I used an adjustable speed lawn blower the first time I did this. The second time, I hooked up a shop vac with the hose on the discharge of the vacuum. Both worked great! Found the leaks in just a few moments.
Thank you! Yes, and if you add any kind of pressurized air like using a bike tire air pump or ball pump, you can make it more effective by adding pressure in the system (so the smoke would be pushed out through any leaks even more). I don't smoke but thank god for VAPE PENS! They are cheap compared to a real smoke tester machine that costs like hundreds of dollars even thousand.
I have heard that starting this with the oil cap off first then when the smoke start coming out the cap you know it’s through the system fully, then screw the cap back on then you know it’s fully working
You need at least 2 to 5 PSI to find small leaks. I don't think your breath will be able to produce that. I also use Vape liquid in my own homemade built leak detector but I also use an Electric tire pump to pump the pressure through the tube
He forgot to mention that using a THC vaping liquid will make all that work much more enjoyable, you will even perform this test on other peoples care for the small price of a bag of Cheetos!! On a serious point, I see it mentioned in post already, and that is the idea behind the smoke test is maintaining the 2-5ish PSI for an extended time, allowing the smoke to find all the leaks. I along with other do not believe that is sustainable using this method. Great idea overall no doubt, but the pressure needs more work. Still a thumbs up for the idea.
Yes, pressure is needed for sure to find the smaller leaks. Without pressure it won't find it's way through tight cracks but only the gaping holes. Excuse my language lol
This looks like a 2.0 TFSI engine, am I correct? I have the same engine in my Mk5 Golf GTI and I suspect I have a vacuum leak, I do have a vape I can use for this Does the engine need to be running for this test?
You are right! This is a 2.0 TFSI engine (EA113). I found out afterwards that the vape pen alone is only useful if you have a really big leak. Without any added pressurized air, the smoke alone won't be able to escape through leaks that only open up under pressure (ie. when driving under load). I did mine when the engine was off. It would work better if the engine is on I suppose (because it would be sucking in air but it'd also be letting it out via the exhaust system) but again, without any pressurize, you won't find the small tighter leaks but it will work fine for large leaks. With the engine off, I think trying to pressurize the system by using an air pump (like a bicycle/ball air pump) would work well to add some pressure while running the vape smoke.
If you are a vaper or smoker, you could easily just skip the balloon/breather hose part and just vape into the engine hoses directly from your mouth haha. But this method is for people like me who are not vapers/smokers so we don't have to use our own lungs for this ♥
If you have a 12 volt tire inflater you can remove the fill valve on the hose of the inflator and tape it to the plastic hose for pressure 😉. Tape up your carb or intake, remove and plug up map sensor hose with bolt 🔩 and connect vape to your brake booster hose and test it 👍
I'm not certain if you can do it on a motorcycle as I have no experience with them BUT there is no reason why a smoke tester theoretically wouldn't work. It would perform the same thing (find leaks), you just have to find the right place to put the smoke in and make sure the system is vacuum sealed tight.
Yes but I would recommend if you can pressurize it somehow, the results will be better. Unfortunately I didn't pressurize it so small leaks will be hard to find .
Wow, thanks for asking. That is beyond my expertise. I'm sorry I couldn't give any suggestions. I could recommend a couple good forums that might be able to help: pistonheads (mainly UK but very large group around the world), or a smaller group at "doityourself" dot com under the category "forums" and "automotive repair". I've had pretty good experiences with them.
69 corvettes are un fixable. But, I’ll be a nice guy and take it off your hands. 69 had those troublesome vac operated headlights and wiper door. You should be able ti remove just about any vacuum line and inject smoke there. Remember to plug the line you disconnected from
This the best one yet... I’d used a compressor tho to consistently keep pressurizing the system u won’t need to hold the vape button the whole time but at least with the compressor you’ll know your keeping the pressure consistent just don’t overdue it and create a leak. Good stuff tho ima try this vape method! Thanks!!
Hi, my audi a4 b7 has a turbo. So if I just push the smoke into the air intake the smoke would go through the turbo and ends up at the throttle body. What about all the vaccum hoses? Does the throttle have to be open? Thanks.
Theoretically yes but there is disadvantage which is if your leak is not a big one, since there is no pressurized air, it won't likely find small leaks but only large ones. For small leaks, you'll need to find a way to pressurize the air....for example you can use a bicycle air pump or more expensive option an actual air pressurizer machine.
