So you are having some idle problems?

[shrike071]

Just a note to those that are trying to eliminate a rough idle or overall choppy engine performance, I too was having the same issues. From my days as a professional wrench, I have a list of things that I change out as soon as I get a used car.
- Oil / filter
- Trans fluid
- Diff fluid
- Air filter
- Spark Plugs
- Check the wires for cracks and replace if necessary
- Coolant
Ok - so pretty standard stuff. Still have that idle issue? So did I until I hit the last 3 items on my list:
- O2 Sensor. Replaced and started the car. It idled better, but still rough.
Next: FUEL FILTER - Very crucial part of the process! Once I changed this out, the car purred like a kitten. More power throughout the RPM's.
Finally, the kicker:
- Sea Foam. It's available at most auto-parts stores and comes in a little red and white can. Warm up the car and take 1/3 can and slowly suck it directly throught the intake manifold via a hose connected to a direct vac. source. Keep the other hand on the throttle and do not let the car stall. As soon as the fluid has been ingested, scoot around to the keys and shut the car down. That's right - turn it off. Let it sit for a good 5 or 10 minutes, then start it up.

Don't be freaked out. It'll probably smoke something fierce for a few minutes. It depends on how bad your engine was. (When I did it to my old Volvo 240 - I think I killed every mosquito within a 5-block radius, the BMW wasn't nearly as smoky...) This is good. It's burning off the crap from the top of your pistons and valves. Drive it around for a while and the smoke will clear. Chances are, you'll notice a real difference in how the car runs and performs. It is also O2 sensor safe. Now take the rest of the can and dump it in your (full) gas tank to clean the injectors.

We used a copy of this product when I was a wrench for a GM dealership. GM sells the same product through their parts counter - it's called "GM top End Cleaner". The difference is the price. The GM stuff is about $25/can and Sea Foam is about $7. It was the first thing we'd do to a car that came in with a "it runs funny" complaint from the owner, and 90% of the time - it worked. I use it in my '04 Volvo, my '72 560-horse Monte Carlo, and my new 525iT with full confidence.

[Gledhill]

- Sea Foam. It's available at most auto-parts stores and comes in a little red and white can. Warm up the car and take 1/3 can and slowly suck it directly throught the intake manifold via a hose connected to a direct vac. source. I don't understand what your saying here. Are you pouring it over the manifold or are you pouring it into the manifold. Sorry I am not a mechanic. And what are you doing with the vac? Keep the other hand on the throttle and do not let the car stall. As soon as the fluid has been ingested, scoot around to the keys and shut the car down. That's right - turn it off. Let it sit for a good 5 or 10 minutes, then start it up.

Does it make a difference if you don't have a throttle cable. I have a 1990 Alpina B10 and it has some electronic throttle rather than a cable.

Thanks Jesse

[bigtisas]

This? The label says add it to fuel tank.

Sea Foam Auto Marine Motor Treatment 16 fl. oz.

[Gledhill]

Here is the Sea Foam website that explains the procedure.

http://www.seafoamsales.com/motorTuneUpTechGas.htm

[shrike071]

No - not pouring it over the engine... lol.... Look for a port on the intake manifold. For the M50, right next to the large hose coming from the airbox where it connects to the manifold, there is a little valve with 2 ports on it. On mine, the larger port had a hose already hooked up, the small port did not and that is the one I used for the SeaFoam sucking. I had a length of fuel line laying around and it worked perfectly. As for the throttle - there should be an actuator with a lever on it that you can control from the engine bay.

[shogun]

http://bmw4life.com/ping.htm

[Jehu]

OK now. I bought a pint of Sea Foam today.I had no notion where to find a vacuum intake, don't have a Bentley manual with me yet but read the uses on the can and thought I'd add it to the crankcase . Then i wondered weather the total fluid volume increasing by a pint would have any adverse effect on the system so i decided to wait .I next drove to the local BMW dealer to buy batteries for my Key Fob, order a new rear bumper tow hook cover and straps which were lost by the Tow driver last week and check on Floor mats.While there i asked the Service dept. if a mechanic could listen to my engine and give me their opinion about the rapping I've been hearing.In addition to telling me "that's how they all sound" and " my '99 540 is louder than that." When i asked about adding Sea Foam to my crank case he said with great emphasis he wouldn't put "aaaaaannnnything" in there, beside oil obviously. I assumed he wasn't familiar with sea foam as it says it is pure petroleum but i didn't use it. Any other opinions on Sea foam in the crankcase?

[Blitzkrieg Bob]

Treatment just before an oil change, you don't want to be running on that stuff with all the gunk that's gonna come loose.


Some in the gas a day or two before, some in the case the day of the change and some down the intake just before you change it.

[SnakeyesTx]

<3 Seafoam. Use and used to sell it religiously. I only use it in the gas tank, not as an engine flush. Works great

[632 Regal]

dude get that **** outta your oil ASAP, your ruining the bearings with it in there. If you have sludge and crusty probs from dino you have to attack that by manual methods.