You didn't hijack this thread. This thread was created for the very purpose of discussing fuel additives and an appropriate topic would be whether any are even needed at all in the first place. You comments are appropriate and welcomed.bmw&kizzyownr wrote:Car dealerships, for ages, have pushed various products or services to their customers as a way of increasing revenue for their dealerships. Just like "changing engine oil every 3K extends the life of your engine". That may have been true at one time ...but almost ALL honest mechanics would tell you that's not the case now. Same goes for fuel additives! Most of these claims are bogus but cannot be proved in a court of law. Car companies have also gone along with many of these claims as a way of making their franchised dealerships viable/profitable as they need them to sell more of their vehicles. In fact, car magazines have also, ie. consumer reports articles on Isuzu Trooper tip overs, made radical claims to sell magazines. Although Isuzu proved Consumer Reports wrong in a court of law, it did nothing to help the brand.... and I would argue that the article had a lot to do with their exit from the US market.
I also disagree with your premise on the Seafoam video. Most of the claims in YouTube videos by backyard mechanics state the reason Seafoam works is because during combustion, Seafoam burns much of the carbon deposits in the engine and the smoke that comes out is a result of the cleaning of the engine. This can be caused by excessive wear/use in the engine or because of the poor quality (lack of detergent) of gasolines used. I think the video CORRECTLY debunks these myths and does it in the simplest way possible to indicate that Seafoam doesn't do what it's advertised to do. Enough said.
Lastly, I'm sorry but I didn't mean to hijack this thread as I believe it started as a way to share info on fuel additives that individual users thought were beneficial. However, I felt the need to second the opinion's of several users that stated these additives were useless or of limited benefit. Again, if you think they are useful.... more power to you and good luck with them. However, if you're attempting to state a fact to the forum that they indeed work or are needed....I think you're sorely mistaken and I believe the jury is still out on that 'stated fact'. As a huge fan of Clark Howard, I hate to see folks waste their money on products that are of limited use or of use in only 'very unique' situations. Thanks.
I'll watch the Seafoam video again, but I saw absolutely no evidence other than some dude putting his face in the camera, pouring in Seafoam and smoking out his lawnmower, and then adding something like baby oil and doing the same. No dismantling, no component inspection, nothing of evidentiary value other than an opinion on smoking. In fact, I just saw a clip of him assembling the lawn mower so it makes me think it's brand new. This goes to further prove this video has no value in the actual cleaning effect of Seafoam given that's completely ignored by this "mythbuster" using a brand new lawn mower.
I'll watch it more carefully later, but I'm not expecting a revelation. In fact, it's getting worse as a "mythbuster" every time I watch a bit of it as its validity is highly questionable. It also has no value on the factor of Seafoam being used as a fuel additive/stabilizer as I use it. Which goes to my second point:
You stated, "This can be caused by excessive wear/use in the engine or because of the poor quality (lack of detergent) of gasolines used."
This is precisely why people like me use Seafoam. Not all gasolines contain quality detergents. I, for one, don't always seek out a specific kind of gas or octane rating given I can't be bothered. I use my car not only for commuting to and from work, but also as my work vehicle. This greatly hampers when and where I get my gas.
Lastly, about Seafoam intake cleaning and smoking: I've actually once used it in my former Subaru Impreza two times in a row. If I remember correctly, it was something like 30 mins to an hour apart. The first time had the intense smoking as Seafoam is famous for. However, the second time, it smoked significantly less. Proponents of Seafoam intake cleaning may argue that's because Seafoam did a good job cleaning things out the first time. Also, many people, including yours truly, notice an improvement in performance following a treatment.
All that being said, I'd only bother with Seafoam intake cleaning in high mileage vehicles like my Impreza (I bought that car with 109,000 miles and drove it past 225,000 miles).
