Use of Seafoam in fuel tank of porsche Boxster,any issues?

i have been adding a full bottle of Seafoam to a full tank every fall prior to storage and changing oil at same time.Any drawbacks to useing this stuff.
It states that u can add to oil as well as tank,so with the flat six design some will surely enter the case and mix.They state in the site that no need
to change out oil after adding to fuel only but that may be for a standard automobile engine design.What are your thoughts on this.
I usually burn that first tank off in a week come spring and never add it again until storage usually about 6000 miles later.

The last thing the oil needs is thinning or diluting.

If you want to run some kind of fuel system cleaner which can also remove engine combustion chamber deposits the best is Techron. The recommendation is to use a bottle or two as per directions then after the last tank of fuel with Techron added is down to say 1/4 level change the engine oil. Techron because of the way it is engineered and intended to work can remain or revert to a fluid in the combustion chamber and this can contaminate the oil. Unlike gasoline Techron may not boil away even if the oil gets plenty hot.

Really, if you use a top tier premium grade of gasoline and buy from a bus station to ensure getting the freshest gasoline there should be no reason to use any fuel system cleaner, unless your vehicle usage involves short trips which gives the injectors plenty of chance to develop deposits from the fuel drying out as the engine heat soaks after use. Also this type of usage can have combustion chamber deposits build up that would normally be removed from a longish drive (approx. 50 miles) at highway speeds.

The Sefoam is made of Alchol and patrollium distillants .I believe it would burn off if any gets in to the oil via rings.

I'm always sceptical of "one-bottle-fixes-everything" products.

According to the website, Seafoam is both a cleaner and lubricant. So which is it?

As Marc said, Techron is generally recognized as the best fuel system cleaner. By using Top Tier fuel, you're getting fuel that contains detergents that keep your fuel system clean (some fuel companies use techron as an ingredient). I always use Top Tear fuels where possible. I have occasionally added Techron and never found a difference in performance before/after.

Here's the info on Top Tier Fuels. [www.toptiergas.com]

The best product to use when storing your car is StaBil which helps to keep your fuel from breaking down and gumming up your fuel system. Always better to avoid the problem than to fix it afterwards.

Used Stabil for years but found Seafoam to clean better and suppost to be good for 2 years storage as well BUT I did have a problem with it in my 2 stroke snowmobile,wahed the cylinders
and warped the heads,not good,have never used on 2 stroke again,4 stroke should be ok but use it sparingly or 1 oz per gallon off gas,i would never add it to oil regardless off what they state.
Whats Stabil made from.as it will end up partly in the oil also.

you'd even consider using Seafoam in your orsche 4-stroke engine.

It is up to you what you use and how but my advice is to leave Seafoam out of the picture. If you feel the need to use something in the fuel to help the fuel weather a long period of storage -- say during the off season -- use Stabil. I do not recall anyone offering any reports of anything bad happening using Stabil.

Whether it provides any real benefit I do not know.

My only experience with vehicle inactivity over a span of significant time is my sister's new Infiniti sat with premium gasoline in the tank for more than 6 months. When I finally went to use the car the engine started and idled just fine. The engine felt a little flat, down on power, but my lack of familiarity with the car had me thinking this was the way the engine was normally.

So I drove the car and drove it enough that finally I had to add fuel so I filled up the tank with Shell 91 octane gasoline for no reason other than the owners manual called for a premium gasoline and I use Shell as there is a station very handy to me. After the load of fresh fuel the engine was transformed. Based on my experience with my sister's car I see no reason to even use Stabil. The gas will be ok though probably stale and that can be cured, or partially addressed by adding fresh gasoline as soon as possible to the old gasoline.

Whether any Stabil would end up in the oil in any quantity to be a concern I can't say, but if you believe it could changing the oil after running the tank with Stabil low enough to refuel seems a small price to pay.

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MarcW
you'd even consider using Seafoam in your orsche 4-stroke engine.

It is up to you what you use and how but my advice is to leave Seafoam out of the picture. If you feel the need to use something in the fuel to help the fuel weather a long period of storage -- say during the off season -- use Stabil. I do not recall anyone offering any reports of anything bad happening using Stabil.

Whether it provides any real benefit I do not know.

My only experience with vehicle inactivity over a span of significant time is my sister's new Infiniti sat with premium gasoline in the tank for more than 6 months. When I finally went to use the car the engine started and idled just fine. The engine felt a little flat, down on power, but my lack of familiarity with the car had me thinking this was the way the engine was normally.

So I drove the car and drove it enough that finally I had to add fuel so I filled up the tank with Shell 91 octane gasoline for no reason other than the owners manual called for a premium gasoline and I use Shell as there is a station very handy to me. After the load of fresh fuel the engine was transformed. Based on my experience with my sister's car I see no reason to even use Stabil. The gas will be ok though probably stale and that can be cured, or partially addressed by adding fresh gasoline as soon as possible to the old gasoline..

I used Stabil for 7 winters (about 4 months storage) in my 06 Boxster. In Spring it always fired up and ran as if I'd just parked it the night before.

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Guenter in Ontario

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MarcW
you'd even consider using Seafoam in your orsche 4-stroke engine.

It is up to you what you use and how but my advice is to leave Seafoam out of the picture. If you feel the need to use something in the fuel to help the fuel weather a long period of storage -- say during the off season -- use Stabil. I do not recall anyone offering any reports of anything bad happening using Stabil.

Whether it provides any real benefit I do not know.

