RC51Ryder

As if you needed another endorsement for Seafoam but seeing as how it was my first time using it, I figure I would share my experience. While making the 800 mile trip home for Thanksgiving, I noticed that the TL was not getting the gas mileage that I’ve come to expect from it. The trip computer said that I was logging 25MPG but on my last trip, I got 28MPG. I get home and check all the normal things like tire pressure and air filter but everything seemed fine. I thought it had to be something major since the MPGs fell so quickly. On a hunch, I did the Seafoam treatment (1/3 in the vac line, 1/3 in the crankcase and 1/3 in the tank) and followed the instructions that many others here have done.

On my way back home, the TL was getter BETTER gas mileage than I’ve ever seen. I will admit that I was scared to put the stuff in the crankcase like that but I was sure not to run it more than 10 minutes before changing the oil. Even though the car has 64k on the ODO and I doubt the previous owner used Seafoam, very little smoke came out of the tailpipes when I was “blowing it out”. Take a look at the end result.
Awesome MPG



Headed home…

NedShneebly

I plan on doing this around the 50K mile mark. This mysterious gunk intrigues the hell out of me!

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Too many variables when it comes to checking fuel mileage, but I'll tell you straight up, that using Seaform will not increase the mileage 5 MPG.

03TL_S

my moms 01 ES300 was hard to start. Put that stuff in PRESTO. fires up strong everytime kid!

01tl4tl

next time try the DIY instructions for max results, the can directions are abbreviated!

1 can in intake vac port- use DEEP CREEP spray version seafoam there
1 can in 1/2 tank of gas, 2 oz per gal of fuel is cleaning doseage
1/2 to 1 can in engine oil- change in 10 minutes OR change filter first- add 1 can foam- drive 100 miles- be amazed at what a new filter is full of now!
change oil and filter

first timers repeat gas and intake in a month or 2. then good for 1 year/15k miles
ok to add to gas every 5000 miles, especially before a trip

01tl4tl

do real mileage calculations- fill tank to 1st shutoff- drive as normal- refill

note gallons to refill,divide into miles driven = average
example: 300/15=20

NedShneebly

Seafoam also cures bird flu and bad backs...

lemonade

i got 30 mpg easy on my way from Las Vegas to L.A (I-15)
Automatic, 4 persons in car + luggage in trunk, and also cold inflated tire pressure was about 33-34. Of course this was with oem all season tire
I may be able to get an extra 1 - 2 mpg if i pump the tire to 28-29.
The summer BFG G-force i have now will only give me 26 on freeway no matter what, yeah what a difference.

ggesq

iTrader: (1)

Tim Tebow uses Seafoam on his ride.

NedShneebly

Tebow for President! Go Gators!

01tl4tl

sticky tires get less mileage, but pay off in fun and safety factor IMO

32 is not enough pressure- oe tires can run 34 easily and aftermarket tires often run
38-40 cold- on tires with max cold of 50 as example
Thats where real mileage gains can be found- more pressure in the tires, at least the spec pressure if oe tires..not less, remember- its the new energy policy~ carry a tire guage

Bearcat94

NASA Engineers used SeaFoam to get Apollo 13 safely back to earth.

I saw a movie about it.

RC51Ryder

I didn't think it would do much either but considering it was just me in the car with one suitcase in the trunk and my laptop bag in the back seat taking the same route before and after....what else could it be? I normally count my mileage manually but it was confirmed by the MID on the trip back. Oh and I only stop a quality gas stations and fill up with 93 so that couldn't be it. Either way, I'm glad about it and will be using this stuff once a year.

aquariussuperman

You forgot that Seafoam adds 50 horsepower. You should use at least one can per fillup. You can argue with statistics.

firstacuratl

iTrader: (2)

Is that what was coming out of Jack Swigert's mouth in the LEM? Here I thought he was puking ... when it was Seafoam treatment all along. Thanks for the heads up Bearcat :wink:

NedShneebly

01tl4tl~ is there a pub or site that advises on tire pressure for non-oem setup's? I've been looking everywhere for advice. I switched to 19's with 245/35 UHP tires and they came out of the shop with 45 psi all around! That scared me and I went back to my stocker setup: 35/33 cold front/rear. Truthfully, didn't notice much after letting the pressure down, maybe not quite as jittery on the highway.

01tl4tl

the basic rule of thumb on pressure for car tires is:
Look at the max weight listed on the tire sidewall, now determine cars weight percentage on the tire
About 80 percent is average, so we subtract 20 percent of the max pressure and go from there
Example- listed max cold at max weight 50 psi
you are 80%weight. 50-20% =10 psi drop
thats good for extended hi speed driving, and a few psi down from there for normal use, My 235-40-18 generals like 36-38 normal and 40 is the fun runs to mountains~

An easy way to check is put a stripe of chalk or tire paint a few inches up the sidewall from the edge of the tread. Now go have some fun- look for cloverleaf on/off ramps- anywhere you can really load the suspension and tires hard and heat the tires with side loading
Stop and check lines- if the tire is too soft, it will roll over and wipe off the markings

want to get really a/r abou it? get a non-contact infrared thermometer- do the same drive and check inner, middle and outer sections of the tread temps.
Higher temp in the middle is over inflated- lower is needs air
Those are the methods we use at the track all the time

I hate cars

So basically what happened is you filled up at a station that has switched to winter gas for the trip down. For the return trip you filled up at a station that was still on summer gas.

ballerjai

I always wanted to try seafoam, but so many reasons I didn't. Almost all my friends we're saying it's gonna break my car. Obviously, it does not since many members here have done it.

