seafoam cause engine light?

[Vikas]

OK, it is making perfect sense. The dealer replaced the post catalytic sensor hoping to fix the P0420 code. Unfortunately, in extremely rare cases that will fix the light. Usually, by the time P0420 starts lighting, it is time for new OEM catalytic converter. Good news is that there is federal 8/80 warranty on it and manufacturer has to cover it. The P0420 can trigger after 150 miles because the test has some funky parameters and takes a while before ECM decides to run the test.

Bottomline:- Seafoam had nothing to do with your P0420 code. If you don't believe me, spend some time and google P0420

 

[Durango]

Funny thing I used a bottle of Gumout/Regain in my fuel system and just recently my no.5 cylinder misfired and caused my "engine trouble light" to activate. On another forum I had asked about it and all I got was replies about pulling the plugs and check out the spark plug wire instead of commenting on the possibility of using such a cleaner would/could it have caused my no. 5 cylinder to misfire.

I have a Dodge Durango 4.7 liter V-8 engine. I may have to try another product in the future. May be go back to Techron again.

Durango

 

[Trajan]

Originally Posted By: Vizzy
Originally Posted By: taintedtattoo
I was told by a very reputable guy at Napa that Seafoam is one of the best fuel stabilizers out there, and works great in gasoline.


There is your first mistake...never trust chain store parts guys.


So when the chain store guy told me not to use it, I was right not to trust him.

 

[Spyder7]

Originally Posted By: Durango
Funny thing I used a bottle of Gumout/Regain in my fuel system and just recently my no.5 cylinder misfired and caused my "engine trouble light" to activate. On another forum I had asked about it and all I got was replies about pulling the plugs and check out the spark plug wire instead of commenting on the possibility of using such a cleaner would/could it have caused my no. 5 cylinder to misfire.

I have a Dodge Durango 4.7 liter V-8 engine. I may have to try another product in the future. May be go back to Techron again.

Durango


I had a multiple misfire CEL right after my Regane cycle finished. I reset the CEL and no repeat occurrence. Nor do I think any harm was done. I think it has more to do with how the sensors and ECM work together, and the effect of this interplay when you run a cleaner through (during and right after). Its a transient thing: ECM has to adjust its parameters when the potion is added, then readjust after its run through. And as they age they get "lazy," and a misfire can occur during the adjustment phase. No misfire since, or any other issues. Car is back on its diet of 89 octane it likes with a little UCL added in, and all is well.

You haven't indicated the year of your Durango, but all of my sensors are original.

-Spyder

 

[Twisty_Bits]

I would recommend cleaning you MAF sensor. A dirty MAF sensor will throw a O2 sensor code for a lean condition. This is a common problem with Toyotas. You can get an aerosol can of MAF cleaner from the parts store. This is a good cheap starting place. After you cleaning it reset the computer.

Originally Posted By: Vizzy

Words of Wisdom for other car owners ...if it ain't broke, don't even think about fixing it.


These words of wisdom seems contrary to engineers and car companies' preventative maintenance recommendations. These recommendations are there to prevent much more costly repairs in the future. Should I wait until my timing belt breaks before I replace it?

 

[Durango]

Spyder7,

Believe me or not this is actually the first time this had occured on my Durango so I am a little perplexed. I've gone ahead and reset the "trouble light" and will take it in IF and only the light comes back on again.

Currently I think it's might be due to the Gumout/Regain additive but can't be sure however it does seem to be related.

Since I drive it only on the weekends I'll take it for a good spin and see what happens.

On another forum everyone tells me the spark plug is dead and is dumping gas in the cylinder and mixing with my oil. I don't think it is so cuz my motor feels to be fine and so far no trouble engine light has re-activated indicating a persistant cylinder trouble.

If I can get past this I'll go back to Techron or use Redline SL-1 every 3K.

Thank you for your reply.

Mail Clerk

 

[unDummy]

Seafoam works fine when poured into tanks. It doesn't cause damage.

Seafoam has always worked great for me and has never caused any issues. Actually, I've never had a fuel additive cause problems and never have seen it happen.

 

[demarpaint]

Originally Posted By: unDummy
Seafoam works fine when poured into tanks. It doesn't cause damage.

Seafoam has always worked great for me and has never caused any issues. Actually, I've never had a fuel additive cause problems and never have seen it happen.


Same here. I've used Seafoam a few times, I have a pretty big stash of Red Line's product so I use that more. Seafoam has been around a long time if it was wrecking engines or fuel systems we'd know about it. The product has a pretty loyal following too.

