bearbrew

It's time to change the oil in my 2000 RX300 and I am planning on adding Sea Foam to the oil. From what I have read you add Sea Foam to the engine oil at operating temperature and take a ten minute or so drive, then drain the oil.

Is it best to use cheap oil and a new filter, then drive for a hundred miles or so, then change the oil and filter again, using your regular oil. In MHO I would think there could still be a lot of crud in the engine that you could get rid of by doing a short interval oil change. I would think some of the crud could plug the oil filter. By doing a short oil change you may eliminate the problem.

Your thoughts and experience on this matter would be greatly appreciated,

Bear

code58

In my opinion, it's your car so you can do whatever you want, but I think Seafoam is best left in the ocean, where Seafoam belongs. When you open that can and pour it in you'll notice the word "miracle" or "magic" is nowhere on the can. You could probably put a little kerosene or diesel fuel in and do about as much and have more money in your pocket when you're done. The people who developed most of the additives are now politicians, what do you expect?

2002RX300

Stay away from those engine cleaner solvents, they'll just eat away your rubber seals/gaskets.

Read up on auto-rx.com, I've used this product in my engines with great results. The progress is slow but this is what you want for better engine cleaning w/o harmful fast results like from engine cleaner solvents. bobistheoilguy.com also highly recommends this engine cleaner, even for oil burning engines.

hypervish

I'd recommend to stay away from SeaFoam especially putting it in the engine oil, however like 2002RX300 mentioned there is Auto-RX and it has proved to NOT be a SNAKE OIL. If you wanted to use an engine flush, I know there's one that Lexmex uses about 10 mins before his oil changes. Let me see if i can find it; here it is, he uses Lubro Moly Engine Flush.

But unless you are experiencing difficulties with the engine, there is no need to flush the engine. Is there any specific reason that you wanted to run the SeaFoam through the engine?

bearbrew

When I start off from a dead stop I experience a slight amount of pinging. This lasts for a second or maybe two and goes away. It doesn't seem to matter if it is a slow take-off or a rapid take-off, still the slight ping. Reading in the owners manual it states this is normal. This problem doesn't go away no matter how many tanks of high grade fuel I use.

Both A/F sensors have been replaced due to codes. The MAF has been cleaned, the PCV replaced and the IACV has been cleaned and I still have the slight ping.

This is my wife's car with about 75,000 miles and a lot of short grocery getting runs. My thought is carbon build-up in the heads could possibly be the problems.

Also, this motor is know to be a sludge problem motor. At about 30,000 miles I started using Mobil 1 and Wix filters at 5000 mile intervals.

All around fuel economy is 19 mpg. Around town we get about 16 mpg.

Just trying to figure out how to get rid of the ping and improve the gas mileage. More than likely the fuel economy is due to the corn squeezing that is being added to our gasoline.

Thank you everyone for any input you may have,

Bear

code58

IF you are going to use SF, put it in you tank, not your oil. I have actually read of quite a few people who report improvement when running it top side. If done right, It's hard to imagine how it could hurt, and MIGHT help in the top end. As has been stated, AutoRX in the oil. Few products that live up to MOST of their claims, it does. The standard cure for the old ladies who only putted around town and ended up with a combustion chamber full of carbon was about 1/2 pint of AT fluid poured into the carb. fast but not fast enough to stall it and then shut off immediately. Let it soak for about 45 min.- or an hour and then take it out and "blow the cobs out of it". Don't think you'd get away with that any more without wiping all the sensors out. Best stick with a sensor safe product. I understand that Seafoam (and probably a lot of other additives) will set a CEL, but that after running it a while on the road, cancel the light and it shouldn't come back.

bearbrew

Thank you for the input. I will give your suggestions a try.

Bear