So I added bg44k on a full gas tank to my wife’s 00 and my 99 lx last night drove 5 miles home and we both went to sleep. She calls me in panic on her way to work saying the check engine light is blinking and it’s making bad engine noises at high speeds. She got off the highway and drove 35mi to work. Great.. Wonder what it could be?
Bg44k causing engine problems + check engine light??
- Thread starter flashes23
- Start date
This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate
links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.
I dumped a bunch of concentrated seafoam into my tank. Probably too much for the amount of gas in it. Next day wife had a coil pack go bad. Probably coincidence.
I leave a 14$ bluetooth OBDII reader in my LX all the time, so I had her install Torque on her phone and pull the codes in a parking lot.
I leave a 14$ bluetooth OBDII reader in my LX all the time, so I had her install Torque on her phone and pull the codes in a parking lot.
- Thread starter
- #4
I did tighten the gas cap myself, I'll run the codes with my OBD when she gets home. I deff do not think its possible to be a coincidence as she's driven this car for 2yrs without a hiccup and last night I add this stuff and first ever check engine/engine problems arise. Maybe it burning hotter than usual caused something that would have happened anyways, but deff not unrelated in my opinion.
We have been using BG products in the shop I work for, no issues with their products.
Keep us posted on what codes you are getting
Keep us posted on what codes you are getting
fj55-100
SILVER Star
second on the BG kudos ,, have used them in the shop i own for 10 years + , never had any issues ,,.
flashing light on a 2uz is a current misfire . most likely a coil or a spark plug , not to be driven on far without possible cat damage .
flashing light on a 2uz is a current misfire . most likely a coil or a spark plug , not to be driven on far without possible cat damage .
- Thread starter
- #7
You were right on the money throwing P0300, P0303, P0304, and P0306 misfire codes. Spark plugs were changed a year ago with water pump and timing belt at approx at 110k miles, currently 132k. Why would adding this to the fuel tank cause a misfire? Is it an underlying issue I had thats been exacerbated with the BG44K?
Bomar
SILVER Star
Have you cleared codes and they came back?
I don't think the BG44K caused too many dealerships use it also.
I don't think the BG44K caused too many dealerships use it also.
How much gas was in the tank? Doing a sucking the cleaner through a vaccum line will cause this, but not likely adding it to the gas tank did unless it was below 1/4 tank, unless diluted this stuff burns at a different rate than gasoline.
I'd clear the code and keep driving before replacing anything. I'd also top off the tank to dilute the 44K.
I'd clear the code and keep driving before replacing anything. I'd also top off the tank to dilute the 44K.
- Thread starter
- #10
So what I haven’t mentioned since the first post, and why my wife called me in the first place was not really the light. Which is Cel, vsc off, and vsc trac. But that the car shakes violently anytime the gas peddle is pressed. She had to drive to work and home at 30 miles an hour. I filled up both my and her car to the top with chevron premium then added the bg44.
guerasfj60
SILVER Star
Still sounds like coil packs
So this problem was there BEFORE the 44K?
- Thread starter
- #13
No I put in the BG44k the night before on a full tank and the next morning on my wifes drive to work all of these issues started to happen. No problems for 2 years driving prior to this. Deff related to the 44k, even if it may have been non-symptomatic issue that was pre-existing. I know 44k is great its why I decided to use it, but everyone just jumping to its defense and assuming I'm crazy really isn't necessary haha.
You are supposed to add the additive before filling with fuel. This helps get a good mix. If you just topped with the additive then you might be seeing a issue from not mixing well. When I added 44k to my 60, it ran like dogsh!t. Granted, the 2F was like a beat tractor engine compared to the 2UZ. Anyway, I ran it down to 3/4 tank and topped off, then to 1/2 tank and topped off. At that point it started running normally. I've never had an issue with 44k other than that time and I've used it a lot. I usually follow the 44k with an upper end cleaner/lubricant as the 44k doesn't do anything for lubrication.
- Thread starter
- #15
The distributor recommended added to full tank then topping of when 1/2 tank. I added it to a full tank. But liquid mixes pretty well none the less whether you add it first or last. I don't think it would be that drastic of a difference.
I'd always been told to add to 1/4 or less tank, then fill with fuel, with any "add to your gas tank" cleaner. Adding to a full tank seems...... I'll say odd. I've used 44k several times, and handed it out numerous times, never heard of a problem with the stuff.
We're just trying to understand exactly what happened.
