Cars/Motorcycles

How to find a vacuum leak in a car

find a vacuum leak in a car

A vacuum leak in your car engine can lead to rough idling, high revving or uneven speeds, and even triggering a control warning light in your dash. And don’t forget the extra fuel you will be burning because the engine is not running properly or smoothly.

But how do you find a vacuum leak in a car without having to reach into your wallet and pay a mechanic to do it for you? We will show you how to easily find a vacuum leak in a car — and save you money.

Professionals at the mechanic’s garage find leaks by filling the engine with smoke and searching for streaks in it as the vacuum leak makes the air move. But you can even look for leaks with an ordinary spray bottle using this simple technique we outline below.

Find a vacuum leak in a car: how to do it

  • Scan all vacuum lines under the hood that could be the cause of the problem.
  • Then start the engine and let it idle gently.
  • With some clean water in a spread bottle, spray each connection with a light stream of water.
  • When a connection sucks in the water, you have found your leak.
  • One you have found which line is the faulty one, you need to think about replacing it soon. In the meantime, sometimes taping it with duct tape can help as a temporary fix, although it is difficult to make the tape seal perfectly enough to stop air leaking in.
  • Then you can get help from the parts and accessories department of the dealership, where you or a local car center can replace it or you can do it yourself if it is a simple enough line to access and connect a new one..

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