Klaus,
Below was your response to another post of mine. Is there any easy way for a neophyte repair mechanic like myself to track down a vacuum leak? I don't have any fancy smoke machines or leak dyes available to me.


Quote from KlausC:
"Don't fret the 'soft' elbow yet. Erase the current code and see if it comes back now that the vacuum leak has been fixed.

The elbow could be one of many, check the vacuum lines at the air filter box, there are a couple of them. If those elbows look good, then check the elbows close to the vacuum tree and follow those vacuum lines so you can look at more elbows. Each elbow is less than $3, even at a dealer.

Just to compound matters, my car is also throwing a code related to the rear O2 sensor. My problem might be an exhaust leak or air entering the SAS valve at the exhaust."

One way to test for a leak is to use a little propane around the Vac stuff.
Do it with the engine idling, and if there's a leak the RPMs will increase.
I've seen people use tiny squirts of starter fluid, but that's a good way to start a fire.

I don't know the best setup for this, maybe a small hose a foot or so long
might work better than the bare torch that can't fit everywhere.
Post back with results.

Bill

Of course! Easy, just find all of the vacuum lines, which is easier than you think. Start at the vacuum tree, you will want to take off the black cover on the throttle.

There are 2 or 3 lines at the 'tree' along with a very large one at the top which traces back the idle control motor. Make sure the 'tree' doesn't wiggle around, sometimes the O ring at the base goes bad. One of the lines goes to your SAS solenoid on the radiator shroud - this should be good or you would get a CEL for the SAS.

One of the lines, a white one, goes to the top rear of the air cleaner. That connects to another black line that goes to the pass side of the air cleaner base to control the thermostat.

Then there is the PVC flame trap. There are 2 lines, a large one to go to the oil separator box and a small one that goes to the intake manifold. It is the small one you are concerned with as the elbow tends to get coated with oil and degrade.

There is also a vacuum line from the fuel pressure regulator that goes into the front of the intake manifold. It looks like a fuel line, except for the elbow at the manifold. This one fails a lot. Follow the hard line back to the subframe and you will find the fuel pressure regulator. There might be another vacuum line attached (turbos have that).

There might be a couple of other lines, like for the master cylinder, but they get away from the hot spots in the engine bay and are reasonably trouble free.

It is difficult to 'smoke' an intake manifold as some of the air goes down into the cylinders and out the tail pipe. Mostly, smoke is used in the evaporative fuel system which is closed.

Thanks much Klaus. I have had a rough 5 weeks. Finally called my state emissions testing people to ask about a waiver. They told me that I qualify, since I have already spent well over $500 on oxygen sensors, air intake tubes and a PCV o-ring. Unfortunately my Indy mechanic did not even know his own states laws. He originally told me that he could not run an emissions test with the CEL on. Today the PENNDOT people told me that was rubbish. He certainly can test the vehicle even if the light is on and then it will register a FAILURE. Two failures and I get a one year waiver. I want to figure out what is tripping the CEL but I am out of dough. I will have to tackle this CEL at a later date. After replacing the front O2 sensor once and the rear one twice, no one seems to know how to fix it. Not even the dealer! I went there already. P0133 code keeps returning.