I thought it would be a good idea to pour in a can of gumout with my last full tank. Used up the whole tank and a day later the car started making a fluttering ticking sound on pressing the gas. Initially thought it was an exhaust leak so took the car out to see if, warming it up would get rid of the sound, but it only made it worse. At first no check engine lights came on, but as I was driving up to 30 to 40 miles an hour, the check engine light started flashing. I immediately returned home, scanned the codes and found multiple cylinder misfires. Put two and two together and have realized that the gumout dislodged carbon particles and clogged up the plugs most likely. I’ve ordered the new plugs and we’ll see if the car isn’t permanently damaged. The below video is not for the fainthearted.
DO NOT USE GUMOUT
- Thread starter LXneewb
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Might not be the gumout itself (sounds like it did work, after all), but rather excessive carbon to begin with. Perhaps the gumout worked a bit too good.
For carbon deposits specifically, I personally prefer Seafoam for this application, fed in thru the throttle body. It softens up the carbon and allows the engine to burn it off a bit easier. However, that's been a non-issue on my GX which seems to have a clean engine with limited carbon buildup (based on Seafoaming it and having the intake off a couple times). I also suggest adding a bottle of the injector cleaner of your choice at each oil change to keep things from getting bad. I like Techron but have been using the Super Tech generic equivalent lately as Techron has been kind of expensive.
For carbon deposits specifically, I personally prefer Seafoam for this application, fed in thru the throttle body. It softens up the carbon and allows the engine to burn it off a bit easier. However, that's been a non-issue on my GX which seems to have a clean engine with limited carbon buildup (based on Seafoaming it and having the intake off a couple times). I also suggest adding a bottle of the injector cleaner of your choice at each oil change to keep things from getting bad. I like Techron but have been using the Super Tech generic equivalent lately as Techron has been kind of expensive.
Seafoam is for carbon cleaning. Since it goes in the the intake it won't clean injectors at all.
I like the 5k bottle of injector cleaner. At 166k I put a set of refurbished injectors in. They are a wear item and don't last forever.
Just my opinion, but I believe that if you drive several hwy miles every few days, there's absolutely no need for these additives in a UZ engine.
Direct injection engines are not as forgiving, actually it's part of their scheduled maintenance!
If city constantly, maybe something to get CATs warmer like the b12 Barrymann which is cheap and available (lacquer thinner in a fancy can). Techron maybe once every year for injectors..
That rabbit hole is deep, and thanks to this type of threads on every car forum, the manufacturers of these products are booming!
Regarding injector replacement, I don't believe that many of us replace injectors in our engines as preventative maintenance. Mine are close to 300k miles old and still in tip top shape delivering several ounces of fuel to my cylinders every mile.
Direct injection engines are not as forgiving, actually it's part of their scheduled maintenance!
If city constantly, maybe something to get CATs warmer like the b12 Barrymann which is cheap and available (lacquer thinner in a fancy can). Techron maybe once every year for injectors..
That rabbit hole is deep, and thanks to this type of threads on every car forum, the manufacturers of these products are booming!
Regarding injector replacement, I don't believe that many of us replace injectors in our engines as preventative maintenance. Mine are close to 300k miles old and still in tip top shape delivering several ounces of fuel to my cylinders every mile.
I really doubt they are. They have seals/o-rings that wear like any other part. They might not be faulty, but they will definitely be delivering out-of-spec amounts of fuel to different cylinders.
Seafoam can be used in the fuel tank also, to run through the injectors.
he said he put gumout it in the tank.....
through the intake isnt gonna do anything for his situation
and probably wont do anything through the tank anyways
The gumout has worked for all my vehicles. It does the injector cleaning really well than any other brands. I use it every 3 to 5K miles on all my vehicles. Continue to drive and add another gumout. Let it clean out the injectors.
If it had enough carbon in it to cause these apparent issues, the rig would likely benefit from a treatment of Srafoam through the intake ( their aerosol cans for that work quite well). I've had Seafoam give very real improvements, particularly in port and DI Subaru engines and DI Mazda engines, which seem to be carbon prone.
