Seafoam. Yes or no?

[Bruces expo]

I highly recommend not using Bosch 'anything' in the ignition system. The Ford ignition system doesn't play well with Bosch products. A quick search will yield many owners' headaches with Bosch (and some other brands, too.). Broken spark plugs, rough idles, poor performance, etc. have all been documented.

I suggest using Autolite or Motorcraft double platinum spark plugs. Only.

Thanks for the heads up , but i only bought those because it was the same ones that were in there before , do you have any suggestions on whats causing my problems ?

 

[SoNic67]

I suggest using Autolite or Motorcraft double platinum spark plugs. Only.

Even For changed their mind now and recomend now "fine tip iridium"...
Autolite XP is the way to go on Explorers.
About Bosch not being proper - that is not a rule on all Ford engines, the Taurus DOHC was designed with Porsche help and works wery well with Bosch 4+ or Iridium.

 

[2TimingTom]

My Saturn SL2 commuter car was burning about 1 qt of oil per tank of gas (350 miles or so) when I bought it. I removed the spark plugs and put some Sea Foam into the combustion chambers and let it sit overnight. Next morning I reinstalled the plugs and sucked 1/3 can or so through the PCV hose. Now it burns about 1 qt of oil per 3 tanks of gas. S-series Saturns are known oil burners, but the Sea Foam appeared to have helped.

 

[biggiesize]

Seafoam is a great cleaner.I use it in my fuel tank,but due to the fact that it will lessen the lubricating qualities of the oil,I prefer to add a small amount of transmission fluid to the oil.Tranny fluid had lubricating properties as well as cleaning properties.Much better for the internal moving parts of an engine than seafoam.

 

[ERUSH97XLT]

Woring. Even For changed their mind now and recomend now "fine tip iridium"...
Autolite XP is the way to go on Explorers.
About Bosch not being proper - that is not a rule on all Ford engines, the Taurus DOHC was designed with Porsche help and works wery well with Bosch 4+ or Iridium.

Sorry, should have been more specific. The Ford Explorer is sensitive to aftermarket ignition products. After all, this is an Explorer/Ranger forum. What works on other Ford engines may not work in these engines.

I've never had issues with OEM products, with the exception of the power steering pump (in the process of being upgraded [with some hiccups]).

If I recall, Motorcraft quit making double platinum spark plugs. They have now upgraded to platinum fine wire. I've heard of some Explorer owners using this upgrade with as equal success as using double platinum from Autolite or Motorcraft.

I'm sure iridium would work well, since it's a more durable electrode material, but I've personally stuck with what is recommended in the owner's manual.

Moreover, since this thread is dedicated to Seafoam, be careful: too much Seafoam in the intake has had a reputation for fouling plugs, resulting in ignition issues.

 

[SoNic67]

I have used Seafoam on my vehicles based on others recomandation.
In the gas tank, in the oil, in the transmission (special Seafoam for tranny).
Now, I am not so sure it did help anything.

I woud even blaim some ulterior transmission issues on that. Plus it tripped a EGR code when all that disloged gunck flew and blocked the passage. I am not sure if my low oil pressure got worse after that, but seems like that.

At this point I would recomend more often oil changes than adding the Seafoam stuff. Use better gasoline instead of any cheap crap that is on sale (gasoline start to separates if just sits couple of weeks in the gas station tanks, so at that point you see a good "deal").

 

[88racing]

Ask yourself this.....

Would I pour naphtha, kerosene, or paint thinner into my engine or fuel system?

If you said NO then don't use seafoam cause that's what's in the can.....there are better products out on the market to get rid of carbon and other deposites ........

 

[mtnlovrs]

I highly recommend not using Bosch 'anything' in the ignition system. The Ford ignition system doesn't play well with Bosch products. A quick search will yield many owners' headaches with Bosch (and some other brands, too.). Broken spark plugs, rough idles, poor performance, etc. have all been documented.

I suggest using Autolite or Motorcraft double platinum spark plugs. Only.

Thanks for the heads up , but i only bought those because it was the same ones that were in there before , do you have any suggestions on whats causing my problems ?

Bruce, I would have to agree with ERUSH97XLT on this issue. I am one of those he referred to when he said many have had problems with Bosch. My engine acted exactly like yours - maybe even worse. After nearly $400 of changing parts and troubleshooting the rough running engine, I bit the bullet and removed my brand new bosch plugs and replaced them with a set of Motorcraft Platinum plugs and it purred like a kitten! Just trying to save you from sharing the same headache...

 

[mtnlovrs]

Just an update...

