shrike071
11-20-2006, 10:53 AM
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.
- 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.