BEST automotive smoke machine you can build 

So far this video is the most practical and economical machine on youtube. Smart thing to do.

Brilliant idea! Modifying your plans slightly, I built mine in in an hour and found a vacuum leak in 90 seconds. The bike pump allowed for controlled smoke distribution. This really is the BEST automotive smoke machine you can build! Thank you!

This is the first time I've been excited about my EVAP codes. Thank you ECG and the hands that did the work. Subscribed based on this alone.

Built this machine recently, i didn't expect much but oh my, i am IMPRESSED at how well it worked, i've found turbo vacuum leak in 5min!

Superb. I made it even simpler, using the screws in the soldering iron handle to screw it to the jar top, and then attached an inflation needle to the bicycle pump hose and stuck it through a small hole in the top. The wick is just a small cotton strip tied to the heating end of the soldering iron and dipped in mineral oil, very serviceable for single use. The smoke generator quickly found a big vacuum leak the first time I used it. Thanks again.

As someone who considers myself a resourceful person in all aspects of life , I greatly appreciate this build!

This is genius! Thank you so much. My car has been sitting in the shop for 3 months because the shop owner was too cheap to invest in a smoke machine. Now I can tow it out of there and do It myself. Thanks again.

Thank you so much for posting this, the soldering iron is genius!

This is the best DIY. smoke machine I have seen on RU-vid, I hade thought of doing something with a soldering iron and this method is what I was looking for, very well done and thank you.

My modification to your jar would be to use a valve stem from an old wheel...or a new stem that can be pushed into the lid and it would seal on its own, instead of using silicone.

I just made one! Instead of using a bic pen I bought Vacuum connectors from Amazon for about $10 (assorted vacuum connectors, 65 pieces). I then drilled and glued two 1/4 vacuum connectors onto the jar lid. Theyre a perfect fit for my vinyl tubing and bike pump. I can also connect the other half of vinyl tubing to the connector instead of the bike pump and blow into it :)

Finally found a good use for my cheap soldering iron. If you find one of those foot operated bicycle pumps that would work even better because you could step on it with your foot and pump while you lean over with both hands and look for leaks.

If you take the $1000 smoke machine apart, you'll find a soldering iron, a bic pen, an old sock...

My vapor canister vent is buried behind and below fire wall (under battery tray). without your smoke machine I would never have been able to detect this leak!!! Thanx a ton "Code Guy."

Great idea can build with things have laying around was going to buy one but you changed my mind thank you. The only change I'm going to do is use a aquarium pump for input air so that I can be hands free.

As dentist of 52 years I have been practicing " rigology" all that time to solve problems You're a genius........and a cheap one. Thanks, buddy...........

OK, so I made one of these and it worked. Smoke came through the wiring on the soldering iron and I didn't realize my jar lid wasn't completely sealed, but it did well enough that I didn't have to tear my engine down again. THANK YOU!!!!

I built this same machine but just a little different... Works fantastic... Thank you.... I used a metal stem from a car wheel- and a barbed stem from an air line fitting. Cost me 9 bucks and I still have the pickles from the pickle jar. L.O.L.

Excellent. Have watch several videos on making one at home. E bay sells several paint can ones for almost 80 dollars that does not produce this much smoke. Great Job and thanks immensely. Big Thumbs Up on clarity, camera and construction.

Wow and I have to pay over $100 so that I can get my mechanic to do a smoke test for my vehicle you are a genius thank you so much for the wonderful idea thank God for that blessing idea that you have

Awesome kit. I built this today and it showed 2 vacuum leaks that were causing a cel. Thankyou very much you are a legend.

my god you're a genius

Damn!!! Talk abt saving money and time, building my own smoke machine...THANKS BRO!!!

I have seen this type of smoke machine previously but never with such a good explanation of how to build and use it. Thank you !!!

Thank you for making the video. I modified the design to use tire valve stems for the inlet and outlet. They seem a little more secure in the lid. I also used a small air compressor with a tire inflator as the air supply. Anyway, this design worked great. I was able to find an exhaust leak in almost no time.

I made one. On the very top of the soldering iron the smoke was coming out where the electrical wires were so I put some atv sealant there. Once you actually set up the pump and start to move things around the epoxy didn't hold up, maybe because the jar top is flimsy metal and I made my pen pieces slightly longer than this video. Other than that it does produce the smoke as desired. I had to convert to a smaller hose to test the evap system so you might need another size hose that fits tight inside the bigger hose. Also the soldering iron tip actually has to be touching the sock to produce the smoke.

simplicity in life is best thing. thanks

Love it other people on here have been saying that you need compressed air to do it but this idea of using a bike pump has been going through my mind for some time and using an old soldering iron for the heat is spot on all I need now is a glass gar and I am on my way.

Bought a machine in the 90s. Man did that thing pay for itself quickly. Buy one or make one but get one if you do any mechanical and other things requiring finding leaks. Even used mine to find leaks in a a/c system several times.