It took two weeks to run the fuel treated with Seafoam out of my tank, (413 miles and 25 gallons; that's 16.5 mpg). That's the best mileage I've seen in my truck since I've owned it. I don't know if it helped or not when I changed the plugs, as I only broke two off inside the head when removing them. Perhaps, without the Seafoam treatment, I would have broke more. For those of you that don't know, this is a common problem with the 5.4L 3 valve engines from 2004-2007. But, in any case, Seafoam certainly increased my gas mileage.

 

[ERUSH97XLT]

Bruce, I would have to agree with ERUSH97XLT on this issue. I am one of those he referred to when he said many have had problems with Bosch.

Me too, mtnlovrs! Check this out:

http://www.explorerforum.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2034262#post2034262

I tried Seafoam, sensor cleaning, and many, many other techniques to fix my ignition problem. Bosch came out, Motorcraft went in. Problem solved. In my other Explorers, I've had no problems with Autolite double platinum; they looked and were electrically identical to the Motorcraft ones I put in my '97. Plus, they were slightly cheaper by about $0.50 at the time. Now, I don't think I can get the Motorcraft ones unless I get new-old-stock somewhere online.

 

[Bruces expo]

Bruce, I would have to agree with ERUSH97XLT on this issue. I am one of those he referred to when he said many have had problems with Bosch. My engine acted exactly like yours - maybe even worse. After nearly $400 of changing parts and troubleshooting the rough running engine, I bit the bullet and removed my brand new bosch plugs and replaced them with a set of Motorcraft Platinum plugs and it purred like a kitten! Just trying to save you from sharing the same headache...

Thanks , i will swap the plugs out today ! and post the results

 

[88racing]

Thanks , i will swap the plugs out today ! and post the results

I would.....the following photo is pic of pistons from a 4.6 2v that used to be running bosch plugs......

One of the plus 4's I've seen go bad with less than 5k on them.....

 

[ERUSH97XLT]

I would.....the following photo is pic of pistons from a 4.6 2v that used to be running bosch plugs......

One of the plus 4's I've seen go bad with less than 5k on them.....

HOW?!?!? Did the Bosch plugs explode?!?!?!?!

Your second picture is what I pulled out of my '97 once upon a time. I've never used Bosch plugs since.

 

[88racing]

HOW?!?!? Did the Bosch plugs explode?!?!?!?!

Your second picture is what I pulled out of my '97 once upon a time. I've never used Bosch plugs since.

They're not very well tested from the factory....from what our shop determined is the holes were caused by the plugs firing 5 times hotter than normal, we sent all eight to a lab that determines the results.....all the plugs were bought by the owner of the vehicle on the same day in the same box.....they all had the right parts numbers on them too.

 

[Bruces expo]

wow , im def' going to swap them out now , never thought id say this , but bosch is not going on any of my vehicles again , it kind of scares me thinking that i might have a hole in one of my pistons , although the 99 ohv i'm working on has 315 k miles , it does not run like it has a hole in a piston

 

[SoNic67]

Bull... No spark plug can do that, they are no lasers...
That is plain unadjusted/bad timing (advance too high). Sure, I can see your point thou, is better to blame the spark plugs for that then pay for the engine.

I have the same Bosch 4+ plugs in my Ford Taurus for 7 years now. It might not be applicable for Explorer (and I have Autolite XP104 in mine), but that is just not belivable.

 

[88racing]

Bull... No spark plug can do that, they are no lasers...
That is plain unadjusted/bad timing (advance too high). Sure, I can see your point thou, is better to blame the spark plugs for that then pay for the engine.

I have the same Bosch 4+ plugs in my Ford Taurus for 7 years now. It might not be applicable for Explorer (and I have Autolite XP104 in mine), but that is just not belivable.

Those two plugs were firing 5 steps hotter than they were supposed to....the cops were checked and so were the injectors.....the valve seats were ok but the valves themselves were warped......no power adders or mods had ever been done to the vehicle.....

 

[Bruces expo]

well bad news again , i swapped the bosch for autolite double platinum , now it runs worse , i did check the iac valve and it wont shut , so there's 50 buck's in plugs and the same issue , next im changing the iac and if it doesnt help im going to just sell it as is

 

[mtnlovrs]

Just looking at those pistons, they look like they physically hit the spark plugs. Look at the crack... that's not from heat. Did the plugs break and fall into the cylinders? If not, it must have been a timing issue or a broken timing belt. Can anyone varify the authenticy of these photos?

I'm sorry, Bruce. It sounds like you're on the right track; please don't give up. Once you get it running right, I think you will love your "Expo".