vacuum leaks

[shakee]

what is the best way to check for vacuum leaks???

[shorod]

There are a lot of possible opinions to this question. It partly can depend on where the suspected leak is, what tools you have available to you, and what tools you're willing to buy.

Possibly the best way to check for vacuum leaks is to use a smoke generator and connect that to your intake. The use a good light and a careful eye to check for wisps of smoke, then trace the wisp to the source. If your vehicle has vacuum actuated HVAC or other interior vacuum items, don't forget to check inside the car.

If you don't have or are unwilling to purchase a smoke machine setup, then a can of throttle body cleaner or similar can be used with a running engine to locate an area of a vacuum leak. The theory here is the quality of the way the engine is running will change when the leak sucks in the chemical. Obviously spraying a flammable liquid under the hood of a running engine poses a bit of a fire risk, and you wouldn't want to use this method inside he car as the chemical can attack several types of plastics.

Another method is simply to use a good light source, your eyes, ears, and a vacuum diagram for your particular vehicle to check all vacuum lines. Of course the vacuum diagram won't necessarily help you identify a leak from a gasketed surface or due to a crack or joint in the intake air tubing.

-Rod