My smoke machine is very simple and puts out a HUGE volume of smoke. I remove the muffler on my lawnmower and screw in a 1/2 inch water pipe nipple in its place. I run a hose to a vacuum port, wire the brake so the engine runs by itself, and with the air cleaner remove I squirt automatic transmission fluid into the carburetor. It makes a LOT of smoke!

This is it I won't keep looking is very ease to make it and you can make as many as you want if they break Thank you

Great idea! Especially when you require controlled pressure. 👍

When I made mine I wrapped the glass jar in clear shipping tape and wrapped the bottom in some 2" wide vinyl tape so when (not if) it hits the shop floor one day I won't be chasing so many shards.

You earn the MacGyver Award for ingenuity. Great job.

I already had all this stuff lying around the house! WOW!

I used your basic design,but for some reason it was not working... i ended up cutting approx 1/3 strip of cotton sock soaked in mineral oil and rapped it around the entire solder iron metal and wrapped wire around it to hold... then in less than 5 mins i had all kinds of smoke...worked fantastic... i will never have a problem finding an exhaust leak of any kind again... mine cost me $4 to make seeing all i had to buy is a solder iron...oh yes and a life time 16oz bottle of mineral oil from walmart for $2... Also lid does not get hot anymore... Its AWESOME!PS i use a larger pickle jar 44oz makes a lot of smoke! Thanks

You probably didn't realize this but you just invented smoked pickles as well.

i often got smoking when cooking but before this video i got no idea. this is the best car equipment,thumb!

I turned my VW diesel into an automotive smoke machine. Worked great on tailgaters.

WOW,,, what a superb idea, save a ton of money,,as the old saying goes, 'there's no smoke without a fire' 🙂👍 Thank you for posting this video,and sharing your idea's ,,,😇 Bless

There are other on the tube, but your is the most detailed, and going straight to the point

This is a fantastic idea!! I’m totally stealing it and claiming I came up with it!! This is the best diy smoke machine video on RU-vid!

Absolutely brilliant.by far the best video on youtube.thankyou for posting . Steve from the uk

Brilliant ! thanks for that I’ve a vacuum leak somewhere proving difficult to see/find and didn’t want to buy something I’ll probably /hopefully only use once 😂

Very simple clever tool. I will gather parts to build one. It will come in handy. Thanks!!!

Very cool. I bought a fog machine at my local party and game store and attached an old shop vac hose to it. Then I adapted it down several times to a 3/8 clear hose.. It cost about $40 with a gallon of juice and works great with no smell or toxins...

awesome idea as long as your soldering iron doesn't leak air from where the cord attaches to the handle..

Thank you for taking the time to out of your busy schedule to share this with us.

There's no need to look into this Any further, you just saved me from having to use cigars for this.

Wow , I guess am gonna have to start eating all them pickles to start on my project. Great build.

so i made one of these a month ago and today i tested it and it worked like a champ. the top get hot and i used an aquarium 12 volt dc pump from ebay but then switched to my compressor. but i think the dc pump would have worked as i had it connected to the car and there was a schrader valve in the way i did not see at first. but thanks for your easy to make machine. it did the job perfect. i did not use the bic pen i got some fitting from lowes and some clear tubing 4 sizes so i had enough to make connections to the car. great job

Absolutely genius.

You saved me hundreds and a major migraine lol. Thank you. I just made one. Waiting for the epoxy to dry now 24hrs I gotta wait. I used the same epoxy since I had some already as well

Made one on the weekend pretty much like yours. Worked great to find the leaks in the intake of my Toyota 7M-GTE. I have to say would have been a tough find without this. (Seals around the injectors). Thanks a bunch!

Comments 666...figured i would change that lol. This is pretty useful. Helped me find a vaccuum leak in my jeep I've been bvb chasing down for a while now. Come to find out the leak was in the cabin in the hvac system. Took me ten min to find it. Thank you!.

You were able to do this because you stayed at Holiday Inn Select. Im going there tonight so i can do this tommorrow. Awesome job!

Simplicity & Effectiveness Viola.. honoring an OSCAR to you Sir. You are talented and highly skilled. All HATS LIFT UP for you Sir. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

I used an old pickle jar two valve stems and a soldering iron took about 10 minutes to make

Best example i have seen yet...

This is the best idea ever hands down. The narrators choice of words are quite the selection but it’s definitely bad ass!

Just made mine... worked well, found my vac leak... not happy about where the leak is BUT am still smiling that I found it! Thanks

I'm pretty sure I have some old pickles in the fridge. I'm excited to find this damn leak in the evap on my jeep. Replaced gas cap, esim module and I'm like this is stupid I need smoke. Thank you so much this is PERFECT.

This Guy is a Genious!,🖒 But needs to hit the Nail Salon ASAP!. lol.

Thanks for this. Saved a bunch of time and money. Didn't work at first with a sock, thinking not 100% cotton but some polyester or ?. Cut an old 100% cotton t-shirt into a large section and worked fine. BTW.. mineral oil is baby oil without the fragrance. Super cheap at CVS, etc. Also, didn't work at first as packed the material around the iron too tightly, works best when loose for airflow. Also just blew into hose vs pump. But when it started going after :15 or so, it was awesome!

