Just realized a simple vacuum leak on a '14 Civic took me 4 hours to find

I was chasing a rough idle and it turned out to be a tiny crack in the PCV hose under the intake manifold. I must have checked everything else twice before I saw it. Anyone else have a go-to trick for spotting those hidden vacuum leaks fast?

3 comments

3 Comments

alex_wilson796d ago

Four hours is actually pretty good for that kind of hunt. On my old truck, I spent a whole weekend chasing a whistle that turned out to be a split in a hose buried behind the alternator. Sometimes you just have to methodically check every inch, even if it feels slow. A spray bottle with soapy water is my usual move, but it doesn't always find the tiny ones.

claire_gibson6d ago

So a whole weekend on one hose leak, that's wild. What made you finally find it if the soapy water wasn't showing bubbles? Did you have to take the alternator off to see it, or was it just luck?

claire_hart536d ago

That "whole weekend" sounds like a lot for just a hose.