UView 560000 Automotive Combustion Leak Test Kit for Cylinder and Gaskets Heads and Gas/Diesel Engine Block Leaks, Dual-Chamber Tester Filters Alkaline Particles, 16oz Testing Fluid

This thing works. The bad news is, that it can bring bad news. It is somewhat difficult to assuredly determine if a head gasket is compromised, but this device, when used correctly, is very hard to fool. It looks for carbon dioxide in the head space of the radiator and, if detected, reveals that combustion gases are getting into the coolant. You are instructed in the pamphlet how to prepare the head space of anything but coolant vapor, and this is the only challenging part of the test, but not too difficult to do. Done properly, there is no way to get a false positive. Also, you can "test" the indicating solution by exhausting some of your own breath and observing whether or not the fluid in the apparatus tube changes color. Unlike other devices I considered, the tube has two places where the headspace vapor is tested for CO2, and the certainty of the result is appreciated. The device is well constructed and exceeded my expectation for the quality of the components, the ease of use and even the nice box to store it. It is thick enough to last and the rubber gaskets are tough. Anyway, the test did indicate a blown head gasket on my 4runner and that means it's crying time for me. This test was the last in a few steps of diagnosing and while I do not like the news, I trust the source. Excellent device and suitable for a commercial shop and any do it yourself-er.

I can’t say enough good things about this tester. I was working on a difficult engine trying to determine if it had a blow head gasket or if it was another issue and after compression testing it, leak down testing, and running the engine with and without the thermostat, we were no closer to figuring out what was wrong with the engine. I heard about a similar tester to this from a friend that was a mechanic. I went to all of the local auto parts stores and the only one that had anything like this was my local NAPA store. The version that they sold had only 1 chamber, was slightly more expensive, and was made overseas. This UVIEW 560000 Combustion Leak Tester has 2 chambers (a truly necessary feature after using it in a real radiator with fluid rushing by), comes in a really nice blown plastic storage case with foam and is made in Ontario Canada. I had a question about the results of the test and called the manufacturer and got a real person who was very knowledgeable and helpful… Their advice was dead on! The only regret I have about it is that I didn’t buy it sooner! Years later the blue liquid (which I assume is bromothymol blue), is still good and ready to test another engine! (I purchased this in Jan 2012 and it is now Feb of 2018). I just checked the listing price and it hasn't changed at all from the $52 I paid 6 years ago. I hope this helps your purchasing decision. If you have any questions about my review, please feel free to message me. I’ll try and reply in a timely manner!

Works great. the dual chamber design is nice, but I don't know if it is necessary. It may just use more fluid, but the fluid is inexpensive so no big deal. Comes with a nice durable blow-molded case with a handle just big enough to sit the chambers in while filling. Its portable and could be used to check out a used vehicle's system before you buy. Tips: What I found was that I hold the tester onto the neck of the coolant tank and give one of the radiator hoses a gentle squeeze so that more gases pass through the devise. Another tip, the fluid will often return back to blue when exposed to oxygen again so you can reuse it a few times. I would keep the used fluid in in a separate container though! I was able to determine that none of my vehicles had headgasket issues, as I first thought. It turns out that one was a water pump seal gone bad and the other a bad heater. My only concern with the unit is with its longevity. This may be a miss founded concern, but it appears that the rubber may dry our and crack over time. Just my opinion.

I bought this to make certain I wasn't fighting a head gasket leak, cracked block or something else while trying to improve the cooling system on my newly supercharged Jeep Rubicon with the I-6 engine. I have tried various radiators and fan setups and settled on a Mishimoto radiator and a Ford RF-39 electric fan as the best combo so far for trail and street. Thank goodness the leak tester detected no exhaust gasses in the coolant, phew. The product is well made and easy to use and comes with enough fluid to last the backyard mechanic probably a lifetime. The instructions did not mention needing to run the engine or if you could test the air in the expansion tank with a cold engine and cold fluid, I asked a question here so I knew to pull the cap and run the engine until the thermostat opened up and then performed the test. By the way, the Mishimoto radiator has a smallish non-standard radiator cap and the tester was a perfect fit thanks to the wedge shape on the bottom on the tester.

I LOVE THIS TESTER! It is almost worth it just to use it as a science experiment. The tool is so easy to use, basic instructions are all you need. As instructed you can take it apart into 3 parts (the suction part at top, the middle tube, and the bottom tube). You then fill each of the tubes to a fill line easily visible with the fluid. You put it back together and then use either with your radiator (following directions) with the cap off or in my case I used on my overflow for my coolant since my radiator does not have a cap area. You squeeze the bulb at the top around 3-4 times and it brings up air through the bottom tube up into the top tube. If any CO2 is present it will discolor the top tube from blue to a yellow color. My car did not discolor it which is a good thing as it means CO2 from the combustion system was not mixing into the coolant from a blown head gasket or cracked engine block etc. Just to test it I also exhaled my own air into my hand (containing CO2) and sucked that at the same time with the bulb head into the tool and it did start to discolor the liquid to yellow from blue so it works. Very easy to use tool to check if you have a cracked engine block or blown head gasket with CO2 from the engine exhaust going into your coolant. I highly recommend for peace of mind or to tell you what the true issue is to rule out one of these situations if you are worried about it. Plus it is a teachable moment for kids to instruct them on what it does as it is like a science experiment!

Product works great. Very simple to use. Comes in a nice carry case and honestly the best part is it gave me peace of mind and confidence I did not have a blown head gasket issue in just a matter of minutes without having to tear into the engine. Tested it by sucking in my own breath and sure enough the fluid turned color just as expected. I used it on a 6.2 diesel that had some brown foam in the coolant. Turns out it was just nasty coolant and not oil as I originally dreaded! It is not cheap considering the amount of use the average DIY mechanic will use it but I feel it is well worth the money to know for sure if there is an issue or not. It would also be great for used car shopping! Quick way to evaluate engine health.

Clever and relatively effective. I could only get it to pull a very slight vacuum in the air space inside the radiator before having to break the seal, and allow some more air into the radiator, but to allow for that I pumped air through it 26 times, and the fluid remained blue. I don't know how well it could work with a thermally induced intermittent type leak, but I am sure they do exist. After the test was negative, just for general purpose take the device back NEAR, but NOT IN, ON OR TOUCHING THE EXHAUST PIPE, and pump some air through it. The liquid will quickly change to a light green tint. Pump some more air in, and with a gasoline engine, the liquid will quickly turn yellow. This device lets me know if I am pissing up a very long expensive rope before I get too far along throwing time and money at problem I may not need to or wish to deal with.

I needed to know what was going on with my Jeep Liberty CRD since I was having a water leak and it was showing up in my exhaust. Normally I'd have to say that I was having a head gasket problem but I had no other symptoms of a blown head gasket, none. This test kit showed up and I gave it a try, I'm really glad that I did. There was no exhaust gas in my cooling system, which allowed me to find the real culprit, a leaking EGR cooler. Simple fix and saved me thousands in faulty diagnosis. Since my vehicle was a diesel I wanted to be sure that the indicator worked properly with diesel, it says that it does but you know how that goes. With the vehicle running I sampled the exhaust at the tail pipe and got an instant answer, Yes, it does work on diesel, it turned green.

Arrived on time, and in good shape. Working as described. No blowen head gaskets for me!

Good product excellent

El liquido que usa es Azul de bromotimol que es un indicador de PH, por lo cual al combinase con el CO2 forma acido carbonico y el color se vuelve amarillo si hay mucha concetracion de CO2, en mi caso el color fue un poco verdoso pero es probable que se haya contaminado. Importante no destapar el deposito de refrigerante una vez que se introduce el tester

Works like it says