Seafoam - good or bad?

child of wonder

Diamond Member
Aug 31, 2006
8,307
176
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My wife and I love our little 2007 Honda Civic mileage whore. It's close to hitting 168,000 miles already thanks to my wife's 90 mile round trip to work. Lately we've noticed it's idling a little rough and where it used to get 33-35 mpg during her normal commute, it's now getting 30-32 mpg. I've replaced the spark plugs with high quality iridium plugs, changed the air filter, routinely change the oil every 6,000 miles with Mobil1 full synthetic, and take pretty good care of the car. I've put two bottles of fuel treatment through it over the last 3,000 miles but hasn't really had an effect.

Is seafoam something worth trying? I've heard good and bad. Or am I probably barking up the wrong tree and I should look at something else causing the rough idle and loss of mileage?
 

Bartman39

Elite Member | For Sale/Trade
Jul 4, 2000
8,867
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Seafoam is good stuff but think your MPG issue is more due to winter blend fuel...?
 

mvbighead

Diamond Member
Apr 20, 2009
3,793
1
81
Some call it snake oil, but I feel like smoothness is better after a course of sea foam.

1/3 in the fuel
1/3 in the vacuum
1/3 in the crankcase

At $7 a bottle, it's not terribly expensive to run a simple treatment. I believe the vacuum line is where most of the cleaning gets done (causes the excess smoke, etc.)
 

LTC8K6

Lifer
Mar 10, 2004
28,520
1,575
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Clean the throttle body, and idle air control valve, if it has one?
 

LOL_Wut_Axel

Diamond Member
Mar 26, 2011
4,310
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You should try that and a motor flush. I tried Gunk's Motor Medic on my 02 Lancer which had a noisy lifter at idle and it solved it, and the engine seems to run a bit quieter. I ran it for 10 minutes and then changed the oil (I use Pennzoil Platinum 5W-30).

You can only do this when you're gonna change your oil because it thins it out completely and there will be sludge in the crankcase.

Clean the throttle body, and idle air control valve, if it has one?

Do note that this will mess up your idle in pretty much all fuel injection cars until the computer/ECU relearns the idle.
 
Last edited:

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,055
573
126
I recommend removing those iridium plugs and getting OEM (or parts store equivalent) NGKs. Its really the only way to go.
 

ThatsABigOne

Diamond Member
Nov 8, 2010
4,422
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I recommend removing those iridium plugs and getting OEM (or parts store equivalent) NGKs. Its really the only way to go.

This might be worth a try. Some vehicles do not like uber fancy plugs, but rather more tolerant to OEM or traditional plugs.
 

NutBucket

Lifer
Aug 30, 2000
27,055
573
126
This might be worth a try. Some vehicles do not like uber fancy plugs, but rather more tolerant to OEM or traditional plugs.
But now that I think about it Iridium was probably the OEM plug type. You know, 100k tuneups and all.
 

Meghan54

Lifer
Oct 18, 2009
11,684
5,222
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Most OEM plugs are iridium tipped, that's why they can go 100K before a change is needed..


It does not take iridium plugs to get 100k before changing, nor are most OEM plugs iridium tipped.

Our GX 470 uses platinum tipped plugs and has 100k change intervals, and did that without problem.

Both our recent GM vehicles have platinum tipped plugs and the same 100k change interval, and both when changed, weren't misfiring horribly or even noticeably.

Our Murano has plat. plugs and the same 100k change interval.

Now, you may be able to make the case most manufacturers have moved to iridium plugs, but to say it takes iridium plugs to achieve 100k change intervals is patently false.

Sorry.
 

Meghan54

Lifer
Oct 18, 2009
11,684
5,222
136
Clean the throttle body, and idle air control valve, if it has one?


I'd start with these ^ and also, when's the last time the oxygen sensors were replaced, if at all? If they are the originals, probably time to look into replacing them.
 

FuzzyDunlop

Diamond Member
Jan 30, 2008
3,260
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81
Plagiarized from Texas_Ace at mr2oc.com
I like to start with the water/washer fluid first. Find a vacuum line on or near the Throttle Body that will feed all the cylinders evenly. Make sure it is not only connected to 1 intake runner or offset on the intake manifold so it would only feed some of the cylinders. If that is your only option you need to find an equal port on the other side of the manifold.

You don't want the line to be too big. If it is too big you can get a small vacuum line and usually shove it into the bigger line and it will seal good enough for what we need. 1/4" line is a good size, slightly bigger or smaller is fine as well.

Now start the engine and drive it around to get it nice and hot. When you get back connect the vacuum line to the port you found earlier and stick it into the gallon of water. You will have to give the engine a lot of gas to keep it running but just let it keep sucking it down. I usually run the whole gallon through the car in 2 or 3 treatments, broken up by me beating the heck out of it before coming back for the next one.

