Vacuum Leak How To Find

I Have A Vacuum Leak I Can Hear It Is there A Way to locate it cause i
cant see it like can i spary starting fluid or water or something to
find it easyer. anyone know

> wrote in message
ups.com...
> I Have A Vacuum Leak I Can Hear It Is there A Way to locate it cause i
> cant see it like can i spary starting fluid or water or something to
> find it easyer. anyone know
>
Spraying carb cleaner (although somewhat dangerous) is one way to narrow
down the location of a vacuum leak. The engine rpm will change when you
spray the cleaner near the vacuum leak. However, I would recommend just
using a 3 or 4 foot piece of rubber tubing as a stethoscope to locate the
exact source of the hissing sound made by the vacuum leak. If you press one
end of the hose tightly to your ear and probe the area with the other end,
you will be able to tell when you get close to and eventually right on the
site of the leak.
Inexpensive mechanics stethoscopes made for this purpose are also available
at most parts supply stores and can be purchased for as little as 10 or 15
dollars. They work better and are safer than just using a piece of hose.
--
Kevin Mouton
Automotive Technology Instructor
"If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy"
Red Green

"Kevin" > wrote in
news:IXLlg.57845$9c6.16864@dukeread11:

>
> > wrote in message
> ups.com...
>> I Have A Vacuum Leak I Can Hear It Is there A Way to locate it cause
>> i cant see it like can i spary starting fluid or water or something
>> to find it easyer. anyone know
>>
> Spraying carb cleaner (although somewhat dangerous) is one way to
> narrow down the location of a vacuum leak. The engine rpm will change
> when you spray the cleaner near the vacuum leak.


Why not use a propane torch? Unlit of course. You open the valve in the
area of the leak. I've seen this method used successfully before.

--
TeGGeR®

TeGGeR® a écrit :
> "Kevin" > wrote in
> news:IXLlg.57845$9c6.16864@dukeread11:
>
>> > wrote in message
>> ups.com...
>>> I Have A Vacuum Leak I Can Hear It Is there A Way to locate it cause
>>> i cant see it like can i spary starting fluid or water or something
>>> to find it easyer. anyone know
>>>
>> Spraying carb cleaner (although somewhat dangerous) is one way to
>> narrow down the location of a vacuum leak. The engine rpm will change
>> when you spray the cleaner near the vacuum leak.
>
>
> Why not use a propane torch? Unlit of course. You open the valve in the
> area of the leak. I've seen this method used successfully before.
>

Method is the same.

"TeGGeR®" > wrote in message
...
> "Kevin" > wrote in
> news:IXLlg.57845$9c6.16864@dukeread11:
>
> >
> > > wrote in message
> > ups.com...
> >> I Have A Vacuum Leak I Can Hear It Is there A Way to locate it cause
> >> i cant see it like can i spary starting fluid or water or something
> >> to find it easyer. anyone know
> >>
> > Spraying carb cleaner (although somewhat dangerous) is one way to
> > narrow down the location of a vacuum leak. The engine rpm will change
> > when you spray the cleaner near the vacuum leak.
>
>
> Why not use a propane torch? Unlit of course. You open the valve in the
> area of the leak. I've seen this method used successfully before.
>
> --
> TeGGeR®
>

It's harder to pinpoint a small leak using propane, but a little less
dangerous than carb cleaner. Half dozen of one and 6 of the other. A
stethoscope works much better and is a lot safer.

Kevin

On 19 Jun 2006 20:37:49 -0700, wrote:

>I Have A Vacuum Leak I Can Hear It Is there A Way to locate it cause i
>cant see it like can i spary starting fluid or water or something to
>find it easyer. anyone know

A smoke machine sure is nice! We will never go back!

Don
www.donsautomotive.com

"Donald Lewis" > wrote in message
...
> On 19 Jun 2006 20:37:49 -0700, wrote:
>
> >I Have A Vacuum Leak I Can Hear It Is there A Way to locate it cause i
> >cant see it like can i spary starting fluid or water or something to
> >find it easyer. anyone know
>
> A smoke machine sure is nice! We will never go back!
>
> Don
> www.donsautomotive.com
>

I just ordered one from Snap On. Never used one. Always said I was going to
make my own but never got around to it. Funds were available (use it or lose
it governmant grant stuff) so I popped for the Snappy. I still can't imagine
it being easier or quicker than using a stethoscope, but I'll give it a try.
Maybe on some of those hidden mysterious leaks that you are never real sure
about until you elliminated everything else. I hate those anyway, smoke
machine or not. Could be this time next year I will be saying the same as
you.... Never go back!

