Sea Foam fuel additive - anyone use it ?

Discussion in 'Prime Main Forum (2017-2022)' started by GKL, Dec 30, 2025 at 10:42 AM.

Tags:
  1. GKL

    GKL Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2019
    543
    264
    3
    Location:
    South Carolina
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XLE
    We have routine maintenance done on our 2020 Prius Prime yesterday and guess what ? They did not try to upsell me anything ! It seems like they have a new manager in the service department and it was a better experience than last time.

    Anyhow, the service rep offered a bit of self-help advice to get some Sea Foam fuel additive and add it about every 3 or 4 tanks, he said it might be especially helpful if you do a lot of stop and go driving.

    Most of our miles is from expressway driving though, when we stay in our small town we only use the EV mode as it would be very rare for us to drive more than 25 miles in a day in our very small town.

    Would it be worth doing or not ?

    Thanks in advance for any help.
     
    #1 GKL, Dec 30, 2025 at 10:42 AM
  2. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2021
    3,692
    1,916
    0
    Location:
    SacTown, Ca
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    I dump some Techron through every oil change, mainly to keep the fuel injectors clean. I know that stuff isn't going to hurt the CAT, never researched the Seafoam stuff. There are several YouTube videos that has varying results. Lets be real; it's something your adding into your fuel system that isn't going to fix any mechanical damage to your engine has already suffered - Snake-oil at best.
    IMHO; the best results is a gentle scrub of your internals. Dumping highly caustic chemicals in a system, not designed for it will remove huge chunks and likely clog your fuel system - creating a problem that wasn't there before. Just because something states that it's going to do a job in ONE go; is the wrong question to ask. The correct question is; will it make my problem worse? Techron is specifically designed for fuel systems and readily available.
     
    #2 BiomedO1, Dec 30, 2025 at 11:14 AM
    GKL likes this.
  3. ForestBeekeeper

    ForestBeekeeper Active Member

    Joined:
    Sep 19, 2011
    773
    306
    0
    Location:
    Maine
    Vehicle:
    2017 Prius Prime
    Model:
    Prime Premium
    After following this forum and watching folks having issues with their EGRs, I had a long talk with my mechanic. He runs a quart of Seafoam through the intake manifold with every oil change [twice a year].
     
    #3 ForestBeekeeper, Dec 30, 2025 at 11:24 AM
    GKL and BiomedO1 like this.
  4. BiomedO1

    BiomedO1 Senior Member

    Joined:
    Mar 27, 2021
    3,692
    1,916
    0
    Location:
    SacTown, Ca
    Vehicle:
    2021 Prius Prime
    Model:
    LE
    That's a lot better than running it through your fuel system, but what does it do to the CAT? If your in one of those states that doesn't have stricter emissions standards - that could be an easy fix. For CARB states; that would be a very expensive mistake. IMHO
     
    #4 BiomedO1, Dec 30, 2025 at 11:29 AM
    GKL likes this.
  5. GKL

    GKL Active Member

    Joined:
    Aug 1, 2019
    543
    264
    3
    Location:
    South Carolina
    Vehicle:
    2020 Prius Prime
    Model:
    XLE
    Thanks for all the replies, I'll have to research it more but you all gave me some things to think about, Sea Foam was rated 4.8 stars on Amazon, Techron is rated 4.7 stars, both good ratings, I have to weigh the difference in this instance between "if it's not broke don't fix it" and "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure" to decide whether to use any additive or not. :unsure:
     
    #5 GKL, Dec 30, 2025 at 11:42 AM
(You must log in or sign up to post here.)