AutoLine Pro Automotive *High Smoke Density* Smoke Machine Leak Detector EVAP Vacuum Diagnostics Tester | Economy Series | 1.2 Hrs Non-Stop Smoke for Each Single Test

I’ve been a mechanic for 61 years. I’ve never needed anything like this.. but after using it, I will never not have one. This one is a little crude. But it gets the job done. I’ll probably never use it again, but it was so damn fast. I found the problem in about 20 seconds. Very, very cool machine.!! I used it on my 2013 Jeep Wrangler 3.6 just a cool tool it doesn’t care what car you use it on. It would work on any kind. Been fighting the problem for a week and I found it in no time flat thanks so much for making such a neat machine.!!

Takes all of 2 minutes to connect everything. Instructions say it should take about 5 minutes before you start seeing smoke. It didn't take mine that long. I hooked it up to a 3 gallon air compressor from Harbor Freight, and gets consistent smoke. Worked like a charm.

After using it in my shop for a few weeks, I can say this machine is damn effective. You can be done with diagnosing leaks in mere minutes. What I found out that it does is turns mineral oil into thick smoke which is then pumped in sealed systems, such as air intakes, exhausts, you name it. Wherever there are cracks, smoke would seep out and this would determine the leak source.It's so effective and fast to use! To hook it up, you simply connect the power cables to the 12V positive and negative battery terminals of your car. Then plug in your air compressor and you're good to go. I now have 3 of these running, 2 in the shop and 1 at home. Huge time saver!PROS:- Fast and easy to use. Capable of finding common leaks in mere minutes. (Hint from experience: use a flashlight)- Works on almost all sealed systems like intake manifolds, exhausts, etc. and the mineral oil is safe for even oxygen sensors. Believe me, I've tried. However, I'd still cover up the mass air flow sensor just in case.- Has an air regulator @ a very safe 1 psi so your system doesn't blow out.- Compact. You can put everything back into the box it was shipped in for quick storage.CONS:- The unit requires mineral oil which is not included. Had to go out to purchase some at Walmart for a few bucks.- Air connector only allows for a quick connector fitting from any air compressor. But I don't see why you can't use a hand pump for this.- The kit doesn't include an EVAP port adapter, but you can simply disconnect the EVAP hose and use the included multi-size tip.If you have one in the shop, I'd recommend an EVAP port adapter for much faster diagnosing.UPDATE July 20, 2017: It's been 4 months since I've purchased 3 of these (2 in the shop and 1 at home). Everything is still working strongly. Quite impressive for such an affordable diagnostic machine. I refilled mineral oil only once or twice for the ones I had in the shop. Which costed me less than $3. Had a question about what type of mineral oil would be best and seller responded very promptly. Use plain ol' mineral oil guys! It's cheaper than baby oil and baby oil smells a little bit. Good customer service, great product. I'm happy, just thought I'd let you guys know.

Overall, it's pretty good. It took a while to get it to work. Either it was the clogged plastic nipple (I had to carefully clean/ream out a small chunk of plastic with a torch reamer) or the "wick" didn't soak up enough of the smoke-making solution fast enough. While I was trying to get it to work one time, I put about 30psi thru my air tank, and that was way too much--it blew the lid partially open, so BE CAREFUL, especially when the can is HOT. I would guess under 20psi on your air pressure regulator should be the maximum, and probably closer to 10psi, but find an air pressure that works for you safely. Set your air pressure at your own risk. The silver "paint can" unit does get VERY HOT, so make sure you set the silver "paint can" on a stable and non-combustible surface, and don't tip it over before and after use! I bought the inflatable bladder that goes inside the air intake tube on Amazon for about $30. I disconnected after the MAF sensor and capped off my MAF sensor and then inserted the bladder into the air intake tube that goes to the throttle body. Once I had smoke going good, I was immediately able to see several places on my engine where smoke was leaking, specifically the throttle body, the EGR main, a couple vacuum hoses (one was a brand-new hose I didn't have hose-clamped tight enough), and the worst was my EGR vacuum modulator, so be looking in those areas if you are getting codes that say you have intake manifold or EGR-related vacuum leaks. I know some of the more expensive units up to $1500 have more bells and whistles, but for about $90 for this and about $30 for the inflatable bladder, I'd say I got my money's worth. If I change my mind, I will report back. The instructions say to run this for no longer than 10 minutes on and then let the unit rest for 10 minutes before going again. Once this thing was running right and producing good smoke, it filled up the air intake system pretty quickly, and it only took me a few seconds to find leaks. I did pull hoses apart a couple times to see if the smoke was still going strong, and some of the liquid spilled out of the hoses. The liquid is hot and a bit smelly, so be careful if you spill any. I hung my hoses in a safe spot in my shop to drain out over a pile of oil dry when I was done, and I put the "paint can" in a safe place so the can wouldn't get knocked over. 4 stars for now.

I failed to adhere to the one way directional flow of air supply, and support was prompt to help me resolve the issue, which was operator error, not the fault of the product. I made a suggestion to the company to be very clear about the directional flow of air supply. Otherwise a 5 star on instruction quality. Thanks for your world class support and excellent product. There are not enough companies that value customer service enough to care as you have shown. John Naisbitt said years ago that today’s competitive edge is “customer service”! He was correct then and now. As a business consultant, I could not agree more. I always go out of my way to promote and support companies like yours, companies that care and show it.