Lumineer Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 I have a 1989 Buick Reatta with a Pre-Series l LN3 3800 and a 4T60 tranny. It seems that in really cold weather, or when the car is really cold, the engine is hard to start. Typically, I'll turn the ignition and hear the engine trying to turn over, but not starting. It'll usually take a few tries or some gas pumping to get it to start. But, once it does, it idles just fine and drives smoothly, although I try to wait for it to warm up first of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 I have a 1989 Buick Reatta with a Pre-Series l LN3 3800 and a 4T60 tranny. It seems that in really cold weather, or when the car is really cold, the engine is hard to start. Typically, I'll turn the ignition and hear the engine trying to turn over, but not starting. It'll usually take a few tries or some gas pumping to get it to start. But, once it does, it idles just fine and drives smoothly, although I try to wait for it to warm up first of course. Have you ever seafoamed this car? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumineer Posted October 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 I have never seafoamed this car during the time that I've had it. Whether or not the previous owner did is unknown. I DO know that the car had sat for probably 2 or more years before I bought it. Surprisingly, it started up just fine and ran good, but I still think it needs a small thing here or there to get the best driving out of it, including the removal of my bad cat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Fury Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Seafoam. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumineer Posted October 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 I briefly looked up seafoaming and I get the general idea (purging the car's system of buildup, with lots of delicious fumes). However, I don't know much about it. Anyone want to explain or leave a link? Furthermore, how much improvement in mpg, acceleration, and start up can I expect, assuming the car needs it? The engine has a clean 102k miles on it, which is great considering the car is an '89, and it's an reliable 3800. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 I briefly looked up seafoaming and I get the general idea (purging the car's system of buildup, with lots of delicious fumes). However, I don't know much about it. Anyone want to explain or leave a link? Furthermore, how much improvement in mpg, acceleration, and start up can I expect, assuming the car needs it? The engine has a clean 102k miles on it, which is great considering the car is an '89, and it's an reliable 3800. Mileage will improve slightly. Not much, but then again it depends on how bad it really is. Car startup times improved immensely on every car I've run seafoam. Acceleration will also improve, a LOT, especially on this engine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumineer Posted October 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 I briefly looked up seafoaming and I get the general idea (purging the car's system of buildup, with lots of delicious fumes). However, I don't know much about it. Anyone want to explain or leave a link? Furthermore, how much improvement in mpg, acceleration, and start up can I expect, assuming the car needs it? The engine has a clean 102k miles on it, which is great considering the car is an '89, and it's an reliable 3800. Mileage will improve slightly. Not much, but then again it depends on how bad it really is. Car startup times improved immensely on every car I've run seafoam. Acceleration will also improve, a LOT, especially on this engine. Yeah, my research indicated that track tests on Reattas back in the day yielded 0-60 times of anywhere from 8.5 to 9.1 seconds, which isn't that bad for a heavy commuter car. However, assuming that my speedo is accurate, I used a timer and got to 60 in probably 12ish seconds (felt alot faster though.....maybe the speedo is off). Plus, the Reattas were electronically limited to 125 mph, yet when I did a test run to make sure that it still had plenty of go left in it, I had a hard time hitting 100, and going further required downhill driving. Yet my Lumina could easily have outdone that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Fury Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Oh yeah. Seafoam it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumineer Posted October 24, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Well, I don't want to fuck it up (I've seen a video or two of people who messed up and got misfiring or something). Is it worth having a shop do it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Fury Posted October 24, 2008 Report Share Posted October 24, 2008 Could I see said vids? It's super easy. I don't bother putting it in anything other than the intake though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 Well, I don't want to fuck it up (I've seen a video or two of people who messed up and got misfiring or something). Is it worth having a shop do it? The only way to screw it up is to leave it in there too long before starting your engine back up. If you're getting an engine misfire, you probably had bigger problems before, like needing to change spark plugs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Fury Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 Well, I don't want to fuck it up (I've seen a video or two of people who messed up and got misfiring or something). Is it worth having a shop do it? The only way to screw it up is to leave it in there too long before starting your engine back up. If you're getting an engine misfire, you probably had bigger problems before, like needing to change spark plugs. Which you should do after seafoaming, anyways. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 Well, I don't want to fuck it up (I've seen a video or two of people who messed up and got misfiring or something). Is it worth having a shop do it? The only way to screw it up is to leave it in there too long before starting your engine back up. If you're getting an engine misfire, you probably had bigger problems before, like needing to change spark plugs. Which you should do after seafoaming, anyways. I've never had problems on any cars I've seafoamed needing to change spark plugs. You'd be a sorry SOB if you had to change plugs after every time you seafoam your car. However, it should be one of the first things you do when you get a new car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Fury Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 Well, I don't want to fuck it up (I've seen a video or two of people who messed up and got misfiring or something). Is it worth having a shop do it? The only way to screw it up is to leave it in there too long before starting your engine back up. If you're getting an engine misfire, you probably had bigger problems before, like needing to change spark plugs. Which you should do after seafoaming, anyways. I've never had problems on any cars I've seafoamed needing to change spark plugs. You'd be a sorry SOB if you had to change plugs after every time you seafoam your car. However, it should be one of the first things you do when you get a new car. That's what I was trying to infer or something... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldscsc Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 If Seafoam doesn't work...does it start easier if you cycle the ignition a few times before starting? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumineer Posted October 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 My car just recently had a full tune-up. That includes new spark plugs, although the dude put in platinums, which I would have preferred he didn't (I'd like to stay with the stock plugs.......AC Delcos, correct?). In this video, a guy seafoams his Acura, but ends up with what sounds like a misfire at the end: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRCAEwJcTHI Seafoaming sounds good and all, but from what I'm hearing (and from a thing here or there that people mentioned in the comments on YouTube on different videos), it seems like you have to replace stuff after using it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldscsc Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 Sounds like a backfire not a misfire... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9KVxCGmeos Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Fury Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 My car just recently had a full tune-up. That includes new spark plugs, although the dude put in platinums, which I would have preferred he didn't (I'd like to stay with the stock plugs.......AC Delcos, correct?). In this video, a guy seafoams his Acura, but ends up with what sounds like a misfire at the end: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRCAEwJcTHI Seafoaming sounds good and all, but from what I'm hearing (and from a thing here or there that people mentioned in the comments on YouTube on different videos), it seems like you have to replace stuff after using it. THEUR'S UR PRUBLEM! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Fury Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 Sounds like a backfire not a misfire... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9KVxCGmeos And that guy DID IT WRONG! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldscsc Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 Sounds like a backfire not a misfire... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x9KVxCGmeos And that guy DID IT WRONG! He knows, I kinda feel bad for the truck though. Rev and let off, not peg it until it's bouncing off the rev limiter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Fury Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 Even better is actually DRIVING it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lumineer Posted October 25, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 So, do platinums really have that negative of an effect on LN3 3800s? I know that those fancy plugs are more of a marketing gimmick and that Delcos work the best with these GM V6 engines. Sounds like a backfire not a misfire... I remember my Lumina would do that on rare occasions when I was accelerating hard and shifting roughly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtremerevolution Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 So, do platinums really have that negative of an effect on LN3 3800s? I know that those fancy plugs are more of a marketing gimmick and that Delcos work the best with these GM V6 engines. Sounds like a backfire not a misfire... I remember my Lumina would do that on rare occasions when I was accelerating hard and shifting roughly. Platinums? I have Champion Platinum plugs in my girlfriend's sister's car and it still pulls exactly the way an L36 should. The first time I changed them in the Regal, I also put Platinums, and they lasted a pretty long time. The question is which brand. Anything Bosch you put in a GM will run like crap. You compare "platinums" to "delcos" as if you're comparing companies. Wrong. ACDelco makes spark plugs, as do other companies, and IIRC ACDelco makes Platinum plugs as well, such as ACDelco's RAPIDFIRE Performance Platinum spark plugs. http://www.acdelco.com/parts/sparkplugs/rapidfire-platinum.jsp Seafoaming your car will not cause shit to break or have to replace everything. If your spark plugs go after you seafoam, you probably needed to replace them anyway, and what's the big deal anyway? Spark plugs are dirt cheap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Night Fury Posted October 25, 2008 Report Share Posted October 25, 2008 ^^^ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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