@@jameshackerson3518 since it's not pressurized I'm sure it will be fine. Some people have suggest you can create your own pressurized system using an air compressor or even one of those bike/ball air pumps.
breakaway2x yes. My ltft value is -18 and rarely p0172 dtc. Fuel system vcds check is without problem. I change the DV and PCV. I will do the Smoke test after my holiday.
@@hakanbeyciful I was told it could be several reasons which makes it difficult to narrow down unless I just replace all the parts. I should start with the easiest and cheapest things first: check for any boost/vacuum leaks, TB (already cleaned), DV, PCV, wastegate actuator, charcoal canister (replaced), leaky fuel injector, O2 sensors, MAF (cleaned), carbon build up on intake valves (didn't walnut blast them yet), and a few other possible culprits...just too many to know what exactly it could be
I would love to but the damn ATP Tennis corporation blocks content and clips. It's so frustrating and I didn't want to waste hours of work just to have the video blocked by ATP Tennis. I'll probably make one much later on when I have time to do it. Thanks for the request!
Thanks for asking. Not for this test since the car is parked and has no load. In other tests where you are testing for leaks, you might drive the car around some and see the results but this one is supposed to just find any leaks if a) there's enough pressurized air in the system or b) the leak is a big one where the smoke will come out on its own. Tiny leaks will be hard to find with this test since those may seem closed at idle but when driven will open up under pressure.
@@breakaway2x I drive 1999 323i 4 door automatic. I jut replaced the intake manifold it's absolutely clean and everything is fresh and perfect, the hoses the throttle body, the intake valve, the resonance valve, everything it' in great shape. But, there is still the same code coming back the P01423 and P01421 I replaced the vacuum switch it's located by the firewall. Today the same codes is came back again. I did the smoke test with throttle body open, I don't see any smoke leaking.
there are many ways you can check for leaks. Buying a real smoke testing costs hundreds of dollars. This is a simple alternative to an expensive smoke tester machine.
Not really, vac leaks are a pain in the ass to track down and this is arguably the best way to find them. Can't say it's a simple problem if it's stumping you so much you felt the need to watch this video
I am not monetized so if you want to leave a tip to say thanks, please buy me a coffee below:
☕ www.buymeacoffee.com/breakaway2x
I used an adjustable speed lawn blower the first time I did this. The second time, I hooked up a shop vac with the hose on the discharge of the vacuum.
Both worked great! Found the leaks in just a few moments.
Excellent tip! Yes, there are many ways to create your own vacuum leak test! :)
Did you do it with smoke or just plain air and look for the hissing noise?
Scotty kilmer did this with just the hose and a cigar and that alone worked but I think you'll need some pressure to find those small leaks tho..
The balloon changed from white to red!!! Cool magic trick!!! 😉
This should be a LOT more popular. This is a great way to quickly check for vac leaks without making it a huge fucking deal. Really nice vid, thanks!
Thank you! Yes, and if you add any kind of pressurized air like using a bike tire air pump or ball pump, you can make it more effective by adding pressure in the system (so the smoke would be pushed out through any leaks even more). I don't smoke but thank god for VAPE PENS! They are cheap compared to a real smoke tester machine that costs like hundreds of dollars even thousand.
This is a great idea! Plus it's compact and doesn't take alot if space. Good thinking about taking out the MAF sensor 👍
Thanks! Yes, vape pens are so compact and simple to use and create so much vape smoke and they are pretty cheap.
The best of them all.
I have heard that starting this with the oil cap off first then when the smoke start coming out the cap you know it’s through the system fully, then screw the cap back on then you know it’s fully working
Another great tip!
u may have fixed ur vacuum leak, but your car now has intake manifold cancer.
hehe
you are the BESTTTTTT... many thanks
thanks Robert! Hope it helps! It will help more if you can pressurize the air (ie. use an air pump or compressed air machine etc).
You need at least 2 to 5 PSI to find small leaks. I don't think your breath will be able to produce that. I also use Vape liquid in my own homemade built leak detector but I also use an Electric tire pump to pump the pressure through the tube
yes true! Some pressure would be better for small leaks.
