Smoke Machine?
Discussion
I have a car which seems to have a small leak, and it's damp inside on mornings like today. I think it's a door seal, because of where the wet bits are, but the seals all look perfect. A a smoke machine could help me pin it down.
Is it something worth buying? Can I hire one? Is there another method?
Is it something worth buying? Can I hire one? Is there another method?
Doofus said:
I have a car which seems to have a small leak, and it's damp inside on mornings like today. I think it's a door seal, because of where the wet bits are, but the seals all look perfect. A a smoke machine could help me pin it down.
Is it something worth buying? Can I hire one? Is there another method?
Find a corner shop with vape smoking youths outside?Is it something worth buying? Can I hire one? Is there another method?
I picked up a second hand smoke machine (as in one for nightclubs etc) for not much on ebay, worked well for finding a vacuum leak on my intake system, would work well for identifying dodgy seals too I would have thought.
shalmaneser said:
Find a corner shop with vape smoking youths outside?
I picked up a second hand smoke machine (as in one for nightclubs etc) for not much on ebay, worked well for finding a vacuum leak on my intake system, would work well for identifying dodgy seals too I would have thought.
Well I've had a look on eBay amd it turns out they cost pretty well nuppence anyway, so I may as well buy one. Do they leave a residue?I picked up a second hand smoke machine (as in one for nightclubs etc) for not much on ebay, worked well for finding a vacuum leak on my intake system, would work well for identifying dodgy seals too I would have thought.
My concern with that approach is that there will be a vast number of leaks which don't matter and it will be very difficult to spot which one is responsible for the problem. A car intake is normally hermetically sealed so a good candidate for leak detection by this method, whereas a car body is typically not even remotely well sealed. You might find talcum powder and somebody gently pouring water around the openings is more effective.
GreenV8S said:
My concern with that approach is that there will be a vast number of leaks which don't matter and it will be very difficult to spot which one is responsible for the problem. A car intake is normally hermetically sealed so a good candidate for leak detection by this method, whereas a car body is typically not even remotely well sealed. You might find talcum powder and somebody gently pouring water around the openings is more effective.
My plan would be to rig up a small diameter hose to the machine and point it at specific positions inside (or outside) the car, to see if the smoke gets through. I wasn't planning to just bung the machine on the back seat, slam the door and wait. 
Doofus said:
shalmaneser said:
Find a corner shop with vape smoking youths outside?
I picked up a second hand smoke machine (as in one for nightclubs etc) for not much on ebay, worked well for finding a vacuum leak on my intake system, would work well for identifying dodgy seals too I would have thought.
Well I've had a look on eBay amd it turns out they cost pretty well nuppence anyway, so I may as well buy one. Do they leave a residue?I picked up a second hand smoke machine (as in one for nightclubs etc) for not much on ebay, worked well for finding a vacuum leak on my intake system, would work well for identifying dodgy seals too I would have thought.
shalmaneser said:
I didn't notice one although I would advise you to confirm that yourself. It's a very small investment as you say!
It seems the fliud you use can affect the amount of residue but, as I said, I'd be using it sparingly and in specific places, which I could protect beforehand.Might be worth trying the stupendously easy and simple way first before getting involved with smoking out your interior, smear vaseline thinly
all the way round your door seal, close the door for a minute then open it, any part of the door frame seal not having vaseline on it is where
there is no contact between the 2 seals, often all that is required is to nudge the offending part closer.
all the way round your door seal, close the door for a minute then open it, any part of the door frame seal not having vaseline on it is where
there is no contact between the 2 seals, often all that is required is to nudge the offending part closer.
Pastor Of Muppets said:
Might be worth trying the stupendously easy and simple way first before getting involved with smoking out your interior, smear vaseline thinly
all the way round your door seal, close the door for a minute then open it, any part of the door frame seal not having vaseline on it is where
there is no contact between the 2 seals, often all that is required is to nudge the offending part closer.
Ok, but I'm only going to try it once, mind. all the way round your door seal, close the door for a minute then open it, any part of the door frame seal not having vaseline on it is where
there is no contact between the 2 seals, often all that is required is to nudge the offending part closer.
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