My personal 2UZ has had one Seafoam treatment. At least my UZ seems to stay pretty clean on it's own. I doubt I'll do another treatment for at least a few years.
2001LC
SILVER Star
You should also see one or more cylinders misfiring DTC. P0300 is general DTC, which we get for a number of reasons. Which is often a misfiring cylinder, which will see DTC for that cylinder also. Look for pending DTC also, in tech stream. You can also look at engine data in tech stream, and watch for misfire.
- Thread starter
- #13
Unfortunately, I do not have the guts to keep driving when it sounds like that. It’s $50 for a set of plugs. I’d rather just change them first and make sure that’s what the problem is. Thanks for the insight
- Thread starter
- #14
Yes, it’s showing a misfire on cylinder three and eight
2001LC
SILVER Star
This may or may not be a fouled plug issue of #3 & #8 cylinders. For now, I'll focus on spark plugs.
Changing old spark plugs, is always a good idea.
BG 44K is often used around here. Toyota/lexus Dealerships actually sell at the counter and use in the shop. They also use in shop, onboard BG Fuel injector cleaner system, hook to fuel rail. Which is much stronger. These do much the same as 44k, Gumout, Chevron Techron, etc.
The sound you captured, on your video is concerning. I hope below is not your issue:
44k, etc. are also use when spark plugs frozen in. It works well to free the carbon bond in spark plug threads. This is not really a problem we have in the 4.7L, unless a thread lube used. With the 2UZ plugs, we've issue of walking-out. When thread lube used (Bad idea) during install of spark plugs and they start walking-out. The lube cooks in threads, as combustion gasses pass the threads. This locks/freezing spark plugs in head. If those a spark plugs, had walked off enough, than froze in by lube cooked in carbon. The fuel cleaner additive, may have released them. They then can continue walking-out and blow out head once too loose.
forum.ih8mud.com
Gumout before & after
Note:
For a 2UZ to be, supper gunked up in intake ports. It's a very long term neglected engine, rarely run on HWY.
Changing old spark plugs, is always a good idea.
- 4.7L spark plugs walk-out, and can blow out of the head.
- The gap increases past max spec of 1.2mm.
- Often in our aging engines, someone may have installed wrong or junk (China bootlegs) spark plugs.
BG 44K is often used around here. Toyota/lexus Dealerships actually sell at the counter and use in the shop. They also use in shop, onboard BG Fuel injector cleaner system, hook to fuel rail. Which is much stronger. These do much the same as 44k, Gumout, Chevron Techron, etc.
The sound you captured, on your video is concerning. I hope below is not your issue:
44k, etc. are also use when spark plugs frozen in. It works well to free the carbon bond in spark plug threads. This is not really a problem we have in the 4.7L, unless a thread lube used. With the 2UZ plugs, we've issue of walking-out. When thread lube used (Bad idea) during install of spark plugs and they start walking-out. The lube cooks in threads, as combustion gasses pass the threads. This locks/freezing spark plugs in head. If those a spark plugs, had walked off enough, than froze in by lube cooked in carbon. The fuel cleaner additive, may have released them. They then can continue walking-out and blow out head once too loose.
Ticking time bomb TICK TICK TICK: Spark plugs Alert Alert Alert!
TICK TICK TICK POP POP POP is a ticking time bomb, often mistaken as exhaust manifold crack or gasket leak leak. ALERT, ALERT, ALERT: Spark plugs are working themselves loose. "Walking Out" Then blowing out of head, taking their female threads of head with them! Very damaging! You think TICK...
forum.ih8mud.com
Gumout before & after
Note:
For a 2UZ to be, supper gunked up in intake ports. It's a very long term neglected engine, rarely run on HWY.
Last edited:
- Thread starter
- #17
This may or may not be a fouled plug issue of #3 & #8 cylinders. For now, I'll focus on spark plugs.
Changing old spark plugs, is always a good idea.
