TIL my old way of checking for vacuum leaks was costing me hours

For years, I'd just spray carb cleaner around the intake and listen for the engine to stumble, which was messy and sometimes hard to hear. Last month, a guy at the shop in Tacoma showed me his $80 smoke machine. You hook it up, turn it on, and see the smoke puff right out of the leak, no guessing. I used it on a 2012 Civic that was running rough and found a cracked hose in under five minutes. Anyone else made a switch like this that saved a ton of time?

3 comments

3 Comments

avery_walker302mo ago

Yeah but that smoke trick is a game changer for the tiny leaks you can't hear. My buddy found one on his truck that was just a faint hiss, saved him chasing a ghost for a weekend.

the_jesse2mo ago

Honestly, I'm sticking with the carb cleaner trick. That smoke machine is just another expensive tool to store, and my ears work fine. Sometimes the old way is just simpler.

anderson.spencer23d ago

Ha! Never thought about it that way @the_jesse, but what about the time you spend spraying and chasing with that can? I'd rather push a button and watch the smoke do the work in 2 minutes.