Are there ANYYYYY and I really mean ANY, CONS to seafoam.

NedShneebly

Well, Seafoam did vote for Obama...

Bearcat94

A Seafoam Regional Sales Manager was once caught in a vice sting before his "happy ending".

nfnsquared

Yep, beat me to it, but that's what I'm thinking as well.

On a side note, I heard that in return for it's vote, Obama has directed that seafoam be used on the Air Force 1 engines. I'd like to see them DIY instructions!

01tl4tl

winter gas has been in use for a while now-

let the fact the guy cleaned carbon residue and fuel injectors with seafoam which resulted in better mileage-- and be happy!
Do a full seafoam treatment the DIY method not the can- and really see improvment

Seafoam is used in diesel and gas engine cleaning machines- the induction service the dealer sells.
There are some strange things you do to clean tubine engines too, on the helicopter- you spray garden hose water into the running engine to clean the blades!!
AF1 may not be all that different

Virgin Airways has switched to recycled vegtable oil- kitchen grease to fuel its fleet of 747s!!! no more jetA for them. Maybe AF1 will start smelling like fried food as it passes overhead now,,,now, will it still be used to buzz residents of disaster areas???

nfnsquared

I'm pretty sure I know what happened. I had forgotten about this.

When I did the seafoam thing, the MPG on the MID suddenly jumped up to something like 60 MPG and stayed there for several miles. I eventually reset it and it went back to normal (26-28 MPG). Since you never reset the MID, I bet the same thing happened. There is something with the seafoam treatment that gives artificially high MPG calculations until it's all blown out. The MID computer showed 30 MPG because it logged some of the artificially high MPG as part of the average MPG.

I'll bet that if you reset the MID and run another full tank of gas you will not get 30 MPG on the MID and I'll be surprised if you get over 27 MPG on the MID.

RC51Ryder

I did reset the MID for the return trip. The 850 miles you see is one way. One other thing I didn't add is that my dad added air to one of my front tires while I was inside packing before I left and didn't tell me until after I got back home so depending on how low it was, that could be 1-2MPG.

The summer gas vs. winter gas is a possibility. I remember gassing up in Virginia, South Carolina, and Georgia on the way down and I filled up in Alabama and SC again on the way back. I didn't think about that.

I hate cars

I'm sorry, but 64,000 miles on today's gas and today's oils is not enough to see this kind of difference from decarbonization, injector cleaning, or crankcase cleaning.

The truth of it is, you get the exact same decarbonization with pure water for free. I ran it for years in the turbo car and when it was pulled apart you couldn't tell the engine had ever been run.

01tl4tl

while you can run water- the old school carbon buster-, there are safer methods.
On the TL we are not subject to certain things like Sensor wire in the TB, BUT water does not compress like gasoline vapors and can be dangerous to the engine when used excessivley.

With todays gasoline and its high sulpher content and 10% ethanol, you will find crud inside engines with 15k miles on them.
Those Shell commercials are not made up- that stuff on the valves is real!

I hate cars

Seafoam is just as uncompressable as water.

Those Shell commercials are good for a laugh and that's about it. Unfortunately people believe that can really happen.

I've torn down enough engines to know those deposits are completely impossible on any normal running engine. One of which was an Opel GT which had 190,000 miles, most of which was on leaded gas and it was about 1/10th the amount of deposits of what the commercial shows.

NedShneebly

I'm waiting for some fool to add a quart of water to his gas tank after that line!
Seriously, how would you go about water treatment?

Bearcat94

I just bought two cans of Seafoam.

One for the TL.

The other I'll put in my safe desposit box, sit back, and watch the money multiply. :seafoamyeahbaby:

I hate cars

LOL. I didn't think about that.

Raise the rpms to 2,500 or so and let it sip water through a vacuum line. Don't stick one of the large vacuum lines directly in the water, let it suck a mixture or water and air.

I encountered the cleaning effects with my alcohol/water injection on the Buick. Engine had a hair over 200,000 miles on it, car was running 11s back then and had water/alcohol injection for about a year which was injected only at 1/2 to full throttle. When it was torn down, piston tops had a light tan discoloration but no real carbon, headers, exhaust ports, and turbo had no carbon at all.

01tl4tl

your racer and the daily driver TL are very different~
Back in the day we would use a spray bottle with water in it, shot thru the carb or TB, ruined 1 TB and stopped doing that!

Seafoam may not compress but it is made of hi-detergent oils, and does burn so well that on the Deep Creep can- it mentions use as a starting fluid!!! thats better than water~

01tl4tl

If you dont like seafoam -try bg44 or wynns or honda or gm products.
The methods are the same, only the can contents may vary

A SiQ TL

O.K., I have to ask because I've never heard of winter & summer gas before. Whats the difference? Obviously price, what else.

I hate cars

The point about the compression was based on the comment that water is non compressable so it could damage the motor. I was just pointing out that seafoam could just as easily damage the motor.

The GN does apply here because it was my daily driver from the time I was 17 up until right before I bought the TL. I racked up 100,000 miles in those years. It might have run deep into the 11s during that time but it spent most of it's time getting me to work and back.

I'm not trying to start an argument but the effects of water in decarbonization are well known.