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Originally Posted by FrayAdjacent
I believe Sea Foam is a fuel system cleaner/additive. Supposed to have a good reputation.
I haven't had my Boxster for a week yet, but I've asked questions about fuel economy, and it seems that low 20's for city driving and mid to high 20's for highway driving is the norm.
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Hi,
Sea Foam is really just another
Snake Oil out there to snare the unsuspecting enthusiast.
It has 3 main ingredients are - Pale Oil (40-60%), Naptha (25-35%) and Isopropyl Alchohol (10-20%) by volume (source - Sea Foam MDSS Sheet). In bulk, these chemicals can be bought for under $10/gal., but packaged by Sea Foam it goes for more than $42/gal. (not a bad mark-up).
The volatiles in the formula act as a mild Octane Booster (read 0.001 Octane), if you add it to the Fuel Tank, and can clean
some deposits off an
unhealthy engine. But, it can also attack many of the synthetic hoses and seals used in today's modern engines (especially with that great a Naptha content). If added to the Crankcase, the volatiles (Naptha and IPA) will flash off at 180°, but not before stripping beneficial Oil layers from Bearing Shells and Seals, leaving nothing but a light crude - not too good in the long run.
It's been around since 1942 and so has gained quite a following, if nothing else than due to it's longevity. Back in '42, when Motor Oil and Gasoline were much less refined, it's qualities were much more beneficial. But today, it can actually do more harm than good to the plumbing and emissions system over time.
If you want a good engine treatment made for today's cars, I would recommend Jectron from Lubro-Moly -
http://www.********************************************/acatalog/Lubro_Moly_Jectron_Fuel_Injection_Cleaner.html . It's good to use it every other year, or if storing the car for more than 2 months, add a ½ Can to the Fuel Tank when breaking the car out of storage. Hope this helps...
Happy Motoring!... Jim'99