Locating a Car Vacuum Leak

One of the problems a guy can have when trying to diagnose engine problems is actually locating the source of a vacuum leak. If you've performed a vacuum test and you saw that maybe the vacuum was a little low. The first thing you should do is kind of look around, see if you can find a source for the vacuum. Problem is that they're not always readily noticeable. Dried and cracked hoses. Bad intake manifold gasket. Are really hard to visually test. But there's a way you can actually find out if those are the sources of your problem. Usually you'll start the engine. And one method is to use while the engine's idling, is to just use starting fluid. Take your starting fluid and just take a short squirt. In a few places. Especially like along the intake manifold gasket. Or any other area that you might suspect. You can even like test it on hoses. And the engine will noticeably rev up as soon as it sucks in that starting fluid. Method that I prefer is to actually take a propane torch. Unlit of course. And do the same thing. Because now I can actually direct my propane torch to different areas and while the engine is idling, you'll suddenly pick up a differentiation. You'll suddenly pick up increase in speed in the engine when it sucks in the propane. And in no time at all you'll locate the source of that vacuum leak. And you'll be able to address that problem.