My only experience with vehicle inactivity over a span of significant time is my sister's new Infiniti sat with premium gasoline in the tank for more than 6 months. When I finally went to use the car the engine started and idled just fine. The engine felt a little flat, down on power, but my lack of familiarity with the car had me thinking this was the way the engine was normally.

So I drove the car and drove it enough that finally I had to add fuel so I filled up the tank with Shell 91 octane gasoline for no reason other than the owners manual called for a premium gasoline and I use Shell as there is a station very handy to me. After the load of fresh fuel the engine was transformed. Based on my experience with my sister's car I see no reason to even use Stabil. The gas will be ok though probably stale and that can be cured, or partially addressed by adding fresh gasoline as soon as possible to the old gasoline..

I used Stabil for 7 winters (about 4 months storage) in my 06 Boxster. In Spring it always fired up and ran as if I'd just parked it the night before.

+1; in the 15 years we've been driving Boxsters we've always used Stabil mixed with a fresh tank of gas before storage and I've never had a problem. IIRC, excessive heat will affect the quality of your gasoline over a period of time more than anything.

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MikenOH

+1; in the 15 years we've been driving Boxsters we've always used Stabil mixed with a fresh tank of gas before storage and I've never had a problem. IIRC, excessive heat will affect the quality of your gasoline over a period of time more than anything.

That's why I drive as much as possible when the weather gets hot. Just don't want the gas going bad on me.

Speaking of hot, temperature is finally supposed to crack the 32 F mark this PM, for the first time in over a month.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/07/2014 11:08AM by Guenter in Ontario. (view changes)

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Guenter in Ontario

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MikenOH

+1; in the 15 years we've been driving Boxsters we've always used Stabil mixed with a fresh tank of gas before storage and I've never had a problem. IIRC, excessive heat will affect the quality of your gasoline over a period of time more than anything.

That's why I drive as much as possible when the weather gets hot. Just don't want the gas going bad on me.

Speaking of hot, temperature is finally supposed to crack the 32 F mark this PM, for the first time in over a month.

Looks like we're almost out of the woods here weather-wise; the extended forecast gets into the 50's next week; one small step...

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moresquirt
Used Stabil for years but found Seafoam to clean better and suppost to be good for 2 years storage as well BUT I did have a problem with it in my 2 stroke snowmobile,wahed the cylinders
and warped the heads,not good,have never used on 2 stroke again,4 stroke should be ok but use it sparingly or 1 oz per gallon off gas,i would never add it to oil regardless off what they state.
Whats Stabil made from.as it will end up partly in the oil also.

Stabil is not a fuel system cleaner. It doesn't claim to be either. It stabilizes the gas so it doesn't break down. Once that starts to happen, the fuel won't burn properly (or not at all if left long enough). That may be what Marc experienced with his sisters car that was stored for 6 months.

You guys got me wondering and researching... here's a very good article on the subject:

Can gas really go bad ?

Enjoy !

I had said in my "I'm not familiar with Seafoam, but" post above.

Seems to me, spending $5 on Stabil once a year, can potentially save a lot of headaches and much more expensive problems down the road.

Valid points,I do find it strange that a product can remove varnish but still be a lubricant,fire and water don,t mix but im no chemist,Ronsonol lighter fluid is a patrollium product and is used for removing gum,stickers and glue also,Naphla product
so very similiar i makeup to seafoam i would think.The seafoam does work excellent for breaking down ethenol varnish gum ect and i can verify that with some problems i have had in cars and it fixed it,but its the lubricant
part that i have a problem with.I definatley wouldent use it in a 2 stroke with oil injection or in the oil.Period.I think Stabil is a similiar product and i over used with have the same issues,it will lean out mixture and wash cylinders or lubricant.
All this stuff does work to a degree for its intended purpose but MUST be used sparingly,have found out the hard way.

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moresquirt
Valid points,I do find it strange that a product can remove varnish but still be a lubricant,fire and water don,t mix but im no chemist,Ronsonol lighter fluid is a patrollium product and is used for removing gum,stickers and glue also,Naphla product
so very similiar i makeup to seafoam i would think.The seafoam does work excellent for breaking down ethenol varnish gum ect and i can verify that with some problems i have had in cars and it fixed it,but its the lubricant
part that i have a problem with.I definatley wouldent use it in a 2 stroke with oil injection or in the oil.Period.I think Stabil is a similiar product and i over used with have the same issues,it will lean out mixture and wash cylinders or lubricant.
All this stuff does work to a degree for its intended purpose but MUST be used sparingly,have found out the hard way.

Actually, Stabil and Seafoam are NOT similar products.

Seafoam, going by what the website claims, is supposed to clean and lubricate the fuel system. (As I stated before, I doubt that it can do both and maybe it does neither one).

Staybil, on the other hand is a fuel stabilizer, keeping fuel from breaking down. Once the fuel breaks down, it can start to gum up your fuel system. Once this happens, your engine doesn't run very well or not at all.

If you want to dissolve carbon deposits, i'd advise BG44 or techron, both proven, with science behind them.

If you want to stabilize fuel for long term storage, i would suggest the product made specifically to do that - Stabil.

Why would alcohol ( what kind incidentally) or whatever 'petroleum distillates" stabilize fuel?

Pure methyl hydrate may absorb water temporarily, btu it wont fight gum and varnish.

The likelihood that any one product can do all the things seafoam is claimed the hlp, without side effects, seems low.

Grant

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com

Grant

gee-lenahan-at-gee-mail-dot-com