Oops seafoamed and now no start

[02vwgolf]

Hey guys, a kid I work with and help out with his car came up to me at work yesterday and said he thought he may have ****ed up his car using seafoam, which I told him not to do if he had never done it before Anyway from what he told me, he sucked half a bottle of it up through a vaccum line on the throttle body slowly enough that the engine did not cut out. He said when he finished sucking it up, he killed the engine and then let it sit for 10-15 minutes like it said on the bottle. He also put the other 1/4 bottle into the valve cover filler, and 1/4 into the gas tank.

He said after waiting 15 minutes the car would no longer start. He tried cranking multiple times but got nothing. I told him yesterday to let it sit for a day, change or clean the plugs, and take one plug out and try and crank it to see if it will crank over. He came in today telling me he put in new plugs, removed the manifold and drained some seafoam still in the manifold, and tried starting it with one plug out all still to no avail...

At this point I told him I would come over tomorrow to try and help, were going to start by draining the oil and replacing it...but does anyone else have any advice I can pass on to him. I've never personally seafoamed my car so Im not really sure what he may have messed up. Any advice, and would sucking the seafoam through the TB have maybe ruined it (its DBW).

Thanks guys, just trying to help this kid out

[02vwgolf]

no one has anything else I can do to help him diagnose this? I've never had experience with seafoam so am not really sure what it could have messed up

[Anony00GT]

What kind of car? Which engine? Have basic no-start tests been performed (spark, fuel, compression, in that order)?

[02vwgolf]

What kind of car? Which engine? Have basic no-start tests been performed (spark, fuel, compression, in that order)?

Its an AEG 2.0, DBW, and both spark and fuel tests have been done, I didnt reccomend a comression test because its not even starting up

[Anony00GT]

So fuel pressure is within spec. You've confirmed good spark. Have you ever performed a compression test before?

Next logical step would be to check compression, and hope he didn't hydrolock the engine when he seafoamed it.

[02vwgolf]

Sorry to update so late but I was able to help him get it running. It took alot of time to try and flush out the seafoam that was binding the engine from turning over but it finally did with one of the plugs out.

After getting the car all buttoned back up, he is getting a misfire code for just cylinder 4, and he just put in new plugs yesterday, a relatively new coilpack(3 months) that has no cracks, and less then 6 month old plug wires. Another code is also for the first o2 sensor which is definitely fouled just by inspecting it visually.

Any chance the one random cylinder misfire could be because of the 02 sensor, because everything else seems to be good to go

[jettatech]

took alot of time to try and flush out the seafoam that was binding the engine from turning over

[Anony00GT]

Sorry to update so late but I was able to help him get it running. It took alot of time to try and flush out the seafoam that was binding the engine from turning over but it finally did with one of the plugs out.

After getting the car all buttoned back up, he is getting a misfire code for just cylinder 4, and he just put in new plugs yesterday, a relatively new coilpack(3 months) that has no cracks, and less then 6 month old plug wires. Another code is also for the first o2 sensor which is definitely fouled just by inspecting it visually.

Any chance the one random cylinder misfire could be because of the 02 sensor, because everything else seems to be good to go

Exactly what codes do you have? Is it a random miss or a dead miss?

For the third time: Perform a proper compression test. Post results.

[02vwgolf]

Exactly what codes do you have? Is it a random miss or a dead miss?

For the third time: Perform a proper compression test. Post results.

I understand the significance of a proper compression test, but its not my car so im helping this kid out when I have the free time to... hopefully I will have off saturday and can do one, but here are the codes that I wrote down after the the last time I scanned it.

16684. P0300

16688. P0304

16514. P0130

He then took it to autozone to get scanned again last night and texted me saying it was also showing...

16687. P0303

16685. P0301

[VW MAFIA]

Yea get a compression test, but he probably flooded the **** outta it, n the gunk came loose clogging it up. Im sure it will b fine, just needs a good cleaning.

[02vwgolf]

Yea get a compression test, but he probably flooded the **** outta it, n the gunk came loose clogging it up. Im sure it will b fine, just needs a good cleaning.

I hope thats the case, compression test will happen saturday morning...but AnthonyGT any experience with these codes before. The 02 sensor looks fouled, but if the plugs are brand new and the coil and wires about 6 months old do you think the coil pack could have really failed that quick?? there is no cracks in it or anything

[Anony00GT]

Name's not Anthony, but whatever

If the O2 sensor is visibly damaged, replace it. It'll have to be replaced anyway. Direct-fit Bosch or OE only.