--
Kevin Mouton
Automotive Technology Instructor
"If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy"
Red Green

On Tue, 20 Jun 2006 22:27:08 -0500, "Kevin" > wrote:

>
>"Donald Lewis" > wrote in message
...
>> On 19 Jun 2006 20:37:49 -0700, wrote:
>>
>> >I Have A Vacuum Leak I Can Hear It Is there A Way to locate it cause i
>> >cant see it like can i spary starting fluid or water or something to
>> >find it easyer. anyone know
>>
>> A smoke machine sure is nice! We will never go back!
>>
>> Don
>> www.donsautomotive.com
>>
>
>I just ordered one from Snap On. Never used one. Always said I was going to
>make my own but never got around to it. Funds were available (use it or lose
>it governmant grant stuff) so I popped for the Snappy. I still can't imagine
>it being easier or quicker than using a stethoscope, but I'll give it a try.
>Maybe on some of those hidden mysterious leaks that you are never real sure
>about until you elliminated everything else. I hate those anyway, smoke
>machine or not.

Now that we have the smoke machine we LOVE them.

Example: late model Ford Explorer , P0171, stalls only during the
first minute after its started in the morning. Brought it inside and
"smoked" it cold. Intake manifold leak was obvious even though buried
under the plenum and other crap. But before the smoke machine we
could never fouond anything. Vacuum leak sealed with engine expansion
within a minute or two of startup.

Example: 96 Infiniti has mysterious persistent fuel odor. New gas
cap does not fix it. He goes to the dealer and they say new tank for
$870 so he comes back to us for second a opinion. Having just bought
the machine I couldn't resist asking him if they "smoked" it. He
called them back and reported that whenever he brought up the question
of whether a smoke machine was used for his $100 "diagnosis" they
tried to change the subject. I suggested he let us "smoke" it. We
hooked up the machine and removed the floor upholstery in the trunk
and saw smoke coming out of the fuel pump/sender plate. High
resistance at the fuel pump + feed had overheated the spade terminal
and melted the plastic slightly breaking the seal. Labor, "hangar
plate," smoke test charge and tax a little over $350 and we are the
good guys! He got his $100 back but said it was not easy.

We use the machine regularly similar to the above two examples and
probably don't use it nearly as much as we should.

Don
www.donsautomotive.com




>Could be this time next year I will be saying the same as
>you.... Never go back!
>
>--
>Kevin Mouton
>Automotive Technology Instructor
>"If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy"
>Red Green
>
>

"Donald Lewis" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 20 Jun 2006 22:27:08 -0500, "Kevin" > wrote:
>
> >
> >"Donald Lewis" > wrote in message
> ...
> >> On 19 Jun 2006 20:37:49 -0700, wrote:
> >>
> >> >I Have A Vacuum Leak I Can Hear It Is there A Way to locate it cause i
> >> >cant see it like can i spary starting fluid or water or something to
> >> >find it easyer. anyone know
> >>
> >> A smoke machine sure is nice! We will never go back!
> >>
> >> Don
> >> www.donsautomotive.com
> >>
> >
> >I just ordered one from Snap On. Never used one. Always said I was going
to
> >make my own but never got around to it. Funds were available (use it or
lose
> >it governmant grant stuff) so I popped for the Snappy. I still can't
imagine
> >it being easier or quicker than using a stethoscope, but I'll give it a
try.
> >Maybe on some of those hidden mysterious leaks that you are never real
sure
> >about until you elliminated everything else. I hate those anyway, smoke
> >machine or not.
>
> Now that we have the smoke machine we LOVE them.
>
> Example: late model Ford Explorer , P0171, stalls only during the
> first minute after its started in the morning. Brought it inside and
> "smoked" it cold. Intake manifold leak was obvious even though buried
> under the plenum and other crap. But before the smoke machine we
> could never fouond anything. Vacuum leak sealed with engine expansion
> within a minute or two of startup.
>
> Example: 96 Infiniti has mysterious persistent fuel odor. New gas
> cap does not fix it. He goes to the dealer and they say new tank for
> $870 so he comes back to us for second a opinion. Having just bought
> the machine I couldn't resist asking him if they "smoked" it. He
> called them back and reported that whenever he brought up the question
> of whether a smoke machine was used for his $100 "diagnosis" they
> tried to change the subject. I suggested he let us "smoke" it. We
> hooked up the machine and removed the floor upholstery in the trunk
> and saw smoke coming out of the fuel pump/sender plate. High
> resistance at the fuel pump + feed had overheated the spade terminal
> and melted the plastic slightly breaking the seal. Labor, "hangar
> plate," smoke test charge and tax a little over $350 and we are the
> good guys! He got his $100 back but said it was not easy.
>
> We use the machine regularly similar to the above two examples and
> probably don't use it nearly as much as we should.
>
> Don
> www.donsautomotive.com

