Another seafoam question.

[Tilmoney]

Hey guys,

So I got my 03 v8 4x4 in May with 145000 miles on it and I'm thinking about doing the seafoam treatment after reading all the posts about it. I did some research but still not sure if I should do it.

My concerns are:

Assuming that the last owner didn't really change the oil ever 3,000, will I be facing possible issues/risks after the treatment.

If I were to do it, should I start the car, unplug the vac hose, add the seafoam, turn off the car, wait, and then start it up again?

This would be my first time doing this so kind of being a wuss about it, sorry :roadkill:

 

[thebitz1]

I read a BUNCH of posts on this and it is about 50/50 on whether to use Seafoam or not. I bought some for my 1999 with 123k, but opted not to use it.

I spoke to a couple mechanics and both said don't use it. They said proper oil changes should keep the engine clean.

My thought on the issue is that you never know what you might cleanup or break loose that may cause an issue later. You may clean it up to the point that you have a gasket leak, etc etc...

Keep researching and make your own opinion. Good Luck!

 

[peebee]

I stick by the "regular oil changes" are the best to keep the engine in good shape.

The chemical properties of seafoam are designed to break down sludge, grime, etc. All of which are bi-products of the oil itself. So you're effectively breaking down oil. The oil that is designed to lubricate and protect your engine. Even with the "drive no more than 100 miles before your next oil change" rule, I don't trust it. I just change oil every 3k - 5k miles, using conventional Toyota OEM oil and filters. I did this on my 3rd gen 3.4l and it was strong as ever at 280k miles before I sold it.

 

[Johnson51]

IMO I wouldnt use it in the crank case; but for a fuel system you should be good. If your worried about the motor internals I would buy some mobil 1 synthetic and a good filter; then change a couple times after a 1-2k. Good oil will clean up your crank internals; I never trust putting additives in oil ever. Basically you wouldnt be able to fix any damage to bearing surfaces; so you would be cleaning the inside of the case, which good oil will do and protect bearing surfaces from further breakdown.

 

[Tilmoney]

I got a bottle of it already and thinking about putting it in the fuel tank instead of the vac hose, hopefully that will be enough and wouldn't ruin anything. :laser:

 

[Johnson51]

I have a road trip next week and was going to do the same thing this weekend

 

[Mlohde]

Hi,

In my opinion, don't use it at all. If you do regular oil changes, you should be fine. When I used it in my fuel, on both my old CRV and 4R, it reduced my MPG by at least ~2. But that is my opinion... I personally use Gumout High Mileage. That stuff actually works!

 

[Tilmoney]

Well, since I just got the car so I don't know how well the previous owner took care of it. Pretty sure they parked the car for most of the time and didn't change the oil that often.
So I just want to do something nice to it. I changed the oil, filters, spark plugs, and thought trying on the seafoam would be good. Still not sure plus I will be driving it from az to nv over 290 miles so thought this would improve the drive.