Boost leak test while car is on?

[S_Ranger]

I'm running rich after a hard icp install so I know it's a boost leak. What I'm wondering is if I can spray soapy water around the couplers and what not while the car is on. Maybe bring the idle higher manually while under the hood? Let me know what I can do.

 

[FORMONTOYA]

Just sitting in the garage idling or even with a blip of the throttle, you won't develop any boost because there is no load on the engine. You will need to get or find someone with a compressor in order to build pressure inside the intake "track" in order to do the test.

 

[andytalon]

You can accually use somthing combustable like carb cleaner, and spray in all areas a leak can come from. Inturn if there is, the vacume will suck up the carb cleaner and make the idle go higher.

 

[FORMONTOYA]

You can accually use somthing combustable like carb cleaner, and spray in all areas a leak can come from. Inturn if there is, the vacume will suck up the carb cleaner and make the idle go higher.

Never thought of that, but it at least sounds like it would work.

 

[Auto RS T]

Yes carb cleaner on the leaky spots will make the car "rev up" if it is lean. If it is rich it will bog down. Either way it should prove a leak.

Like donmajicjuan said: A real boost leak test is the best route to go.

 

[donmagicjuan]

This method will work for very large leaks. It is in fact what the N/T guys use to find vacuum leaks. However, for anything upstream of the throttle body, the pressure inside the pipe is not a whole lot lower than atmospheric. Since many leaks require more than a few psi across them in order to appear, you will likely miss a lot of areas if only using this method. A real boost leak test is by far superior.

 

[perley03]

Oh man, I thought this was another thread that was like the SRT-4 guy who started his car with the boost leak tester still attached, and pressurized. That would have definatly sucked to be that guy. I'm glad you didn't do what he did.

 

[S_Ranger]

Alright, yeah, boost leaks can be real frustrating. Especially when they are so small. But like they say, the small things kill you. I'm gonna make one tonight. Not just for this one time only but for future reference. Kinda like an investement