Seafoam got me into trouble today! | Ford Explorer Forums

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Seafoam got me into trouble today!

Brandon96

Explorer Addict
Joined
September 6, 2008
Messages
1,294
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6
City, State
Central Virginia
Year, Model & Trim Level
'96 XLT 4.0 OHV
So, I logged on earlier today as I sat in my room, bored out of my mind. I got that urge that some of you may share with me, that "I want to work on my explorer today, but what to do?" Now I've been noticing my idle has been getting worse and worse lately, and I had been planning on doing the TPS mod sooner or later this weekend, but never got around to finding a working Volt meter. SO, I decided to go down to advanced and buy myself some Seafoam for the first time.

I brought it home read that the engine had to be warm, and so went on ahead pouring it into the gas tank, oil, and vaccum it into the brake booster. All went well and I waited the 10 or so minutes for it to cook and simmer around in there, wherever it it supposed to go. So now comes the fun part, I fired her up and sure enough the huge cloud of vapor and carbon rushed out of the exhaust pipes (I have a Flowmaster 40 series w/ dual 2.5 pipes to 3in. tips)

I gave her some gas to try and burn it off a little quicker and here comes my english neighbor in her slippers and bath robe, waving her fists violently telling me to knock off the noise and get rid of the smoke as if I'm magic and could will the smoke cloud away. I was very respectful to her and gave the X a push out of my driveway and coasted down my driveway and down my street (all downhill). I started it up and got to the exit of my neighborhood, heres where it gets interesting. I gave a quick thought, "Is this illegal?" "Oh well..." and so I waited for no one, I mean no one was coming or going in either direction and pulled onto the two lane road. I got agressive and floored it, half pissed at my neighbor, and half just wanting to burn this crap out quickly.

As I'm about 100 yards down the road, and at 4500rpm going 35mph in a 40mph with dense smoking blowing out both sides of my truck, who do I pass? Oh just a friggin STATE TROOPER. (I thought they stayed mainly on highway?) Just so you know, at 4500rpm, a 4.0 V6 sounds really, reallly good with a Flowmaster. She, yes she, whips her nice '07 Charger out onto the road and has me over within 15 seconds. She tells me that i'm not speeding, I'm not doing much wrong except for "accelerating like a mad man and endangering the other road users" with my thick smoke screen. (there was no one else on the road, everyone was probably at church)

And so, I give her the reasoning and my story behind what was going on. She didn't beleive a word, and that I was simply just trying to improve the quality of my vehicle, not a word. And so, I was given a ticket, err citation, I do not know what to call it. BUT, I now have to go get another state inspection and attend a court date on Nov. 5th to prove that my vehicle is safe enough to use the roads in Virginia. Nonetheless, today, I have been screwed by my local law enforcement, and I am not a happy camper. But, oh well, stuff happens, maybe the inspection will yield something dangerous with my X that was missed or has just recently happened.

SO, to all, be very careful where you use Seafoam.

My product review: F'in amazing! My idle problem has been completely fixed.
 



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LOL, I just did my Ex last weekend and my wife's Subie last night. Always an adventure as you smoke out the entire neighbourhood! I always try and creep out until I get to the freeway then I open it up, but it's about a km to the freeway so I'm always bound to "turn a few heads". :D

Bummer about the citation. If anything, you your exhaust did you in as much as the Seafoam. :p:
 






Sorry but I have to laugh. HAHA

Now that I'm done LOL'n. That sucks about the citation. Not to be rude or anything, but I wonder if it was an officer that knew something about vehicles if the outcome would have been different?

I love how you sum up the whole story with a product review. Good times.
 






Why not just throw it in neutral and blow it clear in your driveway?
 






Why not just throw it in neutral and blow it clear in your driveway?

My neighbor is from Lancaster, not exactly where about that is in the UK, but her husband probably would have pulled a shotgun on me had I disobeyed her.
 






