Truck won't start after adding seafoam to PCV hose

Today I was going to change my PCV valve for good measure, but also because I heard of a guy solving a P0430 code by doing so. Being so cheap I figured it's worth a shot as I am suffering from the P0420 disease.

Anyway, I had a little seafoam around and figured I'd add some to the PCV hose before changing the valve, since I had the hose off and all. I only used about 1/3 of the can as recommended, but when I went to start the truck, it wouldn't do so. At first it wouldn't even turn over, so I used jumper cables and another vehicle to attempt a jump. After a little charge it would turn over only a few times, sluggishly and slowly, then give me the rapid clicking noise. I let it charge even longer but still the same result.

Truck was running just fine before this, and I'm anxious to get it running as I'm sure there's a good reason they have you run the seafoam out by driving only 10 minutes later. Kinda freaking out right now, any suggestions would be great.

Thanks!

 

The truck was running while I added the seafoam, and I poured it into the hose that came off the PCV valve, as that was the direction of the suction.. was that not correct?

 

all at once, or slowly?

 

Slowly

 

Keep cranking and give it some gas.

 

I hope it works it's way out of it. That's sucks

 

How slowly is slowly? Did you let it suck in plenty of air as it was slurping the seafoam up?

It really sounds like you hydrolocked the motor. I would pull the plugs and crank it over for about 10 seconds, then replace plugs and try to start the engine again. Hopefully you didn't damage anything.

 

OK what ever you are doing STOP and answer the following.


Was the truck RUNNING when you poured the seafoam into the intake via the pcv vacuum hose?


If not, you have hydrolocked your motor, DO NOT CRANK IT. PULL ALL OF THE PLUGS, then crank it to remove the seafoam from the cylinders, and hope n pray you didnt bend a con rod.



If it was running while you slowly poured in the seafoam.... its very possible it was just a coincidence that your battery died.

 

Did it die when you added the seafoam

 

Truck was running, it probably took me 2 or 3 minutes to pour 1/3 of the can.

Charging the battery now, hoping that's it but I'll be pulling the plugs otherwise, thanks folks.

 

ok so the truck was running while doing the seafoam treatment. When you finished pouring the seafoam in did it die on you or was it still running just fine up untill you shut it off for the seafoam to soak?

 

It was running until I shut it off, reved it a few times then did so, but I probably should have let it run longer in hindsight.

 

honestly sounds like just coincidence, and you have a dead battery.

 

The battery is okay, had it charging a while and tested the voltage on it. Taking the plugs off now. So you say I take them off, then I crank it? For how long? Then just put them back on and hope its solved? What would this be doing in theory?

 

10 bucks says voltage read while cranking is nill. just simply reading voltage on a battery with no load tells you nothing.

If you think its hydrolocked take plugs out and crank the bitch for 10-20 secs to get rid of excess liquid in the cylinders. But honestly from the sound of it, its your battery that just so happened to give up while you did seafoam.

 

When you get your plugs back in crank it over while you read the voltage load from the battery.

 

That means almost nothing.

It maybe ok, or not.

A load test is the only way to really know.

 

Check voltage on the alternator as well to make sure it matches close to the battery valtage while the car is on.

 

Sorry you guys are right about the battery. Gonna run it down to auto zone and have it tested. It's not even turning over anymore, even when on the charger at 50 volts, after charging on 10 volts for a while..

 

Good news! When I took the battery off I noticed a good layer of crap on the battery terminals. They looked clean on the outside so I hadn't suspecter this to be the problem, but I cleaned them good and got the truck to start. Thinking it was just a coincidence, thank god!
Thanks again everyone for the quick response. I'm learning and need to remember to check simple things first, glad I stuck to my suspicions about the battery though!