by KE4AVB » Sun Nov 26, 2017 7:56 pm
I use Interdynamics 374CS UV dye for oil and gas (For engine oil, transmission fluid, hydraulic and power steering fluids, and gasoline and diesel fuel systems) and no the fluid does not need to charge after the test which is good especially if you have a unit to come back after you fix the know leaks as secondary leaks are possible. A good example is the pressure washer I just got back in the repairing the engine bad oil leak which actually look like a main seal or crankcase gasket but was instead was a bad seal on the oil fill cap. A secondary small oil leak showed up in the pressure pump oil seal and I was to verify that it wasn't the engine.
Now in the case vehicle you should start with you main suspected source of the leak such as the engine. And beware that since you be operating the vehicle that the leaks all will blown toward the rear.
Now 374CS works best with a 365 nm UV light. The ones that comes in the Interdynamics kits doesn't work very well at all or at least that my experience with them. You would need near total darkness. Good news though as the Gardom 365 nm LED torch (flashlight) does work and are reasonable priced on Amazon. Search Amazon for item B06XY5QTRH. This light when used with the 14500 3.7 Li-ion 2300mAh rechargeable battery works very well even when used outdoors during the day. No need for UV enhancing glasses with the Gardom torch. The drawback I have with the Gardom is the high usage of battery power if used continuously. It is highly recommended getting the charger when ordering the batteries. Also available on Amazon.
If you are trying to find a coolant leak then you need get the UV dye that is for that system, the same if work with the AC system. These UV dyes are available through places like Advance Auto parts and O-Reilly's. If you plan on using these UV dyes on a small engine then you don't need to use the whole 1 oz just around 5ml per one to two quarts of oil.
If planned on using another brand of UV dye check the works best with UV nm spec as some are around 400 nm.
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