I once saw a cop at night when I had some smoke coming out of my tail pipe from using Seafoam earlier in the day. I was afraid that he would pull me over, so I tried not to accelerate. Even at idle it still smokes enough to make a small cloud. I continued to drive, and saw that the cop was behind me. I made a turn, and waited in a parking spot for a few minutes hoping that the cop wouldn't come back, then I drove home. I thought that the cop would return if he saw my smoke signals, but he didn't. Maybe it's a good idea to use a little bit at a time instead of the whole can?
 






dang don't u hate it when ur neighbors complain
 






I wouldn't have left the driveway.. I would have polity suggested that I don't have to cut down the noise as it not late at night, or early in the morning but I would finish as quickly as possible for them.. Also, I would recomend they close their windows and doors while I get the seafoam out of the engine.

Being polite is one thing.. bending over backwards (i.e. driving around city streets to get the seafoam out is another).

~Mark
 






When I lived in a crappy apartment complex last year I had to wait until it was dark outside to do it.
 






When I lived in a crappy apartment complex last year I had to wait until it was dark outside to do it.

Yeah, that's what I'd do, just do it at night, when everyone is in bed.....however that wouldn't work too well with loud pipes.

Out here in rural KY, it wouldn't be so much of a problem....no police in my area.
 












brandon do u got single or dual flowmaster
 






brandon do u got single or dual flowmaster

I've got a single muffler with dual outlets and 2.5in piping going out to both sides right behind the rear tires. I've got a picture in a thread floating around somewhere, but it's old when I had a single in single out and stock pipes.
 






soo jealous...:(

*LOL* Keep thinkin' that....the nearest Pizza joint, McDonalds, or worst yet, auto parts place is a 20 mile trip.

You've heard of "the middle of nowhere"? Well, go there, turn left, and go another five miles....that's where I live. :D
 






Why not just throw it in neutral and blow it clear in your driveway?

Doesn't work as well... Definitely doesn't make as much smoke anyways...

-Joe
 






Doesn't work as well... Definitely doesn't make as much smoke anyways...

-Joe

AGREED. Taking it for a "spirited ride" is far and away the best way to clear out the smoke. :D

Actually, mine smoked like crazy during idle as did my wife's. I didn't want to upset the neighbours by sticking around anyhow. ;)
 






I did it to mine on Saturday. My neighbors are/is an old age home, the kind of place you send your elders to to forget about them when they get old and senile.

Well, all the old peeps are outside hacking away, chain smoking their cigarettes, and yup, I backed into my spot so my tailpipe it pointed right at my neighbors. And in a huge puff of smoke, I appear sitting on my tailgate having a cold one with a big grin on my face. Why drive to burn it off when you can do it at home ;)

I love to seafoam during the day. Next weekend, my g/f's corolla, 150k never been foamed, this is gonna be real fun, I will definately get a video of this one.
 






gotta watch it in richmond..... funny story though, so w/ the time that has gone by. cAN you tell a difference in the idile?
 









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UPDATE-

First I must say...
I removed my dual pipes and installed a half-a$$ed bent peice of cheap rusted tube of metal that looked similar to the stock piping for the explorer, in hopes that it would get me into less trouble up until I had court. ALSO, I got my truck inspected and the closest I came to failing is my window washer fluid not being filled up past halfway.. and WHAT DOYA KNOW I passed.

Well, I attended my first court date on Nov. 5th and it was traffic court... ohhh booyy. I was last in line of about 17 or 18 teenage looking drivers who were all getting their first speeding tickets, needless to say all of them got off with a smack on the hand and a slight court processing fee. Then it was me. Court started off with the judge reading to me the citation which I had held in my hand for the past month and already knew exactly what it said... ugh, thank you. The officer gave her description of what happened and stated her "beyond resonable doubt" to pull me over. After all that was done it was my turn, I presented to the judge my inspection certificate, she read it off and turned and began to say something to me, but before she did I whipped out a small can of SEAFOAM!!! The baliff handed it to her and on it she read that the vehicle may emit large concentrations of vapor. Immediatly she dismissed my case and verified that I had a valid driver's license and sent me on my way. WooHoo!
 






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