5.0 out of 5 stars Great machine!

2026-01-31    -K. Jones

Great little smoke machine for the money, plenty of smoke output and adapters.

4.0 out of 5 stars Nearly perfect

2026-01-17    -Chris M.

This review is for the FOXWELL ST203 Automotive Smoke Machine with Built-in Air Pump. The product includes the smoke machine, several attachments and accessories (power cord, plugs, smoke nozzles, inflatable bladder, funnel, etc.), and an instruction booklet.Setup is easy: attach the smoke nozzle to the back of the machine, and plug in the 12V power cord. Using the funnel, add smoke fluid to the fill port located on top of the machine. (Be careful not to overfill--see below.) Connect the positive and negative cables to a 12V power source, and you're ready to make some smoke. Smoke began to emerge from the nozzle less than a minute after I turned on the machine and selected "Smoke" on the front panel.Here's what I like about this product:- Super easy and intuitive to set up and use.- The controls, lights, and inscriptions on the front of the machine tell you what you need to know at a glance without having to pull out the instruction booklet.- I really like that it has its own air source. No need to connect a separate compressor.- The assortment of included nozzles, plugs, and bladders is excellent.There are just a few things that could make it even better:- The mouth of the included funnel should be about one inch wider.- The air pressure dial can be turned approximately 3 times counterclockwise from the lowest pressure setting to the highest pressure setting, but it only requires about 270 degrees of turning the knob to go from the lowest pressure reading on the gauge (0.25 mm) to the highest pressure reading on the gauge (0.75 mm). Turning the knob past that point doesn't seem to increase the air pressure significantly. It's not clear why there's so much additional turn left in the knob when the machine is already at max output air pressure.- When filling the machine with smoke fluid, pay close attention to the sight gauge on the side. The difference in fluid level between the very bottom of the sight gauge and the "MAX" mark is only about one teaspoon of fluid. If you miss seeing the fluid level and fill past the top of the gauge, the gauge will appear to be clear; you won't realize that you've overfilled the machine until fluid begins to overflow from the fill port. It would be nice if the sight gauge had a floating plastic bead or similar visual reference to let you know if the machine has been overfilled. (By the way, if you do happen to overfill the machine, be sure to remove the excess fluid *before* turning the machine on--excess fluid is forced out through the nozzle and will make a mess.)- The 12V power cable is far too short if you need to check the integrity of the exhaust system from the rear exhaust of the vehicle. I ended up powering the smoke machine using a spare 12V vehicle battery that I had. While this solution worked, a longer power cord would negate the need to carry a heavy lead-acid battery around.Bottom line is that this is a very capable smoke machine. With a few additional improvements, it would be nearly perfect.

5.0 out of 5 stars I was surprised by how well this smoke machine actually works

2026-03-05    -David W.

I purchased this in May 2024 and it's now October 2025. I have used this smoke machine quite a bit on a variety of vehicles. With that said, I'm not a professional, just an enthusiast DIYer, and I had wanted one of these after seeing them used on various automotive repair channels on YouTube, like SMA. I however don't use this every day and for that reason, I didn't want to pay for a commercial grade unit.I have tested intakes, EVAP systems, and even exhaust systems for leaks. What I do like about this unit is it has a built in air pump, which simplifies connection since you don't need compressed air. It puts out plenty of volume and pressure for everything I've thrown at it. It also puts out a large amount of smoke.I will say my expectations were pretty modest for this device, and I can say I paid the same price in May 2024 as it's currently selling for today. With that said, this thing has gone above what I thought I'd get for the money. Now, if I had to give it a ding or two, I'd say the metal body doesn't set it self up for being drop friendly. I do take care when using it to make sure it's either on a flat surface, or it's hung up by the integrated hook.Will this thing last 15 years? Probably not, but it might. Do I feel I've gotten most of the purchase price value of this machine? I really do, and it works as good today as the day I first used it. One modification I will be making is adding a connector with pigtail for a Milwaukee M12 battery, so that it's unincumbered by having to use the alligator clips on the main battery. I think that would make it about perfect and is something I'll modify by the end of this calendar year.There may be better units out there now, but if I needed another one, I'd give this one a hard look.

1.0 out of 5 stars Lived a short life.

2026-02-24    -G

Quit working after only a few months. When it worked it worked great with lots of smoke. Now the pump makes noise but it has no flow. Removed covers and all hoses are connected.

4.0 out of 5 stars Nearly perfect

2026-02-07    -Chris M.

