[steve25]

Are there no instructions with the dye?

[Sirrotica]

When using dye you need to, clean the whole bottom of the car, run it right after putting the dye in it, and look at it with the UV light. If left in there for an extended time, the air flow under the car spreads it all over, making it next to impossible to find the source of the leak, speaking from experience.

In my dealings with using dye, there are no ill effects from leaving it in the lubricant. We didn't drain it out after the initial investigation to find the source of a leak. As far as what we used in dealerships, there was no need to drain it.

Mike Garblik says that the smoke machines work much better than dye does, so even though I've never used a smoke machine, I tend to believe him. The dye is less than easy, or foolproof for finding leaks. Sometimes you can clearly see the source, but not always as if you don't use the light at the exact right time, it can give you misleading information as it spreads.

Many times I've just cleaned the bottom of the car, the have someone run the car on the lift, that way there is little air current moving the lubricants around, maybe a little from the fan, but nothing like when the car is running down the road at 55 MPH. No dye, just watching for the leak to show itself by the first drips. Even in a dealership, this was how we identified 99% of the leaks, we seldom used dye.

[geeteeohguy]

Where I used to work we had a couple of smoke machines and I swear by them. They will find vacuum leaks, air leaks, oil leaks, anything you can think of and lead you right to the leak. Also, really not messy to use, no clean up. If you can access one, I recommend it highly. I have found some really obscure leaks I never would have found otherwise on multiple vehicles...and in a few minutes instead of hours.

[64speed]

Originally Posted by geeteeohguy

Where I used to work we had a couple of smoke machines and I swear by them. They will find vacuum leaks, air leaks, oil leaks, anything you can think of and lead you right to the leak. Also, really not messy to use, no clean up. If you can access one, I recommend it highly. I have found some really obscure leaks I never would have found otherwise on multiple vehicles...and in a few minutes instead of hours.

I have been looking into this but the ones on Amazon are so expensive.

[grivera]

I bought this one last time it was on sale - around $100. I’m sure it or one like it will be on sale Black Friday: AutoLine Pro Automotive Smoke... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2JV8YDP...p_mob_ap_share

[grivera]

I bought this one last time it was on sale - around $100. I’m sure it or one like it will be on sale Black Friday: AutoLine Pro Automotive Smoke... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0B2JV8YDP...p_mob_ap_share

[Scarebird]

You can save money and simply pour some of this down the intake:

[JSchmitz]

Originally Posted by Scarebird

You can save money and simply pour some of this down the intake:

LOLOL!!! Good one!

[P@blo]

Originally Posted by JSchmitz

LOLOL!!! Good one!

That’s an old sparky joke. Once you let the circuit smoke out, things seem not to work so well. Had no idea you could buy replacement smoke…

[JSchmitz]

Originally Posted by P@blo

That’s an old sparky joke. Once you let the circuit smoke out, things seem not to work so well. Had no idea you could buy replacement smoke…

I've heard of letting the smoke out of an engine. lol

Wire harness smoke is in the aisle with blinker fluid?

[64speed]

Went over my head I guess

[Sirrotica]

Originally Posted by 64speed

Went over my head I guess

If you ever worked on a car (Jaguar, Triumph cars, and motorcycles, Austin Healy's, MG's, eic.) or a piece of on site construction equipment, mostly manufactured in the UK, (sometimes also made in Canada too) with a Lucas electrical system on it, and saw the bizzare way that they run current to make a simple DC electrical circuit amazingly complicated, it would be crystal clear what the purpose of bottled Lucas circuit smoke was about in the joke. Lucas engineers seem to be able to make the path of electrons, long and tortorious, with a lot of excess wiring, and are also able to make them tough to troubleshoot, as well as unreliable.

Without having dealt with a Lucas system at some point, you'd have no idea of what the joke was about.

There is another commonly told Lucas joke that has been around for decades. It goes like this, Why do the British drink warm beer? Because they have Lucas refrigerators.............

[b-man]

Lucas.

The Prince of Darkness.

Probably one of the biggest reasons British cars never caught on here in the states.

[66sprint]

Followed closely behind by Magnetti Marelli wiring.

[Greg Reid]

The old joke I've heard is that Lucas invented intermittent wipers long before they became industry standard.

[JSchmitz]

Originally Posted by Greg Reid

The old joke I've heard is that Lucas invented intermittent wipers long before they became industry standard.

I had those on a '55 Chevy Sedan Delivery! Vacuum wipers stop when you floor it. PERFECT!

[Dragncar]

Originally Posted by Sirrotica

If you ever worked on a car (Jaguar, Triumph cars, and motorcycles, Austin Healy's, MG's, eic.) or a piece of on site construction equipment, mostly manufactured in the UK, (sometimes also made in Canada too) with a Lucas electrical system on it, and saw the bizzare way that they run current to make a simple DC electrical circuit amazingly complicated, it would be crystal clear what the purpose of bottled Lucas circuit smoke was about in the joke. Lucas engineers seem to be able to make the path of electrons, long and tortorious, with a lot of excess wiring, and are also able to make them tough to troubleshoot, as well as unreliable.

Without having dealt with a Lucas system at some point, you'd have no idea of what the joke was about.

There is another commonly told Lucas joke that has been around for decades. It goes like this, Why do the British drink warm beer? Because they have Lucas refrigerators.............

Not those cars but I have done plenty of work on a Austin Marina back in High School.
Never, never NEVER and British cars for me after that experience.

[blueghoast]

Originally Posted by JSchmitz

I had those on a '55 Chevy Sedan Delivery! Vacuum wipers stop when you floor it. PERFECT!

Now that is funny, Good one I like.

GT

[NeighborsComplaint]

Originally Posted by blueghoast

Now that is funny, Good one I like.

GT

It gets even more comical when you crest the top of the hill with your wipers seemingly frozen in place and let off the gas to coast down the other side as they flap away like a Canadian goose taking off.

[Greg Reid]

I had a '58 Caddy with those vacuum wipers.