 

[Spyder7]

Originally Posted By: Durango
Spyder7,

Believe me or not this is actually the first time this had occured on my Durango so I am a little perplexed. I've gone ahead and reset the "trouble light" and will take it in IF and only the light comes back on again.

Currently I think it's might be due to the Gumout/Regain additive but can't be sure however it does seem to be related.

Since I drive it only on the weekends I'll take it for a good spin and see what happens.

On another forum everyone tells me the spark plug is dead and is dumping gas in the cylinder and mixing with my oil. I don't think it is so cuz my motor feels to be fine and so far no trouble engine light has re-activated indicating a persistant cylinder trouble.

If I can get past this I'll go back to Techron or use Redline SL-1 every 3K.

Thank you for your reply.

Mail Clerk


It sounds like one of those one off things that occur inexplicably sometimes. In my case it was. I put the UCL back in that I normally use and everything has been normal since. No CEL or any other symptoms of anything being wrong. My Denso iridium plugs are rated for 120k and the Denso sensors for something like 150k. In my case I'm pretty certain the Regane didn't harm anything and I will still use it again, I'll just make sure to add my usual UCL after the tank is refilled (last time I didn't).

Techron and Redline, both being PEA based as well, are perfectly good substitutes. I would actually prefer the Redline myself if it were sold here.

-Spyder

 

[Spyder7]

Originally Posted By: Vizzy
Originally Posted By: Spyder7
[


If the additive maker says its safe to use, and they've been in business awhile, and there is nothing but postive results here, that's good enough for me. MMO in fuel meets all those criteria. I also use ashless 2 cycle oil in fuel (when I don't have MMO) and see no reason to discontinue the practice.



After being a driver and owning cars for over 25 years now I'll put my trust in the engineers and car companies that produced their product, not a company making a living out of selling magic elixers...LOL
Those addiditive companies can say anything they want. When you end up with a severely damaged engine their promise won't repair the damage for you.


Quote:

Edit: different additives do have their place, whether the auto manufacturer specifies them or not. The key is in sorting out the real ones from the snake oil, and making a well informed decision on how and when to use it.

-Spyder


I say unless you know for a fact that the car in question has a specific problem such as carbon deposits you should NEVER EVER EVER use an addidive unless the car maker specifically approves it.

Even then use a product that is proven in tests to actually help solve the problem and not do any damage in the process. That is why PEA is endorsed by the car makers ..it has a proven track record of reducing or eliminating fuel system deposits while giving total assurance that no damage will occur in the process. The nice thing to know is that many major brands of gas use very small quantities of PEA in their regular pump gas.

Words of Wisdom for other car owners ...if it ain't broke, don't even think about fixing it.


They tell us not to use additives, yet they use additives in their dealer service departments.

The amount of PEA in top tier gas is insignificant. I personally don't endorse additive usage unless its for a specific problem the additive is know to be safe to use with, or when it falls within the scope of a good preventive maintenance plan and is used correctly.

The three I use (not at the same time) are tc-w3, MMO, and Regane. I see no problem with any of them when used properly.

Seafoam I have no experience with, but would consider if the need arose.

-Spyder

 

[Durango]

Spyder7,

You and others are well informed regarding gas additives. In my case your all god sends as I'm just the avgerage guy that wants to be more knowledgeable and keep my car/truck running well as long as possible. In about another couple months I may decide to add a bottle of Redline or Techron just to get it back on base and let it go until my next 3K service which may be around February next year.

Durango

 

[Vikas]

I am not sure if that Toyota has MAF. Earlier Toyota used MAP sensors which should NOT be cleaned with any cleaner. Besides, he is getting catalytic converter code P0420 and NOT the lean condition code such as P0171.

Take it back to dealer and tell them to give you new catalytic converter. He might laugh at your face but it is worth a try.

- Vikas

 

[cjcride]

It has a MAF which are a known to be problematic.

 

[Spyder7]

Originally Posted By: Vikas
I am not sure if that Toyota has MAF. Earlier Toyota used MAP sensors which should NOT be cleaned with any cleaner. Besides, he is getting catalytic converter code P0420 and NOT the lean condition code such as P0171.

Take it back to dealer and tell them to give you new catalytic converter. He might laugh at your face but it is worth a try.

- Vikas


There are potential causes upstream from the cat that can result in a P0420. When this car was under warranty, before I bought it, it threw a P0420 and the cause was a bad vacuum switching valve.

You can't make a diagnosis based on just the code, and certainly not over the internet. All I take from that code is their is an emissions problem somewhere with the cat being the possible, but not only, culprit.

