Need a smoke machine

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There are a lot of videos on youtube that instructs in such a project. Smo ke machines are extraordinarily handy in "smoking" out leaks.

My son's Jeep Grand Cherokee has about 300K miles on it and needed to pass emissions (which demands no CEL). My buddy has a pro machine and found see ping hoses, mostly around back near the tank. No smoking gun (yep) but a l ot of tiny issues that an old high mileage vehicle will have.

There are a bunch of sellers on ebay providing a pretty good device for $80 including freight. For the time and parts, you can't beat this. They also include a pressure regulator to make sure you don't blast anything in the evap system.

The troll is back.

Please do not feed the troll.

I often look on YouTube to find solutions!

Look here, Tomos!

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The only people who make a difference are the people who believe they can.

Buy a special effects smoke machine like the ones that always go on sale around Halloween and mash together some adapter fittings. I bought one on Kijiji for something like $20 Canadian(including a "bottle of smoke"

In , David B. suggested:

Nice link! Since I watched it, I'll summrize for those who didn't.

< 1 > Paint can < 2 > Drill two 1/2-inch holes in the lid < 3 > Screw in male-threaded quick-connect for air hoses < 4 > RTV them or put a nut to prevent air leaks < 5 > 3/8-inch tubing on the quick connect < 6 > Regulate air compressor to 2 to 5 psi to test for leaks < 7 > Wet half a rag with baby oil & place in the paint can < 8 > Light the top of the rag and cap the paint can < 9 > INLET is 2psi from the air compressor < 10 > OUTLET is 3/8-inch vinyl tubing filling with smoke Then on the vehicle < 11 > Pull off the power brake vacuum hose from the manifold < 12 > Remove throttle body tube & block the throttle body < 13 > Connect to intake manifold where the brake booster went < 14 > Look for smoke!

The theory is that the fire can be kept going with the air coming in from the compressor and the air pressure of 2psi will push the smoke through the vehicle plumbing.

The caution is that most air compressors don't have a regulator that can go that low reliably, and you don't want too much psi or you cause leaks.

I wonder if a diesel glow plug and hookup to the car battery will be better for generating the smoke from the rag soaked in baby oil (he said mineral oil is the same thing I think).

In , snipped-for-privacy@snyder.on.ca suggested:

They may work if they have about 2psi of air pressure (or if it can be bottled somehow to leak 2psi through a 3/8ths inch vinyl hose.

There's an easier way to find a vacuum leak.

Disconnect the throttle control motor and spray the hoses with ether, which is starting fluid. When the RPMs go up, there's your leak.

This will set a code so if it is OBD2 you'll need a method to reset it.

Around the engine yes, but there are vacuum lines running all the way back to the gas tank. I had a small evap leak code on one of my cars and it was a bad gas cap. No propane or ether would induce an rpm change back there.

Use a propane regulator to regulate the pressure down to the 2psi range., and yes, most baby oil is "mineral oil" and yes a deisel glow plug can be used to make the smoke - just make sure it is a 12 volt glow plug, not one that is connected in a series string. I've got a fog machine - a little more elegany solution with less danger and still to a degree DIY - and a lot cheaper than the "made for the job" unit.

Not sure what the actual pressure is but it is enough to disburse the smoke throughout the system and not enough to damage anytging - particularly if you use a rubber glove as a "plug" on the intake system.As long as you are not "given the finger" by the glove, the pressure is safe - and you control it with the "trigger" button. I have not made the custom adapter yet, but I plan on making a sort of "heat exchanger" to fasten to the outlet to cool it before connecting the hose. An aluminum or copper "pipe" with fins fastened or machined on it.