rbeermann

ok, i need the expertise of you guys~
1998 GS400

i changed my oil today, which included 5 quarts of 5w-30 pennzoil, oil filter, and an oil additive called engine restorer. I drove around for maybe two miles, and then my engine started hesitating really bad. i pulled over and shut the car off, checked for any kinds of oil leaks, etc. and found nothing. I started the car back up and it ran fine for about another two more miles. At this point, it started hesitating again, but it felt like something was causing too much friction around the pistons (low fuel response, could hear some misfiring). Also, at this time my check engine light came on, along with the "VSC" light and the "VSC off" light. I got the car back home, rechanged the oil, but this time with no oil additive. I did not drive the car yet, but i did start it, and the check egine light along with the vsc lights are still on. Does anyone know what i did to my car? thanks all

rbeermann

VSC lights...

rbeermann

engine restorer..

STONER

Sounds like some of the things I read about SeaFoam. I think there were some horror stories about carbon that had been broken free getting in places where it shouldn't. I wish I could be more help.

After you changed the oil again are you getting the hesitation? Maybe the bugs just needed to be worked out and a simple reset of the VSC codes?

salimshah

Why did you add the additive?

Salim

rbeermann

i was gonna wait to drive it until i got some feedback here. i'm still a newbie, and not really sure what seafoam is. and also, how woul di reset my vsc codes? via obd-2?

rbeermann

lately, my car was feeling kinda sluggish on the acceleration and thought it would help. i got some high miles on my car, and i'm sure it was never done before

chuckb

I don't trust additives but that's weird. are you sure you didn't touch anything else but your oil filter and cap?

unplug your negative battery terminal for about 30-45 minutes and then try it with the regular oil again.

good luck

Chpsk8

YIKES! Don't put that stuff in your motor. Especially THAT stuff! It's meant for old loose Chevy motors with loose rings and leaky valves. Your tight tolerance motor won't tolerate it.
Disconnect the battery and see if you can get the lights to go out.

That type of additive can cause more compression because it's so sludgelike. In theory yyou could blow seals. I've personally witnessed a motor end it's life after adding a can of that crap. RRrrRRrRrr POP! Then it just spun free....
You may want to warm up the motor and drain the oil a second time to make sure there isn't anything left. Then reset the ECU.

DSM2GS400

I personally don't think that the additives are causing problems with your VSC, it is a completely different system.

I don't know that brand of additive but...some of the additives require you to put the additive in BEFORE the oil change and run for 5 mins. then remove (both the oil and the additive. Other additives require you to add them to fresh oil. Read the label.

IF you were suppsoed to add it to the oil, run, then remove/replace with fresh oil....and you did the opposite and drove the car with the additive in the oil...Expect some problems... ranging from minor-MAJOR.
These products will break down oil and in essence you have been driving you car with no oil!!! Well, severely broken down oil...

Read the label, I hope that you read it correctly....

Either way this procedure should have no effect on the VSC and the problem is possibly unrelated. Try resetting you ECU (remove neg. batt. harness for 45 mins.).

kpuri

I don't think the "Restore' is the problem.

Start by checking the voltage on your battery if the battery is good I would remove the Negative for 20-30 Minutes or Pull the ECU Fuse for a few minutes to reset.
The VSC light will also come on/off if the Brake Fluid is low.

vaki2

I'm not a mechanic and I can only tell you what happened to my GS4. I brought it to lexus for an oil change and they put in 10w30. I started to have problems with blow by smoke and a lot of valve noise upon start up. What I found out was that the owner before did not do the oil changes as expected. There was some sludge and it was throwing the timing off, which in my case the vsc and engine light kept coming on. I changed the oil several times and switch to syntatic oil. have not had a problem since. My guess, you may also also have some sludge. I switched to syntatic at 85K miles. So probably switch to syntatic, depeding on your miles, and change oil after maybe 2500 miles. At least I would change oil, run for 2500 change again. reset lights and see. This is my experience .

Hope it helps

vaki

LXOGOOD

My guess is that when you added an additional 1/2 quart (19 oz.) or so of the Engine Restorer along with the 5 quarts of motor oil , it caused you to overfil the motor with fluid. The engine restorer has a thicker consistancy than the motor oil which could have caused the check engine light.

I agree with member chpsk8. Since you drained the oil and replaced it, next thing I would do is disconnec the battery. Then start the car and let it run for a bit. See if the CEL goes away. Good luck.

Shawnmack

Yeah dog you learn from your mistakes like I did last week dog you don't need to ad anything to your oil if that stuff done any good they sell it at Lexus

rbeermann

thanks guys...i will try all of this. i guess the reason why i used this additive is because it did wonders with my eclipse that i used to have...but what works for one car can kill another.

i'm thinking about doing one more oil change just in case if that additive has settled to the bottom of the oil pan. would you guys do this? better safe than sorry