I Seafoamed my engine the other day. Great smoke show and it feels like I got about 10% more power than before. Plus, I got it to diesel. I've never had a fuel injected engine do that before. That was kind of fun and confused the heck out of my dad.

 

Anyhow, my plan was to do half through the ICV and half through the PCV in order to clean out the ICV while I was at it. I ended up running all of it through the PCV because the engine flatly refused to run with the ICV hose disconnected. Now, I realize that it would constitute the world's biggest vacuum leak, but I figured it'd at least try to run. I got it to stumble for a bit by plugging up the hose partially with my thumb, but it didn't keep going. I've read that people clean their ICV's by running a bunch of Seafoam though that hose, but how? Everything was perfectly fine after I put the hose for it back on the fitting on the intake.

 

Is that normal? Did I miss something? Maybe that's a symptom of something goofy going on with the ICV. The engine was fully warmed up and it idles normally, maybe a little lumpy when cold. Think I should get another ICV gasket and pull it off for a look?

Edited July 14, 201114 yr by SchwarzeEwigkt
I guess I'm making words up now.

That's normal. I've had shops leave the hose off and the car will not run. It will start but that's about it.

 

The best way to clean the IAC is to remove it and you can then clean the complete valve.

 

I have run SeaFoam through and it works pretty good. I pull the hose, pour some seafoam in and then put the hose back on. Start it up, you will have to give it some throttle but it will run.

 

You have to do this a couple of times.

That's normal. I've had shops leave the hose off and the car will not run. It will start but that's about it.

 

The best way to clean the IAC is to remove it and you can then clean the complete valve.

 

I have run SeaFoam through and it works pretty good. I pull the hose, pour some seafoam in and then put the hose back on. Start it up, you will have to give it some throttle but it will run.

 

You have to do this a couple of times.

 

That sounds like a pain in my butt. I'll probably just take it off and clean it out. I wonder if the local stealer carries those gaskets. It'll be a good excuse to go down and joyride in a WRX I have no intention to buy any time soon. :-p

Yup it'll not run with the IACV host disconnected. Disconnect the brake booster vacuum line and sloooowly pour in the seafoam and it'll work. You'll get some awesome white smoke for about 10 minutes. Take it for a drive around the neighborhood to be neighborly.