So is everyone here just doing the PCV Seafoam treatment? You can use it in the gas tank and crankcase(though I would not suggest this on unless you plan on changing your oil within about 50 miles). I love this stuff and have used it on 3 other cars. I have not don't it on my r56 yet but I will be doing it soon as I got a bunch of bottles on sale.

 

I did the PCV, gas and crankcase, then was told to change the oil within 500 miles. Since I work 2 hours commute from my home, it took about three days to reach the 500 mile mark.
I did not see any improvement with all three added to the system at the same time, but I did see an improvent after a few teatments to the pcv alone. I think I gained a mile or two in mpg but is that a real gain?.
I am not sure as to how well Seafoam works and I dont want to guestemate based on amount of smoke produced and mpg gained but rather the actual physical results.
If anyone can produce a photo of the physical results that Seafoam claims, it would be very beneficial. I was told that BG44K is the only real system cleaner that says what it does. Again, if anyone can produce confirming / conflicting info, please do so....

 

Seafoam is pretty good but I think the smoke is a side effect of carrier ingredients. It does remove carbon from the valves, I have noticed the car runs much quieter and smoother after treatment. The PCV method is the only way to clean the intake valves on a direct injection engine. Other products introduced through the PCV will work as well, I have used Biosyn as listed below, and RedLine, both worked well. You help a little with some in the gas tank, I add some BioSyn fuel system treatment to every tank http://www.renewablelube.com/pdf/2I-...onditioner.pdf , or you can use RedLine or Techron or BG44k (which is similar to these but costs more) or Gumout Regane every few months. Waste of time adding it to the oil and it reduces the oil lubrication abilities although it may help clean out the valve lifter oil passages. If you really want to clean your engine internally use some http://www.auto-rx.com/ it really works, I have used it several times in my 1995 Ford Explorer, it still runs great and passes emissions tests like a new car.

You really want a carbon removal cleaner with PEA which is used in Techron, RedLine Fuel System cleaner etc as indicated below:
More advanced additives—especially those containing polyether amine (PEA) chemistry—can deliver additional benefits, such as cleaning combustion chambers, reducing engine knocking and pinging, relieving cold-startup issues, and removing harmful sulfur deposits from gas gauge sensors to protect them from malfunctions.
Chevron patented PEA chemistry in the early 1980s. Today, it's not only used in the company’s Techron Concentrate Plus, but also in fuel system cleaners from STP, Gumout, and Valvoline. In fact, many auto dealerships use PEA chemistry in the fuel injection-cleaning service they offer. So instead of paying $150, head over to your local auto parts dealer once every 3,000 miles, buy a fuel system cleaner with PEA, put it in with a full tank of gas, and save $140.

 

Not strange at all - you loosened up deposits and now that is causing trouble. NEVER would I flush an engine, auto transmission or coolant system with such products.

Google it.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&s...AAAKoEBU_Qpdyu


No auto manufacturer recommends such products or services. The only ones that do are the hawkers of said products and services.



Simply run fuel with good quality additives like Chevron, and your engine will be as clean as possible inside.

 

Never heard of engine flushing. Sounds stupid.

 

Based on what the dealer told me the carbon deposits on the valves can make sufficient noise to hide the timing chain noise. I complained of the death rattle and was told it was carbon on the valves, at 12,000 miles. I did a Seafoam and could hear the engine knock more distinctly afterward. I think the cleaner valves make for a quieter engine with better valve seal. The dealer agreed this time about the death rattle and replaced the chain and tensioners.

I think you do need another Seafoam treatment with 50,000 on your car. You only partially cleaned the valve deposits with the first treatment.

 

Even though I am not sure as to how well these cleaners work, I am still going to use them. My 03S has 125k on it. I do oil changes religously and change the spark plugs while I am at it, clean the air intake and use Chevron premium. Is there something I am missing that I should be doing or should have done?

What do you do to keep your cars engine in top condition?

About engine cleaners:
Which one works the best? (cost aside)
How often do you add it to the system?
If we could compare the best U.S product with the best European product, which one would come out on top?

