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Diagnose Your Engine

How to use a vacuum gauge to diagnose engine related & other problems.

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Diagnosing car engines with a vacuum gauge. A vacuum gauge gives a quick and cheap (under $15) indication of engine problems. To isolate a problem further diagnostics are usually needed.

This is a consolidation of diagnostics from three sources:

Instructions for Equus vacuum gauge
Chilton general car care manual
Haynes emissions control manual

Connecting the vacuum gauge

Engine must be warm or the gauge reading will be too high and computer will be in warmup mode. Select a vacuum hose connected directly to the car's intake manifold or select an unused port on the manifold. The best alternative would be to attach a hose to an unused port on the manifold and leave it there for use with the gauge. Plug the hose when not in use. Otherwise if in doubt which hoses are connected to the intake manifold, consult the hose diagram on the emissions sticker, usually found on the underside of the hood or on the firewall, or consult a repair manual. If still in doubt the hose to the MAP (pressure) sensor is connected directly to the intake manifold. The gauge can be tapped into a hose using a T-connector. For a quick and dirty reading unplug the easy to find PCV hose on the valve cover and plug in the vacuum gauge. Using the PCV hose may not give a direct connection to the intake manifold and it will cause the engine to idle slowly, but it will give an intake vacuum reading and is easy to use when looking at a strange car, for example a prospective purchase. Start the engine and read the gauge in inches of mercury (in Hg). The dial on the gauge may be marked with the good range.

1. Equus instructions

a. testing at idle speed

compare vacuum reading with manufacturer's specification.
a lower reading indicates possible incorrect timing, incorrect valve timing or adjustment, incorrect setting of idle mixture, worn piston rings, or leak in intake manifold.
readings that change slowly indicate incorrect setting of idle mixture screw.
readings that change quickly indicate sticky valve guides, burned valve sets, or leak in head gasket.

b. testing at 2000 rpm

a lower reading indicates possible restriction in exhaust.
oscillating reading indicates possible weak valve springs.

2. Chilton general car care manual.

gauge reading steady 17-22 in Hg indicates normal engine in good condition.
gauge reading low (15-20 in Hg) but steady indicates late ignition or valve timing, low compression, stuck throttle valve, leaking carburetor or manifold gasket.
gauge reading steady but dropping regularly indicates burnt valve or improper valve clearance.
gauge reading dropping gradually at idle indicates choked muffler or obstruction in exhaust.
gauge reading slowly dropping to zero as engine speeds up indicates choked muffler.
gauge reading fluctuating between 15 and 20 in Hg at idle indicates stuck valve or ignition miss.
gauge reading drifting indicates improper carburetor adjustment or minor intake leak at carburetor or manifold.
gauge reading fluctuating as engine speed increases indicates weak valve springs, worn valve stem guides.
gauge reading vibrating excessively at idle but steady as engine speeds up indicates worn valve guides.
gauge reading vibrating excessively at all speeds indicates leaky cylinder head gasket.

3. Haynes emissions control manual

a. testing at various speeds

engine starting vacuum should be 1 to 4 in Hg. To test disable ignition (ground wire from coil), hold throttle
wide open, crank engine slowly with starting motor.
healthy engine at idle should read steady 15 to 20 in Hg.
healthy engine at 2000 rpm should read steady 19 to 21 in Hg.
healthy engine at open throttle should read close to 0 in Hg.
healthy decelerating engine reading should jump to 21 to 27 in Hg as open throttle released.

b. testing at idle speed

low steady reading usually indicates leaking gasket between intake manifold and carburetor or throttle body,
leaky vacuum hose, or incorrect camshaft timing.
low fluctuating (3 to 8 in Hg below normal) reading may indicate intake manifold gasket leak at an intake port or faulty injectors on port-injected engines.
regular drops (2 to 4 in Hg) in reading at a steady rate indicates probable leaking valves.
irregular drops in reading indicates possible sticking valve or ignition misfire.
rapid vibration (4 in Hg) in reading combined with exhaust smoke indicates worn valve guides.
slight fluctuation (1 in Hg) in reading indicates possible ignition problems.
large fluctuation (10 in Hg) in reading indicates likely weak or dead cylinder or blown head gasket.
slow movement through wide range in reading indicates possible clogged PCV system, incorrect idle fuel mixture, or gasket leak between carburetor, throttle body, or intake manifold.

c. testing at higher speeds

rapid vibration (4 in Hg) in reading at increased engine speed indicates leaking intake manifold gasket or head
gasket, weak valve springs, burned valves, or ignition misfire.
reading returns slowly to normal and didn't peak above normal (5 in Hg) after dropping to zero when throttle
quickly snapped open (2500 rpm) suspect worn rings.
reading returns to normal after long delay when throttle quickly snapped open (2500 rpm) suspect blocked exhaust.

d. testing for blocked exhaust

idle speed reading slowly dropping toward zero indicates exhaust restriction.
excessive backpressure in exhaust then indicated by reading not increasing quickly to about 16 in Hg when engine speed slowly increased to 2000 rpm.
backpressure also indicated by reading not dropping as quickly when throttle quickly released and remaining 5 inHg higher or more than normal.
disconnect exhaust manifold from engine and retest. If problem disappears exhaust system is blocked.
to locate restriction reconnect exhaust system one unit at a time testing after each until problem reappears.

Webmasters Note

I have a vacuum gauge mounted right in the dash of my truck. I use it to also help determine the load my engine is under while driving, and to estimate fuel economy.

Here is the gauge mounted:

My vacuum gauge installed