# Should I add seafoam or some other fuel additive to my Mazda Protege? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [November 7, 2018, 11:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396 "2018-11-07T23:53:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mazda\_protege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mazda\_protege](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mazda_protege)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 11:53pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/1 "2018-11-07T23:53:36Z")
you may want to take a look at this link before reply ING: > [@Make an estimate on how long my car will last](https://community.cartalk.com/t/make-an-estimate-on-how-long-my-car-will-last/128185): > > HI everyone, I am interested in knowing approximately how long my car will last for, in order to determine how much money to invest in it. Its a 2000 mazda protege 1.6L with 250,000km BODY typical rust patches around the wheel wheels Did black undercoating past few years. ENGINE Lots of carbon buildup on the valve guide—\> should I seafoam? Installed new timing belt at 240700 (never installed water pump) Power steering pump squeals when I am taking the corner: Exhaust is good : no l… I’ve been advised not to seafoam the car because it may break the seals in the engine but I’m thinking of a sea forming and leaving it in for only 100 km and then draining it . I need to get an oil change soon. Will seafoam damage the seals or clog up the oil return passages? Yay or Nay? Thank you… ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [November 7, 2018, 11:59pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/2 "2018-11-07T23:59:32Z")
Straight from the horses mouth. > **[How to add Sea Foam Motor Treatment to Gasoline, Ethanol, and Diesel Fuels](https://seafoamsales.com/how-to-add-sea-foam-motor-treatment-to-gasoline-ethanol-and-diesel-fuels/)** > > HOW TO ADD > SEA FOAM MOTOR TREATMENT > TO GAS, ETHANOL, AND DIESEL FUELS > Let the Sea Foam tech experts help you with the most common, time-tested recommendations and instructions for using SEA FOAM MOTOR TREATMENT in fuel. Tester ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 12:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/3 "2018-11-08T00:49:44Z")
I don’t understand why you are obsessing about this vehicle that is well past it’s sell date. I agree with the others that it is very possible that this thing is not safe for the road. ---
**Author:** ![mazda\_protege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mazda\_protege](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mazda_protege)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 1:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/4 "2018-11-08T01:18:42Z")
So is that a yes or no? ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 1:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/5 "2018-11-08T01:21:06Z")
I’ve used Sea Foam for almost 50 years. Never a problem. Tester ---
**Author:** ![mazda\_protege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mazda\_protege](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mazda_protege)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 4:11am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/6 "2018-11-08T04:11:25Z")
Back to the point…………do you think if I seafoam my engine it will block oil passages or damage seals? ---
**Author:** ![wentwest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wentwest/32/6073_2.png) [@wentwest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wentwest)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 4:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/7 "2018-11-08T04:22:14Z")
Nope. It won’t. But someday soon something important will break and if you want to blame the Seafoam, you can. Or you can blame Obama. Or the Red Sox. It’s all the same to me. ---
**Author:** ![Scrapyard-John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Scrapyard-John](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrapyard-John)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 9:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/8 "2018-11-08T09:04:00Z")
Are you putting sea foam in the oil to try and remove the sludge, or are you putting sea foam in the gas tank to try and clean injectors and deposits off of valves? You’re definitely fine to put it in the gas tank. Most likely you could put it in the oil also to remove sludge if you wanted, and be fine. But it seems to me there would be at least a possibility of a chunk of sludge getting into an oil passage. I doubt the sea foam will be aggressive enough to knock chunks of sludge loose, but you never know for certain so you’ll have to proceed at your own risk. Most likely the sea foam will just dissolve the sludge over time, and you’d have to do several treatments. I for one am rooting for you and your sludged up, rusty ride. Have you considered cheap synthetic oil changes at an early and often oil change interval (3k miles)? Wal Mart Supertech synthetic is about the same price as conventional oil. ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 11:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/9 "2018-11-08T11:38:06Z")
You’ve seen his engine, I’d be afraid to ad seafoam to it. > [@Make an estimate on how long my car will last](https://community.cartalk.com/t/make-an-estimate-on-how-long-my-car-will-last/128185/1): > > IMG\_20180128\_154936.jpg3264x2448 2.01 MB ---