This review is for the FOXWELL ST203 Automotive Smoke Machine with Built-in Air Pump. The product includes the smoke machine, several attachments and accessories (power cord, plugs, smoke nozzles, inflatable bladder, funnel, etc.), and an instruction booklet.Setup is easy: attach the smoke nozzle to the back of the machine, and plug in the 12V power cord. Using the funnel, add smoke fluid to the fill port located on top of the machine. (Be careful not to overfill--see below.) Connect the positive and negative cables to a 12V power source, and you're ready to make some smoke. Smoke began to emerge from the nozzle less than a minute after I turned on the machine and selected "Smoke" on the front panel.Here's what I like about this product:- Super easy and intuitive to set up and use.- The controls, lights, and inscriptions on the front of the machine tell you what you need to know at a glance without having to pull out the instruction booklet.- I really like that it has its own air source. No need to connect a separate compressor.- The assortment of included nozzles, plugs, and bladders is excellent.There are just a few things that could make it even better:- The mouth of the included funnel should be about one inch wider.- The air pressure dial can be turned approximately 3 times counterclockwise from the lowest pressure setting to the highest pressure setting, but it only requires about 270 degrees of turning the knob to go from the lowest pressure reading on the gauge (0.25 mm) to the highest pressure reading on the gauge (0.75 mm). Turning the knob past that point doesn't seem to increase the air pressure significantly. It's not clear why there's so much additional turn left in the knob when the machine is already at max output air pressure.- When filling the machine with smoke fluid, pay close attention to the sight gauge on the side. The difference in fluid level between the very bottom of the sight gauge and the "MAX" mark is only about one teaspoon of fluid. If you miss seeing the fluid level and fill past the top of the gauge, the gauge will appear to be clear; you won't realize that you've overfilled the machine until fluid begins to overflow from the fill port. It would be nice if the sight gauge had a floating plastic bead or similar visual reference to let you know if the machine has been overfilled. (By the way, if you do happen to overfill the machine, be sure to remove the excess fluid *before* turning the machine on--excess fluid is forced out through the nozzle and will make a mess.)- The 12V power cable is far too short if you need to check the integrity of the exhaust system from the rear exhaust of the vehicle. I ended up powering the smoke machine using a spare 12V vehicle battery that I had. While this solution worked, a longer power cord would negate the need to carry a heavy lead-acid battery around.Bottom line is that this is a very capable smoke machine. With a few additional improvements, it would be nearly perfect.

5.0 out of 5 stars Glad I bought it

2026-02-01    -Ted Staib

Works well, easy to use. Found my air leak in seconds and I saw the smoke coming from the air intake bellow close to the engine. The large assortment of plugs will come in handy for future work. Good value. If I had this smoke machine, I would have found my air leak months ago.

5.0 out of 5 stars Found Every Leak My Mechanic Missed — Worth Every Penny

2026-01-13    -Redviper

My mechanic didn’t want to take the time to track down the vacuum leaks, so I decided to handle it myself and bought this smoke machine. I’m glad I did — within an hour, I found six different leaks that had been causing my wife’s convertible to throw a check engine light. After fixing them all, the light is gone and the car runs perfectly.The machine was easy to set up and use, even for someone doing this at home. It produces a steady, visible stream of smoke that makes spotting leaks simple and accurate. The build quality feels solid, and it worked just as well as professional shop equipment I’ve seen.If you like doing your own repairs or just want to make sure the job gets done right, this tool pays for itself the first time you use it. Highly recommend!

5.0 out of 5 stars Great machine!

2026-02-07    -K. Jones

Great little smoke machine for the money, plenty of smoke output and adapters.

5.0 out of 5 stars Found Every Leak My Mechanic Missed — Worth Every Penny

2026-01-09    -Redviper

My mechanic didn’t want to take the time to track down the vacuum leaks, so I decided to handle it myself and bought this smoke machine. I’m glad I did — within an hour, I found six different leaks that had been causing my wife’s convertible to throw a check engine light. After fixing them all, the light is gone and the car runs perfectly.The machine was easy to set up and use, even for someone doing this at home. It produces a steady, visible stream of smoke that makes spotting leaks simple and accurate. The build quality feels solid, and it worked just as well as professional shop equipment I’ve seen.If you like doing your own repairs or just want to make sure the job gets done right, this tool pays for itself the first time you use it. Highly recommend!

5.0 out of 5 stars Worth it and cheaper than big brand names. No shop air needed

2026-01-20    -Troy K

Very nice smoker. I’m a full time tech for bmw and our shop provided one sucks. Found this for a much much better price than harbor freight.