The best Diy smoke machine i've seen 👍

Awesome video bro. Simplest, cheapest most effective one I've seen so far.

Best affordable diy machine on youtube.

Dude thank you I was about to spend 150 bucks or more because some other you tuber had some dyi smoking machine and like 20 items that totaled over 150 not including the air compressor lol

I can hear the satisfaction of the bic pen fitting the bicycle pump in his voice lol

I skipped the soldering iron and used some paper towels with a little motor oil. I lit it with a match and put the lid on. I had a hand pump similar to a bike pump and the setup worked well enough for me to locate my vacuum leak.

Thanks for the how-to. I'll use your product referals. I recommend linking the epoxy and tubing as well.

What a GREAT idea! I wish I would have watched this sooner. It would have made finding an evap leak so much easier & faster. Thanks for the video. I'm going to make one today.

THANK YOU.... cheers from Indonesia

You are the BESSSSSSSSTTTTTTTT. ..WOW.....SIMPLE JUST ORDERED MY IRON...AND HEY THAT'S ALL I WAS MISSING 10 BUCKS WILL ARRIVE 12-16-2021

Exactly what I was looking for! Thanks so much for sharing this!

You gave the best instructions to make a smoke machine that I've found online. Thanks!

Wow thank you i reckoned the home built do it yourself style way to find an evap leak on my 06 chev silverado but this was a huge help thank you! You just got yourself another subscriber.I seen some other interesting thumb nails im exited to watch. You know I've been working on cars and trucks for 34 years and i always keep learning new stuff mostly through reading books/manuals and now recently on internet.I live in a rural area where there's not alot of people around or available to ask or work with so this is a real blessing for me.Thanks again.

so i made one but have not tested it on a car yet but so far it looks like it will do the job. i connected it to my compressor that has a regulator on it and i can control the air down to nothing. thanks a bunch for sharing this tip.

after i watched this 10 minutes later i have one built using 2 rubber valve stems cores removed same size jar and a switched hand held wood burner, 2 socks and mineral oil, bike pump, works amazeing! Thankyou!

This one is the best on youtube

This guy is the real MVP right here 💯

Thanks for this video! I had one working in about 15 minutes. Works great!!

I was using a $7 harbor freight transfer pump with a cigar to find a vacuum leak. When I took the water injector out of the charge pipe to swap it, the thing was gunked up with tar shit. I like diy and this is a good solution but Smoke Pencil is $35. No assembly or confiscating a soldering iron.

Does the job , it's all about spoke and a bit pressure , great idea 👍👍👍👍👍

Excellent Clip. Very inexpensive for do it yourself guy. Thank you very much.

I was thinking about buying a smoke machine, but after watching your video im definitely gonna make one myself.thanks for sharing your idea with everyone ...keep up the good work

The price that some places want for these smoke machines is absolutely insane!! Snap-on has one that is $1,000 plus tax!! That is the top top of the line one but my God! You would think that it shot gold dust out of the hose or something. A shop that needed to use one day in and day out that I can see plus it's a tax write-off. But for the rest of us that only would use it few times a month if that, this is perfect! I have a small battery operated fan I robbed from an air mattress that I was not sure why or what I was gunna use it on but I know we're it's new home will be now!! I figured using the electronic fan so if checking EVAP systems u can click it on and go all throughout the car and not have to pump it and it will push smoke through any leak consistently. Way cool my man, thank you for the video!! :)

Big budget savings. Thanks for tips. 🖒

Absolutely BRILLIANT !!!!

Nirvana .... thanks much .... fast cheap and works great ....

I’m glad u talked slow I would have never understood u but it looked like a good idea

I have a collection of old soldering irons. I'll be doing this. I just fixed a P0159 caused by a leaking EGR tube gasket. Could have used this. I used a vacuum as a blower to pressurise the exhaust system and then skurted soapy water everywhere. A smoke machine would have been easier. Best of all, the fix was nothing more than replacing two severely eroded nuts that were so far gone the tube's gasket was no longer compressed.

I was going to buy a party fog machine and try to build my own leak detector but after watching this I just need to go to harbor freight and buy a cheap soldering iron and tubing. Maby find a bicycle pump at goodwill. Good info.

Excellent. Very clear step by step instruction. Good job.

Absolutely brilliant build sir.thanku so much indeed for posting,steve from the uk.

Dude your a life saver

Thank you so much man!! I need to find a leak in my car. You are a genius.

I love this, Macgyver's got nothing on you. My '04 545i has evap trouble and this just might save me over a thousand bucks. Thanks!

Simple and excellent. Thank you for sharing this

this video is gold, i was checking the redline smoke tester , is super expensive and more expensive to import,, dont know what these people thinking to charge 1000usd for a smoke machine,, GOOOD DAMMN