After you finish the water go drive the car hard to clean it out.

Now time for the seafoam, this is like the water except you need to let the car sit between treatments. Just like the water hook up the vacuum line and get ready to rev the motor up to keep it running. Stick the line into the can of seafoam and try to keep the motor running till it sucks up about half the can for the first treatment. Then let it bog out and die. Now let it sit for half an hour or so. Longer is better, for the first few treatments though you don't really want to let the motor get all the way cold.

Now go out and restart the car, it will take a little bit to restart, put the gas to the floor while trying to start it tends to help. Once started you should have one heck of a smoke show. The more smoke, the dirtier the engine is. You can let it idle for a little bit and have fun revving it so you smoke out the neighborhood or go for a drive and leave long trails of smoke. At some point go out and flog the car before the next treatment.

Now repeat the earlier process except use about 1/3 of a bottle at a time from now on so it lasts longer. Keep doing this a few times, you will start to notice that you have less and less smoke the more treatments you do. It will get to a point where the amount of smoke stops improving, thats when it is about as clean as it will get right now.

I generally will do one last treatment at this point, heavier this time. I will then let it sit overnight.

Dump any left over seafoam or marvel mystery oil into the gas tank.

The next morning start it up and go for a nice long drive, get the oil up to temp and keep it there for a good 10-15 mins if possible to help clean the last of the junk out of the motor. Could go to work and do it when you get home or whatever. Just don't put that many miles on it before changing the oil.

Now change the oil, and make SURE you change the oil, after all of this you will have some water and seafoam in the oil for sure, it needs to be changed. Refill the oil check all the fluids and there you go. It should now run noticeably better.

I have had GREAT luck with this regime on all of my cars but you do this at your own risk!
 

Bartman39

Elite Member | For Sale/Trade
Jul 4, 2000
8,867
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The rough idle and decrease in mileage has been going on for a few months so I don't think that's it.

Ah missed the rough idle...? Could be a dirty injector so the seafoam might just be what you need... I use it in my diesel every 3rd tank but you might need to do it for a couple of tanks back to back to see if it takes care of your problem...? I do not think the plugs are an issue but best to always use OEM...
 

Meghan54

Lifer
Oct 18, 2009
11,684
5,222
136
...but best to always use OEM...


Amen to that! Learned the hard way when I changed plugs on our old '02 Blazer. Simple little 4.3L V-6. Stuck NGK iridiums into it. Had to pull them out 5k miles later and put in AC Delco platinums. The NGK's just weren't working well at all, and when the Delco's went in, the engine smoothed out considerably.

So, when I changed the plugs in my Silverado a couple of weeks ago, AC Delco plats came out, AC Delco plats went in. The plugs pulled out were the original plugs, lasted 106k by the time I got to them. And almost every part I've put on that truck is OEM. Fit better, guaranteed to work without issue...something you cannot always say about using any other parts.
 

Jimzz

Diamond Member
Oct 23, 2012
4,399
190
106
Best to spray out the Throttle Body and also clean the MAF sensor. The TB you use regular Carb cleaner and the MAF has its own special cleaner they sell at parts stores.
 

child of wonder

Diamond Member
Aug 31, 2006
8,307
176
106
Amen to that! Learned the hard way when I changed plugs on our old '02 Blazer. Simple little 4.3L V-6. Stuck NGK iridiums into it. Had to pull them out 5k miles later and put in AC Delco platinums. The NGK's just weren't working well at all, and when the Delco's went in, the engine smoothed out considerably.

So, when I changed the plugs in my Silverado a couple of weeks ago, AC Delco plats came out, AC Delco plats went in. The plugs pulled out were the original plugs, lasted 106k by the time I got to them. And almost every part I've put on that truck is OEM. Fit better, guaranteed to work without issue...something you cannot always say about using any other parts.

I got the car when it had 84,000 miles on it and I didn't change the plugs until 153,000 miles. I'm relatively certain they were the originals. lol Frankly, I was surprised at how well the car was still running with plugs that old.

I can try regular AC Delco plugs and see if that helps. I simply got the Bosch +4s so I wouldn't have to gap them.
 

sontakke

Senior member
Aug 8, 2001
895
11
81
Can you put a good scanner on it to see if there are any pending codes? I don't know that engine specifically but some of the Hondas do end up needing a coil or two. Have you ever noticed check engine light on or worse flashing?

Unfortunately, tracking down less than 10% drop in fuel economy is going to be extremely difficult. There will not be a smoking gun. The uneven idle is your only clue.
 
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