He forgot to mention that using a THC vaping liquid will make all that work much more enjoyable, you will even perform this test on other peoples care for the small price of a bag of Cheetos!! On a serious point, I see it mentioned in post already, and that is the idea behind the smoke test is maintaining the 2-5ish PSI for an extended time, allowing the smoke to find all the leaks. I along with other do not believe that is sustainable using this method. Great idea overall no doubt, but the pressure needs more work. Still a thumbs up for the idea.
Yes, pressure is needed for sure to find the smaller leaks. Without pressure it won't find it's way through tight cracks but only the gaping holes. Excuse my language lol
Excellent idea
thanks! yes vapes are pretty fun to use lol
This looks like a 2.0 TFSI engine, am I correct? I have the same engine in my Mk5 Golf GTI and I suspect I have a vacuum leak, I do have a vape I can use for this
Does the engine need to be running for this test?
You are right! This is a 2.0 TFSI engine (EA113). I found out afterwards that the vape pen alone is only useful if you have a really big leak. Without any added pressurized air, the smoke alone won't be able to escape through leaks that only open up under pressure (ie. when driving under load). I did mine when the engine was off. It would work better if the engine is on I suppose (because it would be sucking in air but it'd also be letting it out via the exhaust system) but again, without any pressurize, you won't find the small tighter leaks but it will work fine for large leaks.
With the engine off, I think trying to pressurize the system by using an air pump (like a bicycle/ball air pump) would work well to add some pressure while running the vape smoke.
This is a great idea! Thanks
Hope it helps! Yes, vape pens are so inexpensive (affordable) and add your own bike/tire air pump to add some pressure too
a vape pen! Brilliant.
i had a lot of fun making the video too LOL
If you are a vaper or smoker, you could easily just skip the balloon/breather hose part and just vape into the engine hoses directly from your mouth haha. But this method is for people like me who are not vapers/smokers so we don't have to use our own lungs for this ♥
If you have a 12 volt tire inflater you can remove the fill valve on the hose of the inflator and tape it to the plastic hose for pressure 😉.
Tape up your carb or intake, remove and plug up map sensor hose with bolt 🔩 and connect vape to your brake booster hose and test it 👍
Great tip!
Which hose that you connect the gloves? is that air filter hose that connect to airbox or turbo turbo hose?
So does the strategy with the vape only work for Subarus?
vapes are quite versatile. You can use them for many things ^^
Do I need to buy liquid for the vape pen?
Yes the vape pen requires e-liquid you can buy anywhere. The cheapest ones will work fine too... mine only cost about $5
Can you use this test on the motorcycle. Where would you put the glove intake
I'm not certain if you can do it on a motorcycle as I have no experience with them BUT there is no reason why a smoke tester theoretically wouldn't work. It would perform the same thing (find leaks), you just have to find the right place to put the smoke in and make sure the system is vacuum sealed tight.
Connect a bike tire pump to the hose to create more pressure
great tip!
Good one
thank you. I found that it works much better if it is pressurized though. Without pressure, it's hard to find small leaks.
Why Middlefinger ?
My car has Smal evap Leak
I can try this method on it ?
Yes but I would recommend if you can pressurize it somehow, the results will be better. Unfortunately I didn't pressurize it so small leaks will be hard to find .
@@breakaway2x thank you for reply..
If you're familiar with a 1969 Corvette, could you give me some guidance as to where I would hook this homemade smoke machine up to? Thank you!
Wow, thanks for asking. That is beyond my expertise. I'm sorry I couldn't give any suggestions. I could recommend a couple good forums that might be able to help: pistonheads (mainly UK but very large group around the world), or a smaller group at "doityourself" dot com under the category "forums" and "automotive repair". I've had pretty good experiences with them.
69 corvettes are un fixable. But, I’ll be a nice guy and take it off your hands. 69 had those troublesome vac operated headlights and wiper door. You should be able ti remove just about any vacuum line and inject smoke there. Remember to plug the line you disconnected from
Disconnect vacuum line at the intake manifold from the power brake booster. Seal top of carb. Pay close attention to the throttle plate bushings.
This the best one yet... I’d used a compressor tho to consistently keep pressurizing the system u won’t need to hold the vape button the whole time but at least with the compressor you’ll know your keeping the pressure consistent just don’t overdue it and create a leak. Good stuff tho ima try this vape method! Thanks!!
agreed! a bike/ball air pump if no compressor present could be useful too!
