XPost: alt.home.repair   
   From: NONONOmisc07@fmguy.com   
      
   Does propane change with age?   The web says No, but....   
      
   I have a can/bottle of propane that is at least 10 years old.   
      
   I'm using it as one of several ways to find the vacuum leak in my car.   
      
   I used it 2 years ago and got nowhere, but I'm being more diligent this   
   time.   I have an old valve to which I've added some windshield washer   
   tubing, so that I can reach anywhere (although the curve that won't go   
   away from the tubing makes it hard to get to some places).   
      
   But I'm used to propane having a strong, distinctive, maybe pungent   
   smell, even just a whiff of it, and this stuff, Berzomatic brand. 14oz.   
   fwiw in a tubular blue can (shaped like a salami), has barely any smell.   
   In fact I wasn't even sure the valve was opening.  Only because frost   
   was forming on the valve (that screws to the bottle) was I sure   
   something was coming out.   
      
   Also, when I didn't find a leak, I removed a small hose from the air   
   cleaner box and I attached the hose from the propane bottle.  Barely any   
   change in the sound of the engine. Wouldn't have noticed it if I were   
   not listening for it.    Should I have attached it somewhere else?  Or   
   is propane just not a good test substance?     I also have MAPP gas if   
   you think that would work better.   
      
   This is somewhat complicated because these Toyota engines idle at   
   2000rpm to start and slow to 750 after 3 or 4 minutes.   
      
   So I'm rushing to test while the engine is cold and it's all the time   
   lowering engine speed and changing the sound it makes anyhow.   
      
      
      
   40 years ago, I had a car that stalled if you didn't give it extra gas   
   until it warmed up some.  AFAIK, that car was considered in need of   
   repair.  But now it seems, with a microprocessor that can start with a   
   fast idle (better or faster than the fast idle cam) and lower it later,   
   Toyota just covers up this problem by providing 2000 rpm idling, instead   
   designing the engine to not have the problem.  Am I too cynical?   Do   
   other makes of cars do the same thing?   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)