WOW! Now I'm excited. I never even considered the possibility of finding
fuel vapor leaks. Maybe even water leaks in body seals! I can see this will
be helpful devise. Thanks for the tips.

--
Kevin Mouton
Automotive Technology Instructor
"If women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy"
Red Green

On Wed, 21 Jun 2006 20:50:16 -0500, "Kevin" > wrote:

>
>"Donald Lewis" > wrote in message
...
>> On Tue, 20 Jun 2006 22:27:08 -0500, "Kevin" > wrote:
>>
>> >
>> >"Donald Lewis" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> >> On 19 Jun 2006 20:37:49 -0700, wrote:
>> >>
>> >> >I Have A Vacuum Leak I Can Hear It Is there A Way to locate it cause i
>> >> >cant see it like can i spary starting fluid or water or something to
>> >> >find it easyer. anyone know
>> >>
>> >> A smoke machine sure is nice! We will never go back!
>> >>
>> >> Don
>> >> www.donsautomotive.com
>> >>
>> >
>> >I just ordered one from Snap On. Never used one. Always said I was going
>to
>> >make my own but never got around to it. Funds were available (use it or
>lose
>> >it governmant grant stuff) so I popped for the Snappy. I still can't
>imagine
>> >it being easier or quicker than using a stethoscope, but I'll give it a
>try.
>> >Maybe on some of those hidden mysterious leaks that you are never real
>sure
>> >about until you elliminated everything else. I hate those anyway, smoke
>> >machine or not.
>>
>> Now that we have the smoke machine we LOVE them.
>>
>> Example: late model Ford Explorer , P0171, stalls only during the
>> first minute after its started in the morning. Brought it inside and
>> "smoked" it cold. Intake manifold leak was obvious even though buried
>> under the plenum and other crap. But before the smoke machine we
>> could never fouond anything. Vacuum leak sealed with engine expansion
>> within a minute or two of startup.
>>
>> Example: 96 Infiniti has mysterious persistent fuel odor. New gas
>> cap does not fix it. He goes to the dealer and they say new tank for
>> $870 so he comes back to us for second a opinion. Having just bought
>> the machine I couldn't resist asking him if they "smoked" it. He
>> called them back and reported that whenever he brought up the question
>> of whether a smoke machine was used for his $100 "diagnosis" they
>> tried to change the subject. I suggested he let us "smoke" it. We
>> hooked up the machine and removed the floor upholstery in the trunk
>> and saw smoke coming out of the fuel pump/sender plate. High
>> resistance at the fuel pump + feed had overheated the spade terminal
>> and melted the plastic slightly breaking the seal. Labor, "hangar
>> plate," smoke test charge and tax a little over $350 and we are the
>> good guys! He got his $100 back but said it was not easy.
>>
>> We use the machine regularly similar to the above two examples and
>> probably don't use it nearly as much as we should.
>>
>> Don
>> www.donsautomotive.com
>
>WOW! Now I'm excited. I never even considered the possibility of finding
>fuel vapor leaks.

Its calibrated to test evaporative emissions. When testing
evaporative emissions systems they recommend you use a nitrogen bottle
instead of compressed air for safety reasons.

>Maybe even water leaks in body seals!

AC, vacuum controls for HVAC systems, exhaust systems, engine/
transmission oil leaks (does not work where there is standing liquid
or for high pressure leaks)

Don
www.donsautomotive.com

> I can see this will
>be helpful devise. Thanks for the tips.