I do think adding Seafoam and such, while being safe, can result in a faulty CEL being thrown. If there are no other symptoms and reseting the CEL doesn't result in it coming back within a few days, then I would be inclined to think there was something wrong somewhere. But its pretty rare to be able to diagnosis an exact cause just from a code. As an aside, this also accounts for why often times a dealer will replace several parts (especially for non-warranty service) rather than just one: trial and error diagnosis or throwing out the tub along with the bath water.

-Spyder

 

[sunfire]

I have an 05 Corolla, which I have used a full can of Seafoam to treat the engine 4-5 times through the PCV and never got codes.

Seafoam in the fuel is a waste IMO. Shock treatment directly into the PCV hose.

 

[purelux]

Originally Posted By: ARCOgraphite
I never put any cleaners or lubes in my fuel system anymore - either stuff doesnt work or it causes problems. Bad gas/ stale gas - dump in a 1/2 tank high detergent premium. At least you get a goodly volume of usable fuel for the 10 bucks spent. (Oh i lied - wife got bad gas at Shell last winter and I put a bottle of Shell V-power cleaner I got a wally world. Seemed to smooth the idle but who knows if it would have cleared itself anyway.


There are additives in every gasoline that you buy. Most car companies say no additive is needed then on the shelf in their service/parts dept there are bottles of their branded fuel cleaners. Do research before you buy one and add it to a near empty tank before refueling. Ones with PEA are the real cleaners redline fuel cleaner has most then regane high-milage is 2nd place last I knew.

 

[purelux]

Ive had an engine light thrown on some cars and not others regularly. It seems some always have it go on others never do not sure why. I usually run it through the intake or pcv though and get rid of it by popping the negative bat cable. I usually do it while the seafoam is soaking in for 5-15 min. In the gas you can reset it the same way on most cars but since its in the gas you may have to do it again after you run thru the gas and fill up again.

 

[Vizzy]

More words of wisdom.....

When you insist on using an additive in your fuel system at least use one that is accepted by the petrolium industry and car manufacturers as COMPLETELY safe for use...

That would be any PEA detergent based additive...but in order for it to really clean it needs to be at least 35% concentration or more.

Stay away from solvent based products.

 

[Spyder7]

Originally Posted By: Vizzy
More words of wisdom.....

When you insist on using an additive in your fuel system at least use one that is accepted by the petrolium industry and car manufacturers as COMPLETELY safe for use...

That would be any PEA detergent based additive...but in order for it to really clean it needs to be at least 35% concentration or more.

Stay away from solvent based products.


While your advice is no doubt well intentioned, and would probably save at least a few from doing damage to engines that are perfectly fine otherwise, I otherwise disagree.

First, the petroleum industry would generally prefer we ran no additives, as they like to claim the minute amounts of extra detergents they put in their 91 octane gas is what's needed. When it does little to nothing because there's just not enough of it present. This is a vested interest in maintaining the status quo.

The oil makers likewise would have us all believe their oils are all that's needed, and no additives are beneficial. Of course, if they implied otherwise then one might question the product, even the brand, and look to a different brand. Again, maintaining the status quo. Though this doesn't stop them from producing (or buying) their own additive brands and products, such as Slick 50 (just one example) which is owned now by (I believe) SOPUS. Slick 50 isn't the most reputable of additives and is considered by most to be nothing more than snake oil. So much for what big oil recommends.

And as many of us here already know, car makers may tell you not to use additives, yet they keep their own service departments well stocked with at least their own branded additives. Of course this way when you bring in your car to have something you could have done yourself, they ensure their product (more dealer and corporate profit) is used and maybe get to make a little more in "labour" for the time it took to pop the hood, unscrew the cap, and dump the additive in. Slight vested interest.

PEA cleaners are good and have their place. As do other products, including solvents. My current list of additives includes:

- tc-w3 (my usual upper cylinder lubricant)
- MMO (my occassional fuel additive and current oil additive)
- Regane (PEA fuel system cleaner I cycle every 3k or more, as needed).
- Lubro-Moly mos2 (another oil additive I just recently added).

MMO is (mainly) a solvent. Other than Regane, none of the others are PEA based (or necessarily cleaners; LM mos2 isn't, tc-w3 is more of a lubricant than cleaner). They all have their uses. Each was researched thoroughly, and in the case of none of these products did I rely on "words of wisdom", as such sage advice is all too often used by others to suggest such truisms like the oil I'm running, being Pennzoil, will fill my engine with wax. Etc.

-Spyder