Hi everyone, i have been reading countless of post concerning seafoam. Most of those post are for cars with lower miles, hardly anything for cars with higher miles. My car is a 2011 clubman s with the n 18 engine. It has 95000 miles. I have never trated with any cleaner for carbon build up or anything like that. My concern, if their ia so much gunk will the seafoam really benefit it, or could it be a bad idea to use it. Any insight would be appreciated.

 

Hi xmiggzx,
If you go to a parts store, buy a bottle of Techron and put it in and it should do the deal for you.

 

What issues do you have that lead you to believe you need to do something?

 

To answer for xmiggzx,
Carbon loads up on the vales, piston tops, exhaust ports and injectors. This lower performance,economy, life of the engine. Carbon is an engine killer.
Keep it away as much as you can!

 

I've seen a lot of people doing Seafoam treatment and messing up the car. Throwing in some Techron isn't going to hurt, but if you are using good quality gas you are probably not going to see anything but a slightly thinner wallet. N18 engine has not exhibited the carbon issues of the earlier gens.

My point to OP was why he needs Seafoam? Is he having issues?

 

Hi, I was not trying to step on anyone's toes here, but I have seen quite a few people that over used Sea Foam, causing so many issues and I agree, we don't know why Xmggix would feel he needs it, but is is important to use top shelf premium fuel and that alone should keep the internal combustion area clean.
If someone was using regular/lower quality fuel, prior to his purchase, it should help to turn it around.
Carbon causes ping and pre-ignition, which is an engine killer.

I guess, we (me) should be asking the why question.

 

Does Techron help with the carbon issue on Gen 1's?

 

To answer everyone's question as to why I feel like I need to use this.
My car has been experiencing a "slight" loss of power. Not a big reduction in power, just slightly. Also, it seems like I am not able to hear the turbo any more. I used to be able to release the gas pedal and the whoosh sound he turbo makes was quite audible. That is not the case any more. Maybe by using sea foam this could help with the power reduction and the turbo.

 

Also forgot to note, I have been getting code p052b, it comes and goes.

 

Liqui moly engine cleaner, fresh oil and Vanos solenoids fixed po52b on my 2011 car. Fyi

 

I had an 1990 Plymouth Laser RS Turbo, that about the 90K mile mark I noticed a reduction of power and response. I pulled and cleaned the turbo impellers and then cleaned the oil journals and lines, this improved the performance for a short time, I noticed it started to feel as if the turbo just wasn't spinning up sometimes. So I ended up just replacing the turbo at about 100K miles and it was like night and day. The new turbo breathed new life into the car and it when I sold the car at 160K (11 years old) it was still running like a rocket.

Motor on!

 

Seafoam will not make any difference on the N18 for carbon buildup. It is a direct injected engine so the Seafoam will never touch the intake.

 

^ +1 Seafoam = snake oil. Techron is good stuff & will help keep injectors & piston crowns clean. It will not clean carbon from the back of the valves. Walnut blasting works for that. There is no miracle in a can that is going to clean 95,000 miles of crude out of your engine.

 

It should, unless you put seafoam in the gas tank?

 

In a direct injection engine, seafoam added to gas tank will never reach the back of the valves. In such an instance you can pour it into the intake if you are concerned with buildup on there. This is a 2 person job. You have one person rev the car lightly and the other pours it into the intake, with the filter off of course. I've used 1/4 a bottle. Pour it slowly and don't let the engine stall. Once you get it in, let it sit with engine off for at least 30 minutes. Then start it up, let it warm for a couple minutes and start revving. Make sure nothing behind you as smoke and black soot will come out of the tailpipes. I've done this on numerous vehicles, whether the soot comes from the valves or just cleaning out your exhaust pipes I don't know but its never hurt any of my vehicles.

 

Snake oil smoke, what you are seeing is the seafoam burning & making smoke not carbon. The only way to clean those valves is with walnut blasting. But heck if the placebo effect works go for it.

 

The best way is to carbon blast, its been in issue on the n14, I had mine done with our tools. I have seen the N18 to not be a big issue like the N14 build up, but with many miles it can be an issue.

See here for the full write-up and tool for DIY's

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...-cleaning.html

 

our engines have direct injection, meaning the fuel is sprayed into the cylinder. Fuel system cleaner added to the fuel tank will never see the backside of the intake valves, which is where our engines have problems. We must spray directly into the air path. This will wash the backside of the intake valves.

 

No, but it helps the injectors to run better, as it cleans the insides of the injectors, so they spray better and more efficiently.

 

It’s odd that both MINI and Detroit Tuned both sell injector cleaner it they didn’t work. MINI, not so much, but Chad is a stand up guy who is honest.....

 

Seafoam will work when done often AFTER a carbon blast and it really needs to be done every 5k to take a skim coat off the valves. taking off 100k worth of carbon just doesn't work with Seafoam. And it needs to be put into the PCV system or the intake path ( photos on our website for the N18, N14 just get put in the PCV Vent Tube.

This Cleaner is also cheap and is designed for direct injection motors. we have seen small improvements with it. it helps with they injectors, not carbon build up.

Chad
DT