everybody uses different methods. Gas tank, oil pan, vacuum line...etc? That'd help out.

Would it still have the same effect if I just put it in the gas tank and oil pan and not vacuum line to minimize the risk of opening holes up? Normally I use a Lucas fuel injector cleaner every other time i fill up my tank and it seems to help a lot (I get roughly 30 mpg)

 

That might be a good idea...I saw a vid of a guy seafoaming his 6th gen and that's the way he did it...perhaps it is worth a try on older, high-mileage cars...

 

I put half in the brake booster line and half in the gas tank. I didn't do the oil because I had just had the oil changed; Seafoam thins oil out, so it's recommended to change it immediately (<100mi) after Seafoam in the crankcase. Since I wasn't planning to do it again for the next many thousand miles (actually, I still haven't done it), I decided to leave it out.

Believe me, if you skip the booster line for its being difficult to find, you will kick yourself once you do find it. I'll try and find an image from the FSM that shows it..

EDIT: Here we go:


That's what it looks like. It's located on the firewall on the upper-left: open the hood, stand by the left side, and you will see it under the base of the windshield. There's just one thick rubber hose going to it; that's the booster line you're looking for. You'll have to undo a hose clamp and tug the hose off. Have a buddy keep the revs up to around 2000RPM so the engine doesn't stall and slowly pour the Seafoam into the hose until you think you've put enough in. That's all there is to it. Then shut the engine off, reattach the hose, let it all sit for a few minutes, and enjoy the smoke show when you restart it. Take it for a spirited drive to burn all the **** out of there and you're done. If you put any in the crankcase oil, change the oil soon.

 

trans fluid has alot of detergents if you have ever taken an auto trans apart its usually really clean it will do the same to the inside of your engine

 

good to see a seafoam video. when i had my 97 max, i filled up the whole street with smoke, and never noticed anything but positive results from using a full can through my brake booster line.