JS-108B Automotive Smoke Machine, EVAP Tester with Pressure Gauge

I have seen these used in diagnostics. and had the need for such a tool, but I always assumed they would be much more expensive. This was very affordable, and gives you that next level of diagnostics. There are plenty of adapters to fix to any need you have. Just add a bottle of smoke fluid (I used autoline), and you have everything you need to run this. It runs off the vehicle battery, so very easy to setup and use.

It's nice that it has the onboard pump and pressure gauge. This was a great machine and helped my fully solve the evap issues in my brother's car.

Im was a certified automotive technician back in the day and used smoke machines like these at a much larger scale. I like this unit because it is compact and contains a built in air compressor so its one less hose to worry about.

They provide you with a supple amount of adapters and the gauge is awesome because it will tell you automatically if the system is sealed or has a leak.

When filling it I recommend only adding a cap full of fluid. It recommends 10-20 ml which equates to less than 1 fl oz. I didnt read the instructions and filled it up to its maximum capacity which is 12 fl oz and had oil spitting and spewing all over the place until it burned off and was able to produce smoke. The less fluid you add the faster it will produce smoke and you can begin your test.

I had bought a unit that does not have an onboard air pump nor the pressure gauge, which cost only slightly less than this unit. It did what I needed it to do, but I wished I didn't have to drag around an air compressor just to use it. That unit also doesn't have a hanging hook, so it tended to get in the way of what I was doing, as I worried about tipping it over if I accidentally bumped into it.

This unit has none of those shortcomings, while the pressure gauge will come in handy if I needed to know at a glance if there is a leak and how bad it is.

It is much larger and heavier than the pump-less unit, and everything that comes in the kit is heavier duty as well. The air output is fixed at 19 PSI, way too high for EVAP tests, which are supposed to be conducted at 1 PSI, so for that I may still have to go back to the other unit and my compressor. For everything else, this will be the machine that I carry around.

The setup and use of this smoke machine are both very fast and simple. I had it up and running within minutes of opening the box, thanks to some mineral oil I had on hand. After hooking up the rubber hose and power supply, it took just a brief moment to start putting out a steady stream of smoke. With the included rubber plugs and a large rubber cone that attaches to the end of the hose, I was able to verify and locate a small exhaust leak very quickly. We do a lot of custom work on our equipment, including relocating exhaust systems for various reasons. This machine will hopefully allow us to ensure those systems are sealed up properly without the need to run diesel engines inside the shop excessively. On a final note, I personally love the power supply for this, running Alligator clamps to a 12v battery, making it very portable so I can run it outside of the shop without the need for lengthy extension cords. I do agree with another reviewer though that this could be a very serious safety issue, as the cord that plugs into the machine looks the exact same as those typically found on computers and monitors. Plugging one of those in and supplying the wrong power could be extremely dangerous, so just like the other reviewer, I will be permanently attaching the power cord to this unit to avoid any potential danger.