Showerthought: I used to chase fuel leaks with paper towels, now I use baby powder

Olivia Wells · 2026-10-18T03:00:05.255657+00:00

For years I'd crawl under a rig with a roll of paper towels trying to find a seep and end up guessing. Last month a guy named Darrell at the truck stop in Amarillo showed me to dust the wet area with baby powder and run it for 10 minutes, and the seep showed up as a dark line in about a minute flat. The powder sticks to the dry metal and the fuel turns it brown, so you can see exactly where it's coming from. Cost me $3 at the dollar store and I've found three leaks since. What's your go-to trick for tracking down a leak you can smell but can't see?

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Showerthought: I used to chase fuel leaks with paper towels, now I use baby powder | Diesel Mechanics - Babble Community