exposing vacuum lines behind M54, to find a mystery leak

[X5chemist]

Does yours have a AIV intake tube on it? I just realized mine does not. I do have one that was ordered. I'll be installing it on the intake. If it's missing, your vacuum leak could be there.

[workingonit]

Originally Posted by X5chemist

Does yours have a AIV intake tube on it? I just realized mine does not. I do have one that was ordered. I'll be installing it on the intake. If it's missing, your vacuum leak could be there.

Yep, but I wasn't happy about the fit (IIRC, sorta loose two years ago). I might have to get another (plus other parts) after the smoke test.

By the way, it seems the real (not my homemade junk) smoke tester I ordered went missing before it reached me, so it might be awhile.

[workingonit]

17 days ago I showed three smoke testers for around $75 each, that I liked, after perusing Amazon & Ebay for a long time. https://xoutpost.com/1234590-post14.html

I had tried to repair my home-built tester, but the replacement heat source (another old soldering iron, like the first) didn't last but a minute, so I decided to quit wasting time and money on my own handiwork, and buy a commercially-marketed unit.

I waited nine days before I ordered one from my short list, and five more days for it to be delivered (it went missing for a couple). It arrived with the heater element broken. I wasn't sure if it had been damaged in transit (while it was missing), though the packaging looked pristine, or if the seller had lousy quality control.

I contacted both Amazon and the seller, and another unit was sent...broken in the same fashion (heat wiring broken/missing). I was told to keep the first (by the seller) and return the second (by Amazon...I don't understand why not return both?), and I was promised a discount once I purchased another brand (as compensation for my time spent waiting for the testers to arrive, and 1.5 hours of my time invested on phone calls and chats with them).

So, I just received the AutoLine Pro Automotive Smoke Machine, which was listed for $102 on 11-23-23 (as a Black Friday special...down from $120). My promised discount/compensation will be the difference between what I paid for the non-functional unit(s) and the $102 sale price of the other brand. P.S. the new Cyber Monday price has dropped to $95...maybe I can renegotiate?




This Autoline unit is built much better than the AKWH units, which I had bought thinking that they were just cheaper clones ($44 cheaper, at that time) of it. I guess you get what you pay for sometimes, since the Autoline is sturdier, sealed better, packaged better, and was inspected/sealed/initialed before shipping. Though the AKWH seller was nice/generous/apologetic, he'd be better served by hiring a product inspection/quality control team.

I was trying to save a few bucks (to spend on parts) by buying an offshore product, instead of the made-in-USA Autoline unit that it was a copy of. It was the Autoline unit that I'd really wanted, but again, I was on a fool's errand trying to save money.

Still, I'm actually hesitant to test it anyway, since I'm somehow feeling jinxed at this point.

And, by the way, with everyone on all the various BMW forums always pushing for smoke testing, why have I never seen anyone ever give a product review or recommendation for a smoke tester?????

[80stech]

I have never done a smoke test and don't have a smoke tester but may eventually buy one so I appreciate you sharing your experience and look forward toward your review

[X5chemist]

Originally Posted by workingonit

And, by the way, with everyone on all the various BMW forums always pushing for smoke testing, why have I never seen anyone ever give a product review or recommendation for a smoke tester?????

It's a troubleshooting thing. I've never done or needed one. I've usually find vacuum loss parts fairly quick. However, those are domestic cars. BMW has a lot of places for issues. The intake itself can crack. With so many possible areas of vacuum loss, I would save time and have it smoked before I spent hours trying to find a small leak. I just put mine back together after a coolant refresh. Plus, CCV and associated hoses. I used grease on all o rings. I made sure all connections snapped into place. One connection kept coming off. I couldn't get it to snap into place. A little grease and more push snapped it into place. Another 50-100 miles will tell me if I screwed up or missed a connection somewhere.

Good luck!

[workingonit]

Originally Posted by X5chemist

... I've usually find vacuum loss parts fairly quick. However, those are domestic cars. BMW has a lot of places for issues. The intake itself can crack. With so many possible areas of vacuum loss, I would save time and have it smoked before I spent hours trying to find a small leak....

I've been working on cars since 1966, when there were few vacuum leaks (if any), and were easy to find. I learned to tune most of them with only a timing light and vacuum gauge (+ a dwell meter, if one was available, back in the points ignition era; I haven't had a points ignition vehicle since '96, when I converted my '69 C-10 to HEI).

As for finding vacuum leaks (anywhere near or leading to the intake), I always used carb cleaner or starting fluid, or on other leaks (like to the brake booster or vacuum-powered windshield wipers...on pre-60's GM cars) I preferred to use soapy water. I've never had to use smoke before the X5.

I was quoted $150 or more for a shop to smoke test for me; that just rubbed me wrong. I'd rather spend that amount or more, buying my own tester, and replacing every possibly-leaking part (via parts cannon) before paying some kids to blow smoke into my car (it'd feel more like blowing smoke up my ass). Especially if they said they couldn't find a leak.

[workingonit]

Originally Posted by workingonit

... I ordered one from my short list, and (waited) five more days for it to be delivered (it went missing for a couple). It arrived with the heater element broken...

I contacted both Amazon and the seller, and another unit was sent...broken in the same fashion (heat wiring broken/missing). I was told to keep the first (by the seller) and return the second (by Amazon...I don't understand why not return both?)....

After not feeling right about keeping the first tester, though the seller said to, I'm returning both separately tomorrow via UPS return labels (one was a QR code sent to my email during a phone conversation with an actual live Amazon customer service representative!, and the other was a printout form on my Amazon orders page, after a "chat" with a rep on their site).

Though the seller sent defective merchandise twice (thru Amazon), why should I benefit, and he and Amazon lose money? No malice intended, I'm sure. But in a face-to-face transaction where someone tries to cheat me, I'm not so forgiving...just saying....

[X5chemist]

$10 smoke machine.
I have that Harbor Freight fluid pump. I need a cheap cigar!

[workingonit]

Originally Posted by X5chemist

$10 smoke machine.
I have that Harbor Freight fluid pump. I need a cheap cigar!

I've used my cheap siphon fluid pump from Amazon (probably $8 then, $10.50 now) several times for subtracting/adding tranny fluids, draining a washer, and it worked ok for the homemade smoke tester. It was the lousy soldering iron that failed.

It was worth the money spent, and I keep it handy, along with my other "fluid transfer tools" (cheap pump, 12v pump, turkey baster, Vacuum Pump Brake Bleeder Kit...no direct fluid contact, Motive Products Power Bleeder 2-Quart Tank with Hose and Adapter).

I wouldn't bother with the cigar, though, but maybe you should get an AutoLine Pro Automotive Smoke Machine Leak Detector EVAP Vacuum Diagnostic Tester | Shop Series | Assembled in the USA, like I finally did. I haven't actually used mine yet (it's always something else), but I'm sure it'll do the job. Maybe you'd prefer the self-contained air pump model, but I have a compressor handy, so I didn't get it.

Here' a video I found yesterday about it: https://youtu.be/0sCT81zUiOQ