Whereis, it is not impossible to foul plugs, with gunk released from intake port(s). That gunk likely came off very slowly and then burnt off in combustion chamber. A search of Youtube. One finds videos, of before and after Gumout. In engine with very heavily gunked intake ports. Where in before shots, gunk was loose and in clumps. Gumout had little effect on gunk. Which in our 4.7L 2UZ we typically see, more of a solid thin coat on walls of ports. The gumout or most any fuel additive cleaner, would slowly release by liquefying thin layer by layer. Depending on how thick the gunk layer in ports. It would take, more than one tank full run through in most any 2UZ, to clean out to even enough to be noticeable.
- 4.7L spark plugs walk-out, and can blow out of the head.
- The gap increases past max spec of 1.2mm.
- Often in our aging engines, someone may have installed wrong or junk (China bootlegs) spark plugs.
BG 44K is often used around here. Toyota/lexus Dealerships actually sell at the counter and use in the shop. They also use in shop, onboard BG Fuel injector cleaner system, hook to fuel rail. Which is much stronger. These do much the same as 44k, Gumout, Chevron Techron, etc.
The sound you captured, on your video is concerning. I hope below is not your issue:
44k, etc. are also use when spark plugs frozen in. It works well to free the carbon bond in spark plug threads. This is not really a problem we have in the 4.7L, unless a thread lube used. With the 2UZ plugs, we've issue of walking-out. When thread lube used (Bad idea) during install of spark plugs and they start walking-out. The lube cooks in threads, as combustion gasses pass the threads. This locks/freezing spark plugs in head. If those a spark plugs, had walked off enough, than froze in by lube cooked in carbon. The fuel cleaner additive, may have released them. They then can continue walking-out and blow out head once too loose.
Ticking time bomb TICK TICK TICK: Spark plugs Alert Alert Alert!
TICK TICK TICK POP POP POP is a ticking time bomb, often mistaken as exhaust manifold crack or gasket leak leak. ALERT, ALERT, ALERT: Spark plugs are working themselves loose. "Walking Out" Then blowing out of head, taking their female threads of head with them! Very damaging! You think TICK...
Gumout before & after
Note:
For a 2UZ to be, supper gunked up in intake ports. It's a very long term neglected engine, rarely run on HWY.
Thanks for your response. Your post about the ticking with plug problems is what helped me most. I will work on it this week. I sure hope the plugs didnt blow out. I did change them myself about 60k ago with no lube. Stay tuned…
2001LC
SILVER Star
At 60K miles, we don't usually see spark plugs blow out. Unless:
Not torque in, at minimum until crush washer crushed.
High number of heating and cooling cycles than normal, for the mileage.
Do you have holes in the muffler or before it?
Where you get those spark plugs 60K miles ago?
I ask because even at Advance Auto, which pulls from World Pack. I've seen bad plugs. I suspect, were customers returns. It's one reason I only buy direct for Denso wholesalers. I also buy the TT, as those if bootlegs are easy to spot.
Not torque in, at minimum until crush washer crushed.
High number of heating and cooling cycles than normal, for the mileage.
Do you have holes in the muffler or before it?
Where you get those spark plugs 60K miles ago?
I ask because even at Advance Auto, which pulls from World Pack. I've seen bad plugs. I suspect, were customers returns. It's one reason I only buy direct for Denso wholesalers. I also buy the TT, as those if bootlegs are easy to spot.
- Thread starter
- #19
I finally had some time to take the plugs out. This is what I found. Rookie mistake… I bought the old plugs off of eBay and after 60,000 miles they look like this with no electrode left
. New one is there for comparison.
I’m hoping it’s just a case of plugs needing to be changed. Will change the rest button it up and post my results soon. Maybe gumout wasn’t the culprit?
. New one is there for comparison.I’m hoping it’s just a case of plugs needing to be changed. Will change the rest button it up and post my results soon. Maybe gumout wasn’t the culprit?
Could very well be counterfit plugs. Ebay and Amazon are full of counterfit auto parts. Best to buy from Rock Auto, your local parts store, a US based dealer, or a reputable international source like Partsouq.
(I've been burned personally as well).
(I've been burned personally as well).