I don't know if my car has a sludge buildup, but assuming it does, how do I fix it?

 

If your engine is already ticking badly and you have an oil light, you got a shot in the dark by attempting to run half a can of seafoam in the crank. Idle the engine for about an hour, rev it up every now and then to build oil pressure, change your oil and go from there. Otherwise drop the oil pan and replace the oil pickup tube/screen and hope for the best. As a preventative ritual, run a half can the same way every other oil change or so.

 

Isn't running that solvent that completely and permanently destroys the oil's ability to lubricate a bad thing to do inside the engine?

I can see one thing if your running it in your gas tank and running it that way or something, but from what I have been reading, putting seafoam in the engine is a biiiiig mistake as it permanently screws up the oil. I mean, sure, you never have to worry about oil sludge again, but you also don't have to worry about oil lubricating anything either. Please, correct me if I'm wrong, but that's just what I've been reading on here.

 

Hey there,

The idea is after running the SF for a few miles, you change your oils. Here are a couple of links that you may help to clear things up for you......

https://www.audiforums.com/forum/sho...hlight=seafoam
http://www.audizine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=190390

 

What I meant was, the engine oil is contaminated, and there is no way to get all the seafoam out unless you are doing 6-8 oil changes back to back. I was reading on here that you can't get it out of the engine once you get it in was more my point.

Think like putting sugar in your gas tank, no matter how many times you fill it and drain it theres still going to be sugar in there, and your fuel lines, and your engine, etc.

That was more what I was saying/asking. I apologize for not stating it, but I have no experience with seafoam, so I was going by another thread where this was almost as hot a debate as the great DV vs BOC debacle.

Now that I specifically searched on it I found that there are only rare cases where it causes bad things to happen. I still wouldn't put it in my engine oil, but I guess thats just me, and my dear pal Murphy's Law lol

 

It is a solvent, and thats why we recommend only running it for no more than 50 miles with it in the crankcase, otherwise your risking spinning a main bearing. Once the 50 mile mark is up you change the oil and filter. There won't be enough seafoam left in the crankcase to destroy the engine, if it did i would have bought new engines for my S4, A4, Chevy Diesel van, and the old ladies 4runner buy now.