@@breakaway2x is there a psi I should try staying under? And would this smoke test reveal if an injector or evap has a leak?
Hi, my audi a4 b7 has a turbo. So if I just push the smoke into the air intake the smoke would go through the turbo and ends up at the throttle body. What about all the vaccum hoses? Does the throttle have to be open? Thanks.
Theoretically yes but there is disadvantage which is if your leak is not a big one, since there is no pressurized air, it won't likely find small leaks but only large ones. For small leaks, you'll need to find a way to pressurize the air....for example you can use a bicycle air pump or more expensive option an actual air pressurizer machine.
I couldn't find my leak so I had to take it into a shop where they used pressurized air and they found it in a couple minutes.
Do you have the car in the run positon? Or just off?
In my case I had to do it with the engine off (I removed the maf sensor).
@@breakaway2x thinking I'll do it past my map sensor. Think it'll go thru the throttle body?
@@jameshackerson3518 since it's not pressurized I'm sure it will be fine. Some people have suggest you can create your own pressurized system using an air compressor or even one of those bike/ball air pumps.
@@breakaway2x that would be the best method.
Awesome
using a vaper was so much fun too haha
Did you solve your running rich problem
Not yet. Do you also have that issue?
breakaway2x yes. My ltft value is -18 and rarely p0172 dtc. Fuel system vcds check is without problem. I change the DV and PCV. I will do the Smoke test after my holiday.
@@hakanbeyciful I was told it could be several reasons which makes it difficult to narrow down unless I just replace all the parts. I should start with the easiest and cheapest things first: check for any boost/vacuum leaks, TB (already cleaned), DV, PCV, wastegate actuator, charcoal canister (replaced), leaky fuel injector, O2 sensors, MAF (cleaned), carbon build up on intake valves (didn't walnut blast them yet), and a few other possible culprits...just too many to know what exactly it could be
Unless I'm missing something you never said where to hook it up to the car he said everything but the important part
anywhere after the MAF sensor is good or in the brake booster line.
Dude this test means small exhaust leaks as well
yes great for finding any leaks....pressurized would obviously be best if possible
I don't see how you could build enough pressure to determine if you had a leak. There's bound to be valves open -
true. To make it better, you could use a an air pump if you don't have one of those professional air compressor machines.
Is that a VW? Looks like my passat engine 😂
Nice eye! Mine was a VW yes but it was a Scirocco....2.0L TFSI engine...i believe some vw models all use or share the same engine models.
Typical 2.0 fsi engine needing leak tested
yes, seems to be a common issue :(
bro make new video about tennis,big 3 and the GOAT.
I would love to but the damn ATP Tennis corporation blocks content and clips. It's so frustrating and I didn't want to waste hours of work just to have the video blocked by ATP Tennis. I'll probably make one much later on when I have time to do it. Thanks for the request!
@@breakaway2x much have change in atp Tennis and big3.
👍👍👏👏😃😃
make the music stop
LOL
Ich küss dein Herz
Too much just get a ballon inflator from the dollar tree
yup that will work as pressurizer for the vape smoke.
🤦🏽♀️🤷🏽♀️
♥
hi there, thank you for your video, the question is should I push the accelerate pedal during the test?
Thanks for asking. Not for this test since the car is parked and has no load. In other tests where you are testing for leaks, you might drive the car around some and see the results but this one is supposed to just find any leaks if a) there's enough pressurized air in the system or b) the leak is a big one where the smoke will come out on its own. Tiny leaks will be hard to find with this test since those may seem closed at idle but when driven will open up under pressure.
@@breakaway2x I drive 1999 323i 4 door automatic. I jut replaced the intake manifold it's absolutely clean and everything is fresh and perfect, the hoses the throttle body, the intake valve, the resonance valve, everything it' in great shape. But, there is still the same code coming back the P01423 and P01421 I replaced the vacuum switch it's located by the firewall. Today the same codes is came back again. I did the smoke test with throttle body open, I don't see any smoke leaking.
Too long test style for a simple problem...uff...
there are many ways you can check for leaks. Buying a real smoke testing costs hundreds of dollars. This is a simple alternative to an expensive smoke tester machine.
Not really, vac leaks are a pain in the ass to track down and this is arguably the best way to find them. Can't say it's a simple problem if it's stumping you so much you felt the need to watch this video