16

One of our cars has a bit of a rough idle which disappears at about 1,000 RPM. After eliminating everything else I concluded that this is due to a minor vacuum leak. This was confirmed by the use of a gauge connected to the system, which showed the pressure rising (i.e. losing vacuum) when it should have held steady.

How can I test the vacuum system without actually dismantling its numerous parts and testing each hose, valve and fitting individually? I've considered piping smoke through the system and seeing where it comes out but some of it won't tolerate positive pressure, even low pressure.

Improve this question

6 Answers 6

Reset to default
9

Take a small propane tank, hook up a hose to it and open the valve slightly. Start following the vacuum lines until you hear the idle go up; that's where your vacuum leak is.

The reason that works is that vacuum leaks are places where the vacuum system is open and drawing in air unmetered, causing the system to have a different fuel/air mixture than the computer expects. When you get the propane near an opening in the vacuum system, it sucks in the propane and it changes the mixture again.

Improve this answer
3
  • Thanks, I'll give that a try but I'm not not altogether hopeful. It's an elaborate vacuum system, with much of it very difficult to get to. Still, it's well worth a shot.
    – John Gardeniers
    Mar 8, 2011 at 4:32
  • How safe is this? That is, how safe is it to have propane near a running engine? Or, alternatively, how can I make this as safe as possible?
    – Don
    Mar 25, 2011 at 17:28
  • @Don Probably "not very safe". Keep a fire extinguisher ready. Maybe only have the propane "on" for 20 or 30 seconds, then turn it off to let it disperse, you don't want it to pool together waiting for a spark & fireball. Wear safety glasses, gloves, a face protector...
    – Xen2050
    Apr 28, 2016 at 1:51
7

Smoke and propane both work well. Another option is a rubber hose stethoscope. This isolates the noise to the end of the hose, and will make a vacuum leak hiss fairly loudly.

If you have a stethoscope with the metal rod that you use for putting on the engine block, just yank the rod part out of the hose and viola! You have a new tool.

You may be able to squeeze the hose into some places without dismantling as much stuff.

Improve this answer
1
  • The air makes a hissing noise going in, nice...
    – rogerdpack
    Apr 24, 2019 at 3:11
5

Smoke, propane, stethoscope, and carb cleaner all work well. The last option is highly flammable and much more dangerous than propane because it sits and accumulates on the engine. It doesn't evaporate all that quickly, either. It's a very effective way to check a particular spot, to see if your hunch is right, but it's essential that you have a good fire extinguisher right nearby if you want to go down that route.

Improve this answer
0
3

I've used soapy water with some measure of success in the past. Just put some dishwashing liquid and water in a spray bottle and spray each section of each hose. Keep your eyes open.

Improve this answer
1
  • You watch the water or watch to see if the idle "comes back down to normal"?
    – rogerdpack
    Apr 24, 2019 at 3:12
0

According to this another option is to pinch off each hose one at a time. Start with

"Here's the easy way to determine if a vacuum leak is causing the problem. Remove the air cleaner. Start the engine and let it idle. Slowly and carefully place your hands over the carburetor throat. The idea is to choke the engine slightly. If the engine picks up speed, you've got a vacuum leak.

If the engine slows down or dies, the trouble is elsewhere."

Improve this answer
0

I really like the smoke injection method, since it also tests your head gasket etc. Your engine doesn't have to be on, it can be warm, the exact symptom doesn't have to be present even.

You can buy some on ebay/amazon for like $100 or even make your own for $15 that uses a bike pump.

"With the engine off, a low-pressure mineral vapor is fed into the intake manifold using a “smoke machine.” Vapor mist leaking anywhere out of the manifold indicates a leak." ref

Improve this answer

You must log in to answer this question.

Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged .