Combustion Leak Detector

[SuperKirby]

I was following links on threads earlier and found where someone posted a link to a Uview Combustion Leak Detector. The claim is that this is a guaranteed way to check for head gasket leaks. This had me intrigued so naturally I opted to follow up on this. As it turns out the Napa I drive by on my way home from work has something similar to it for $45. Now I'm rather intrigued. I know you can run a compression test and that can tell you but the tester I have would require 2 people.
I guess what I'm wondering is if anyone knows anything about these? Do they work or just a gimmick? My thought right now is that I'd rather spend an extra $45 and be sure I'm actually fixing the problem then to spend a couple hundred and burn a couple vacation days to find out I didn't fix anything. It's possible that I've just never heard of something like this and I'm easily impressed.
Incidentally I am blowing bubbles in my overflow tank, and my exhaust looks a little steamy but certainly not a lot, not enough to tell me for sure I'm burning up a lot of coolant. I filled my overflow tank a couple days ago, and after about 100 miles the coolant level in it is down about 2".

 

[Southern_Pride]

They do work but only if you have combustion gas in your cooling system. Depends on how the head gasket blew.

 

[SuperKirby]

Not questioning you because I doubt you, but because I don't know. How many different ways can a head gasket blow? If I have a stream of bubbles in my overflow tank, what else could cause that?

 

[natenkiki2004]

Not questioning you because I doubt you, but because I don't know. How many different ways can a head gasket blow? If I have a stream of bubbles in my overflow tank, what else could cause that?

About the only two I can think of are that the cooling system isn't bled fully yet or that the coolant is actually boiling and that's water vapor you're seeing.

 

[Wolfie_85]

Most common head gasket failures are oil or combustion gasses into coolant or coolant into oil. Coolant into oil is obvious when your oil looks milky on the dipstick (not the white thick buildup from vapor in colder seasons that builds up under the cap and at the TOP of the dipstick, I mean your actual oil looks like a milkshake).

Those kits work, but only if you have combustion gasses in your coolant. You don't have any mustard-like buildup under your radiator cap, do you?

 

[SuperKirby]

Radiator cap looks clean and no nasty buildup under the oil cap. I haven't checked my oil for a few weeks but last time I did the dipstick looked clean.
I can see the coolant system leaking bubbles if not bled correctly, but after a couple years since I last had it apart I would think it should have all worked itself out by now, and wouldn't explain the consistent loss of coolant.
I think I'll pick up the test kit on my way home from work and give it a shot. Worst case I find out I have a leak somewhere else that I'm missing and not have to change my head gaskets.
Results to follow. I'll try to take some pictures.

 

[trashtruck]

http://www.autozone.com/test-scan-a...pression-tester-kit/487835_0_0/?checkfit=true

you should consider renting or buying something like this at any parts store. mark or label each plug wire and remove. remove all spark plugs. install tester. you can unplug coil pack for safety if you want to. jump starter solenoid to turn motor for test. no helper needed.

 

[Rwrighttt]

i also have bubbles in my overflow. when you open the overflow it smells of exhaust so i pretty much new it was leaking combustion. bought some of that bars stop leak for the hell of it, and still bubbles. head gasket time

 

[arco777]

I used one in another thread just a few weeks ago. It didn't detect anything at all. I did have a leaking head gasket though.

 

[2stroke]

A bad water pump can cause bubbles (cavitation) especially if it is leaking. I've found head gaskets can fail in about 3 ways. Into the cylinder, into the oil, or out the side. With a modern (post 1980) steel head gasket, the gasket almost never fail. The head itself warps or cracks. Being as these use fiber head gaskets, they can fail many ways. If your oil is clean, and you have consistent compression throughout the motor, try bars leak. Don't bother with the combustion gas test. If you have good compression (all spark plugs out to check for a cracked head), your oil is fine, then the only place it could possibly go is out the side, you should be able to see it damp around the head. If nothing else, rent a radiator pressure tester. Buy a Harbor freight compression tester. They work, they are cheap, and there is no better test to see how healthy an engine is.