Smoke testing, done wrong (at first)

1) Homemade tester: I made my own tester using a sauerkraut jar, a wick, and a (now)$10 soldering iron. I used a (now)$10 fuel/oil siphon pump to supply air. It worked for just a few minutes (total time over three tries), but produced a low volume of smoke and the soldering iron failed. I didn't find any vacuum leaks using it.
Attachment 83714

2) Seeking Professional help (for smoke testing, not psychiatric): While getting my wife's '98 GMC's tires replaced, new rear brake cylinders and hoses replaced, and brake fluid renewed & bled, I inquired about smoke testing the X5 at both shops. I was quoted $150 at one, $160 at the other shop. I declined.

3) Having fun buying a tester from Amazon: I perused Ebay and Amazon for months, trying to find a cheap, but good-working "professionally constructed" smoke tester, before I bought one (I was trying to get one for around $75 (but of a certain design I liked...). https://xoutpost.com/1234590-post14.html I bought one of them (AKWH) from Amazon, but it and its' replacement arrived broken; my recouse was to buy the original it was a clone of (Autoline Pro) for $102 (down from $120 for Black Friday), and negotiated a further discount from Amazon for the time and effort I spent on the phone with customer service and boxing-up & shipping the defective clones I sent back. https://xoutpost.com/1235012-post23.html I still haven't actually used it yet, something is alway coming up to prevent me from doing so, but it looks great!

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01 BMW X5 E53,3.0i-5L40E, 7/13/01
topas-blau,Leder-grau,"resto-project car"

Here:
14 Lexus ES350,3.5L-U660E
09 HHR Panel,2.2L-4T45E
04 Chevy 2500HD,6.0L-4L80E
98 GMC Sierra 1500,5.7L-4L60E

Gone:
66 Chevelle Malibu 2dr ht.,327>441c.i.-TH350>PGlide/transbrake
08 Cobalt Coupe,2.2L-4T45E
69 & 75 C10s,350c.i.-TH350
86 S10,2.8L-700R4
73 Volvo 142,2.0L-MT4
72 & 73 VW SuperBeetles,1.6l-MT4
64 VW,1.2l-MT4
67 Dodge Monaco 500 2dr ht.,383c.i.-A727
56 Chevy 210 4dr,265c.i.-PGlide