Originally Posted by Schrade

Vacuum leak detection is hard to do right: I know of only one guy who did it right and found a leak (in IAC gasket):

Originally Posted by Schrade View Post
No one got the proper technique for vacuum leak detection...

FIRST (fully warmed up motor); block the gas pedal, or block the throttle linkage. YOU HAVE TO DO THIS TO GET A STEADY IDLE , around 1,250 rpms, or a little higher. If you don't, you can fish starting fluid, a propane hose, or WD40, or Krylon, or hair spray, or pee, anything, until you need a sweater in Hades, but if the motor is lopin' idle already from a vacuum leak, you ain't gonna' find any leak, unless it's so big that Little Jack Horner can stick his thumb in it and pull out a pineapple NOPE.

AFTER you get a steady idle, THEN, you can spray starting fluid everywhere - that's the best detector, because it's vapor pressure is very high - a LITTLE at a time, all around the motor, until you get the rpm SURGE. Follow the vacuum lines to the EVAP cannister too. You might even have to follow the EVAP lines from the EVAP cannister to the gas tank too, but that vacuum leak will show up as a DTC 32 EGR fault, and won't normally show as loping idle, unless the EVAP cannister has been by-passed (been there, saw that uh-HUH yup).

If you get a surge in a tight spot, and can't tell exactly where it is, light a book of matches, blow out the match heads while they're still burnin', and feed the smoke to the tight spot to see it get drawn in.

Fear not the starting fluid; you cannot put the can down fast enough and light the matches fast enough to catch the starting fluid, because the vapor pressure is so high.

Bookmark this post YUP.

Wrench Wizard OUT!

Originally Posted by TheBallPlayer

Hey everyone, I'm tired of looking at my thirdgen camaro sit in the garage and collect dust due to the problem I'm having. My engine will start up, surge right away and die. Sometimes it will idle, most of the time it won't. The only way to keep it running is to stay on the gas. The engine sounds okay, there aren't any knocks. When I drive the car it stalls out unless put her in neutral, that usually keeps her running. And if you press on the gas just a little bit it bogs down severely. The only code I'm getting off the car is code 12, so I'm not getting much help from that. I've already replaced the oxygen sensor at the ex. Manifold(old one was broke off) I don't know what to go after. I appreciate any help I can get on this, thank you.

Originally Posted by TheBallPlayer

Thanks for the input. Ive just replaced the plugs and wires yesterday and the engine seems to sound smoother than it did before, there was a plug wire that was seared. I've already replaced the fuel line and the fuel filter, I replaced the side of the line that goes from the fuel filter up to the front of the car. My egr valve isn't sticking open either. What does the egr do when it's working properly?