My Chrysler dealer told me my 2002 Dodge Caravan with 33,000 miles on it has a
very dirty intake manifold and they wanted to clean it. Is this a necessary or
advisable repair option? Can I do the same job by using products like Sea Foam
cleaner poured down the carb? The car is running fine, no lack of acceleration,
and
no stumble at idle.
Sherwin D.
CraigFL - 12 Jan 2007 12:32 GMT
Seafoam will work fine to clean everything after the MAF sensor --
throttle body, intake, etc. You will have to find a way to have it
enter after the MAF sensor or you will ruin it-- through a port maybe.

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Art M - 16 Jan 2007 14:22 GMT
> Seafoam will work fine to clean everything after the MAF sensor --
> throttle body, intake, etc. You will have to find a way to have it
> enter after the MAF sensor or you will ruin it-- through a port maybe.
Will using ether in the air box to start an engine that's been sitting for a
long time damage the MAF? (I have a friend who recently did this in a fuel
injected '83 Porsche 944)
--Art
aarcuda69062 - 12 Jan 2007 16:04 GMT
> My Chrysler dealer told me my 2002 Dodge Caravan with 33,000 miles on it has
> a
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>
> Sherwin D.
Known as a wallet flush...
It's not part of the factory recommended maintenance.
You could attempt this yourself, but it will be right back like
it is now after a few hours running.
Steve - 12 Jan 2007 18:19 GMT
> My Chrysler dealer told me my 2002 Dodge Caravan with 33,000 miles on it has a
> very dirty intake manifold and they wanted to clean it. Is this a necessary or
[quoted text clipped - 4 lines]
>
> Sherwin D.
I'm sure the intake IS dirty- it gets that way because the PCV and EGR
systems dump "stuff" into it that tends to condense out in the
(relatively) cool intake manifold. But I don't tend to do anything
about this unless you develop stalling or stumbling at idle. Then, the
proper procedure is to wipe down the throttle bodies and throttle blades
(you don't have a "carb" on a 2002 Caravan) with a rag soaked in solvent
such as carburetor or fuel injection cleaner. Dumping spoo like "sea
foam" down the air intake is a good way to do a lot more harm than good.
For what its worth, if you ever remove a very dirty intake plenum and
get down to the heads, you'll find that the fuel injectors and the area
they spray (including the intake valves) are perfectly clean because the
fuel spray keeps it washed down. The only area where the "dirt" can
cause a problem is around the throttle valves, which is why they get
WIPED clean with a rag, not blasted with a spray that will move dirt all
around the intake system. If you're not having problems, leave it alone.