Could a coil have failed that quick? Sure, especially if it's a cheapo made-in-China coil. But I wouldn't go there so fast. This car was running fine before he pumped it full of Seafoam. Generally when a car is running fine before a repair, and has problems after, you want to look toward what was done to the car as the most likely cause.

Misfires can have a number of causes, I see them on VAG cars all the time. With the exception of 16514, you've got all misfire codes. Yes a bad O2 sensor can cause mixture issues, which can in turn cause misfires. Which is why I asked if the car has a dead miss (noticeably running rough all the time, as though on 3 cylinders), or if it seems to be running well and just throwing misfire codes. There's a difference.

If he dumped too much seafoam into the engine too fast, he could very well have hydrolocked the engine, causing internal engine damage TBD. A compression test will tell for sure if this is the case.

[02vwgolf]

Name's not Anthony, but whatever

If the O2 sensor is visibly damaged, replace it. It'll have to be replaced anyway. Direct-fit Bosch or OE only.

Could a coil have failed that quick? Sure, especially if it's a cheapo made-in-China coil. But I wouldn't go there so fast. This car was running fine before he pumped it full of Seafoam. Generally when a car is running fine before a repair, and has problems after, you want to look toward what was done to the car as the most likely cause.

Misfires can have a number of causes, I see them on VAG cars all the time. With the exception of 16514, you've got all misfire codes. Yes a bad O2 sensor can cause mixture issues, which can in turn cause misfires. Which is why I asked if the car has a dead miss (noticeably running rough all the time, as though on 3 cylinders), or if it seems to be running well and just throwing misfire codes. There's a difference.

If he dumped too much seafoam into the engine too fast, he could very well have hydrolocked the engine, causing internal engine damage TBD. A compression test will tell for sure if this is the case.

Im sorry about the incorrect name haha, I was working off memory But I asked him about his coilpack and he said its the more expensive of the two models that German Auto Parts sells so I dont think its a cheapo($180ish) but he said since it is within a year GAP is going to send him another one to see if this one might be defective. I also removed his upstream 02 sensor yesterday night and have it soaking in gas, a volvo guy taught me that a while back. Last time I had a fouled 02 sensor, I soaked it in a container with gas(cut in half water bottle) for 2 days and then reinstalled it and the code was gone and it was functioning again If this works that will be one less code but we will see and he can always buy another if that does not work. Compression test should be happening tomorrow so I will update with what happens

[Jay-Bee]

Its an AEG 2.0, DBW

It's one or the other, AEG is cable throttle.

I really don't see how this seafoaming messed up.

[02vwgolf]

It's one or the other, AEG is cable throttle.

I really don't see how this seafoaming messed up.

BY VIN it an AEG, in reality it is running an AVH with DBW because he blew the original motor up with an ebay turbo kit. Honestly im not sure how he ****ed it up that bad either but the motor would not even turn over for 3-4 days after he initially did it. He even attempted bump starting it and it wouldn't start up so he definitely flooded his motor with it. Fouled all the plugs, 02 sensor, and was pooled up in the manifold. He messed up bad

Unfortunately he had to work today and I was too busy working on my own car, so hopefully compression test will get to happen tomorrow

[95jetta17]

this is why if you dont know how to do something dont do it...you cant just pour it in

[02vwgolf]

this is why if you dont know how to do something dont do it...you cant just pour it in

Thats exactly what I told him, and he said he followed a DIY on here and sucked it in slow enough to not stall it, but when I removed the manifold and saw it all pooled up in there I was like

[xxdkjj]

That is crazy, there must have been an existing problem that happend to get worse with the seafoam, I seafoam my car every other oil chance never once had a lockup on my Aba 2.0

[Bariman82]

Thats exactly what I told him, and he said he followed a DIY on here and sucked it in slow enough to not stall it, but when I removed the manifold and saw it all pooled up in there I was like

Unpossible. He dumped it right in. You pour some in a small container, put the vacuum hose just barely in there (not submerged) and allow it to slowly draw into the engine.

[02vwgolf]

Thanks guys but this has long since been resolved. When i finally got my hands on the car i removed the upper and lower intakes manifolds and drained all the sea foam that was pooled up in there. After draining that and letting it sit in the sun for a few days it started... but there was so much in the head that it fouled the plugs and eventually fouled the front 02 sensor. After replacing all those his car is back to running just fine, But i told him to never touch the motor again if he isnt sure what hes doing hahaha!!!

Sent from my VS840 4G using Tapatalk 2

[Bariman82]

Good. Glad it's figured out.