 

Well all I know is that ir quieted my engine to the point where the timing chain tensioner was now noticeable. Right now it is in Cincinnati MINI having the tensioner replaced due to the engine being quiet enough to hear the rattle.

Thumbsup for Seafoam

 

So I went to O'Rielly the other night and my buddy there hooked me up with a sweet discount and I ended up getting a bunch of seafoam in the process. Well I went ahead and seafoamed my MINI last night. It really didn't smoke as much as I thought it was going to smoke. It spit out smoke for about 5 mintues. I ended pouring the rest into the gas tank. I think I might do it agian this afternoon when I get home to see if I can get it a little bit cleaner.

 

Keep in mind this FAQ is for the 2nd gen (R55,R56,R57) cars with Direct Injection. These newer style engines squirt the fuel directly into the combustion chamber instead of the intake runner, so the intake valves never get washed off. On a traditional engine, like your R53, there may be no deposits to worry about if you're changing the oil regularly and using a top tier premium fuel.

 

DMBFan2,
I agree with the prior post. Your car does not have direct injection and will benefit from a fuel system cleaner added to the gas tank, although the PCV inhaled Seafoam style treatment will provide a more aggressive cleaning of your valves and upper cylinder area. I have done the PCV hose cleaning for years on prior cars without direct injection such as a Mazda MX6, Honda Accord, Lexus ES350, Infiniti G35 and my old reliable 1995 Ford Explorer and it has helped all of them run smoother, quieter and maybe with better mileage. If you are in Europe, the Lubro-moly/Liqui-moly products are very good and maybe Total (Elf) makes a fuel system product, they have great motor oil. If you have been changing your motor oil religiously and using synthetic, you probably do not need a motor flush. However I think the MINI oil change interval is too long and would cut it in half. The only flush I would use is Auto-Rx which is unlike any other flush on the market as it is organic and works gradually over 3,000 miles while you drive. it does not diminish the oil lubrication/protection qualities. I have used it and it actually works. It was originally developed to clean newspaper presses while they are running.

 

Clutchless what year was the Honda Accord that you sea foamed? Because someone I know saw me sea foaming my Mini and wants to sea foam there accord, but I don't know where the PCV system is on that car.

 

It was a 2001 EX with the V6 and I sold it in 2004. I have no recollection where the PCV was located. If one has any knowledge of automobile maintenance it should not be difficult to locate the PCV. It is just a largish (1/2 inch) hose running off one of the intake manifolds. Find one, pull it off ad see if there is suction toward the engine. On some cars some use a vacuum hose from the brake booster. I recommend you check the Haynes manual for the car and visit some Honda forums.

 

Did the Seafoam treatment today on my R56 JCW w/ 22k on the ody. Sprayed 6 oz into the tube over about 3 minutes, let her sit for a half hour, and then she smoked up on restart. The slight hesitation on spirited takeoff is gone... just what I was looking for. Will do a second 6 oz treatment tomorrow and throw the last bit into the gas tank. Thanks Guys!

 

I re-did the Seafoam treatment again this week, but tried a bit different setup this time. While the PCV hose is the easiest way to get seafoam into the intake, I don't think it's the most even way of distributing it. A heavy application always causes the same to cylinders to misfire, indicating it's not really hitting all 4 the same.

I used the aerosol Seafoam this time (which comes with a very long/skinny straw and injected it before the throttle body. The trick to doing it this way is to loosen up the main intake hose (S-shaped section before the throttle body) stick the straw in, then pop it back over the plastic intake pipe. For the purpose of doing the treatment, you don't need to clamp the hose (which might crush the straw). When you're done, remove the straw, clean the surfaces, and re-clamp the hose securely. You don't want it popping off under boost.

I'm too lazy to pull the intake off and check the valves w/ my boroscope, but this method caused misfire faults in all the cylinders, so I'm pretty confident it's at least a more even cleaning process. I'm going to help another NAM member next week, so I'll try & snap some pictures.