One problem, which doesn't sound logical but is, the gasoline in your tank does not slosh around as much as you think it does, especially with a full tank. I imagine you were thinking that it would mix with the gas as she drove.
I do not know the specific gravity of 44K, but if it is heavier than the gas when you added it it may have sank right to the bottom of the gas tank as one mass and the truck was running on a mostly 44K mixture of fuel.
Here is what I would do, fill the tank and drive. I do not think there is much to do until you get the 44K out of the tank either from driving or dilution.
As a side note, the 44K may have dislodged some gunk from the fuel filter if it went through as a concentrated mix of strong cleaner.
I agree with spike 100%. I don't think you're wrong, stupid, or crazy, I'm just going off what is normal procedure with additives.
- Thread starter
- #19
"Specific Gravity" takes me back to my biochemistry degree and medical school days lol. It sounds like you and a lot of other posters maybe right on the money about the order I added it. The other car I put it in (my 99 LX) seems to be doing fine, the only thing I noticed is in idle it'll be at 600-800rpm then all of a sudden shoot up to 1100-1200 and make a noise. But it's only happened twice in a couple days. Ill top that one off with gas.
I am curious when you guys say to keep driving it. The car is misfiring, shaking violently with and gas pedal activation, and has CEL VSC lights flashing and you guys still recommend driving it? I had it towed to my mechanic he said he'll take a look at it Monday. Ill fill you in on what he says.
Your mechanic is going to say to replace plugs and coils.
It is misfiring, this can cause damage to the engine if driven for extended periods of time. One tank of gas will not do long term harm.
Something that can happen when you add a can of a really good cleaner is it dislodges carbon from the intake valves, this carbon then collects and fouls the spark plugs.
If your spark plugs were at the end of their life this will be pronounced because the spark they produce is weaker and cannot overcome the deposits
Also, depending on the cleaner used, it does not burn as completely because it is designed to stick around and clean the piston's, it cannot do this if it is burned off. This will also cause mis fires with worn spark plugs, again because they cannot produce a strong enough spark to overcome this.
The only way to get all of the 44K out of the tank is by burning it off or dilution.
I would take it on the highway and run the hell out of it in 3rd gear, then once the low fuel light came on I'd top it off with a Top Tier fuel.
I used to drive tanker truck and haul HAZMAT for waste recycling and disposal, you'd be surprised at how water is sperated from waste oil in the truck and what is done with that water. Knowing specific gravity for different fluids was park of my job.
Short answer, water is heavier than oil so it settles to the bottom of the truck, you then drain off said water into the city sanitation sewer (oil free) and then send the oil off to be made into brand new oil.
Diesel, gasoline, kerosene...all are petroleum based but have different specific gravitas and can be transported and then sperated, think of them as a layered Jell-O dessert.
That is also how they send them down a pipeline, just close the diesel valve and then open the gasoline valve on the same pipeline. Do the same on the other end to get what you want. Open diesel valve...
It is misfiring, this can cause damage to the engine if driven for extended periods of time. One tank of gas will not do long term harm.
Something that can happen when you add a can of a really good cleaner is it dislodges carbon from the intake valves, this carbon then collects and fouls the spark plugs.
If your spark plugs were at the end of their life this will be pronounced because the spark they produce is weaker and cannot overcome the deposits
Also, depending on the cleaner used, it does not burn as completely because it is designed to stick around and clean the piston's, it cannot do this if it is burned off. This will also cause mis fires with worn spark plugs, again because they cannot produce a strong enough spark to overcome this.
The only way to get all of the 44K out of the tank is by burning it off or dilution.
I would take it on the highway and run the hell out of it in 3rd gear, then once the low fuel light came on I'd top it off with a Top Tier fuel.
I used to drive tanker truck and haul HAZMAT for waste recycling and disposal, you'd be surprised at how water is sperated from waste oil in the truck and what is done with that water. Knowing specific gravity for different fluids was park of my job.
Short answer, water is heavier than oil so it settles to the bottom of the truck, you then drain off said water into the city sanitation sewer (oil free) and then send the oil off to be made into brand new oil.
Diesel, gasoline, kerosene...all are petroleum based but have different specific gravitas and can be transported and then sperated, think of them as a layered Jell-O dessert.
That is also how they send them down a pipeline, just close the diesel valve and then open the gasoline valve on the same pipeline. Do the same on the other end to get what you want. Open diesel valve...