**Author:** ![Scrapyard-John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Scrapyard-John](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrapyard-John)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 2:35pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/10 "2018-11-08T14:35:09Z")
Yes, I’d be afraid to drive it at all. Like I said, will be a do at your own risk endeavor. I think the sea foam will more or less melt the sludge over time rather than aggressively break it down to the point of chunks breaking free. I could be wrong. Frequent oil changes alone might be enough to break a chunk free and clog a passage too. Who knows for sure. ---
**Author:** ![wentwest](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/wentwest/32/6073_2.png) [@wentwest](https://community.cartalk.com/u/wentwest)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2018, 5:25pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/11 "2018-11-08T17:25:45Z")
That’s what your arteries near your heart look like when the doctor tells you your cholesterol is too high and you need to cut down of the junk you eat and take statins to lower your levels. You have to decide whether to do what you can or just give up and wait to have a heart attack. Same with your car. ---
**Author:** ![mazda\_protege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mazda\_protege](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mazda_protege)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2018, 3:06am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/12 "2018-11-11T03:06:49Z")
Thanks! Scrapyard John!!! I just put in a third a can in the crankcase this evening…plan on getting the oil changed next week. You know what? two years ago mechanics were telling me "its not gonna last…its past its lifetime (short in North American terms, longer in Cuban/ everywhere else terms) … guess what its mechanically sound, and runs well despite 33% of the car being in rust. ---
**Author:** ![Scrapyard-John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Scrapyard-John](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrapyard-John)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2018, 3:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/13 "2018-11-11T03:10:31Z")
I wouldn’t be surprised if the sludge in the engine and the rust probably won’t be what kills it. It’ll be some other random unexpected issue that you never saw coming. The stuff I worry about usually doesn’t happen. It’s all the other stuff I didn’t think about! ---
**Author:** ![mazda\_protege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mazda\_protege](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mazda_protege)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2018, 3:22am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/14 "2018-11-11T03:22:23Z")
OK, so what are we not thinking about? we know there is sludge (or was before the oil change in the summer ). - rust around the frame… What else?? ---
**Author:** ![Scrapyard-John](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f6c823/32.png) [@Scrapyard-John](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Scrapyard-John)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2018, 3:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/15 "2018-11-11T03:31:56Z")
Oh, I dunno. I just meant for me, it winds up being something unexpected. ---
**Author:** ![circuitsmith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/circuitsmith/32/40376_2.png) [@circuitsmith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/circuitsmith)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2018, 3:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/16 "2018-11-11T03:48:16Z")
> [@mazda\_protege](#): > > 33% of the car being in rust > [@mazda\_protege](#): > > mechanics were telling me "its not gonna last…its past its lifetime > [@Scrapyard\_John](#): > > It’ll be some other random unexpected issue that you never saw coming. Yeah, like a minor collision bending the rusted frame, or worse, intrusion into the passenger compartment. OP doesn’t like the verdicts of mechanics who have seen the car in person, so he turns to a forum for people to speculate, sight unseen. ---
**Author:** ![mazda\_protege](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/dc4da7/32.png) [@mazda\_protege](https://community.cartalk.com/u/mazda_protege)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2018, 3:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/17 "2018-11-14T03:44:22Z")
and why would you be afraid to add seafoam? ---
**Author:** ![It\_s-Me](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/it_s-me/32/12660_2.png) [@It\_s-Me](https://community.cartalk.com/u/It_s-Me)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2018, 3:56am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/18 "2018-11-14T03:56:02Z")
It will loosen all that sludge and plug the oil galleys ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2018, 4:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/should-i-add-seafoam-or-some-other-fuel-additive-to-my-mazda-protege/128396/19 "2018-11-14T04:18:59Z")
The oil galleries are pressurized, it is unlikely that they would become plugged. There is risk of the oil pump pick-up screen becoming blocked with the sludge that drops into the oil pan, if that happens the engine will have no oil pressure and you will need to switch it off immediately and remove the oil pan to clean out the sludge. Is the a reason you want clean out the engine?