 

I'll agree with the second sentence but not the first. Whatever is left of those deposits are going to go right out the exhaust. With the engine running smoother and quiter you can hear other noises that were masked before.

The sefoam treatment has proven effective for the MINIs engine.

 

Sounds like someone needs a quick lesson on Direct Injection.

Google it.

 

ABSOLUTLY!! I'd also suggest that anyone new to SeaFoam read this entire thread. All the answers are there, honest! You might want to read the thread on oil catch cans while you're at it. That'll keep you occupied till about 3AM, LOL.

 

Just wondering for R56 non-turbo engine, I was trying to remove the PVC tube for Sea Foam treatment, it was on pretty tight, what is the best way to remove it, I don't want to damage anything. Thanks!

 

For the non-turbo R56 I used a small flat head screwdriver to "push in" on the one "ridged" sided that is impossible to squeeze with your fingers....It is pressed against the valve cover (?) with little to no room to squeeze. Give that a shot.

Meanwhile I did my 4th treatment 4 days ago and I still have a CEL. I've only driven 55 miles or so but I expected it to go off already....

 

Thanks, I will give it a try. Happy 4th of July!

 

You can read error codes and clear the CEL with a ODB2 reader. They are easy to use, just plug it in to the port under the dash on the drivers side.

You can find them for a good price on line (eBay) or many auto stores will let you use them. Just pay a deposit, read the codes and then clear them then get your deposit back. If you do that you can find out if the problem is something that can be fixed with Seafoam or not. Plus after you clear the error code if the CEL comes back on you know that you have more to do.

 

Thanks for the info. Today being the 4th, I'm sure most places are closed. I'm assuming it's a misfire code. I'll see if I can swing by someplace that is open today.

 

After reading through this thread I did my treatment over the holiday weekend. Got very similar results as has been described many times over.

I have a '09 JCW with about 14K on the odo. It just didn't seem to have the spunk that I remembered when I got the car. Did the treatment and think I got some back.

I have a couple of observations that I would like to pass along. On the PCV value mine had no C-clamp or other such thing that required me to use pliers. IDK if I misread some of the posts on how to get the tube off, but mine had a plastic clip that I pressed in on either side and it disengaged from the head. Kinda odd now that I think about it. The tube really didn't slide over anything on the head.

Doing this by oneself can be unnerving! I left my hose attached (see above for how it was easy for me), started the car, and then pulled the hose when the car was idling and the SeaFoam was ready to go. To let the SeaFoam into the tube I didn't really dump it in as in the video or use a smaller tube (as I originally desired). I let the vacuum pull the SeaFoam into the hose by just tipping the container enough so that the liquid was right at the brim. This allowed me to modulate how much went in and keep the car from stalling/hydrolocking. I was scared as my car made noises that I only would have expected from my older CRX.

Anyhow, I waited ~5min and got the posted results. Since I didn't have a clear container to measure out 1/3 of it I think I may have not got a whole treatment in the car. I'm going to hit up another treatment tonight. Hopefully this will add to the conversation!

 

I just did the seafoam treatment over lunch. I think I just gave my MINI sniffing salts! My 07 MCS has 30k mi. I put about 1/3 into the gas tank on my way to work this am. At lunch I went to my brother's fabrication shop, anticipating making a bit of smoke. I pulled the PCV, started the car, jumped out and plugged the hose with my thumb. It has more than enough suction to take in the seafoam at whatever rate you choose to pour. I poured about 1/3 of a bottle slowly in, with a little engine hesitation. I let it sit for 20 mins, then started it up. I am surprised the fire dept didn't arrive. There was so much smoke it really looked like my car caught on fire. I kept the rpms between 2 and 5k for about a minute, then took it for a bomb run down the 55 fwy. The car pulls hard, sounds quiet, and the butt dyno read 89 horespower gained, and 113 ft lb torque! In all honesty, the whole process was painless and I really did feel an increase in the smoothness, which did seem to translate into power as well. Thank you NAM community for the tip.