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What's Leaking From My Car?

posted on 8/25/2016 7:26:40 AM
You go out to your car, start it up, pull out of your parking space and see a puddle of...something...where you were parked a moment ago. This is never a good feeling. What could it be? 
 
Fortunately, some automotive fluids are dyed different colors to make this a little easier to narrow down. 
 
Does it appear to be water? Were you recently running your A/C? Chances are that's just condensation from the A/C system, which drips out through a rubber tube and is perfectly normal. No worries there. 
 
For years, antifreeze was dyed a bright green to make it easy to identify. Today, other antifreeze formulations can be colored pink or orange, but it's still not hard to figure out -- antifreeze has a sweet-ish, unmistakable smell due to its ethylene glycol content.
 
Gasoline is a pale yellowish or orange color, and also has a distinct smell that you'll recognize right away. Gasoline evaporates quickly and may feel cool on your finger if you dip it into the puddle. It's also, of course, very flammable!
 
Motor oil is honey-colored or perhaps darker, depending on how long it's been in the engine, and is slippery when rubbed between thumb and forefinger. Transmission fluid has the same slippery feeling as motor oil, but is dyed a magenta color and may have a somewhat sweet smell. 
 
Power steering fluid is clear and often may feel more slippery than motor oil. Brake fluid is also very slippery and may have a more hazy yellowish color. 
 
What To Do About A Leak
 
If you regularly see a puddle under your vehicle that's bigger than an inch or two across, slide a sheet of cardboard under the engine and between the front wheels when you park it in the evening.
 
Leaks can be difficult to pin down on a vehicle that's already grimy and oily underneath (especially since the path of the leak will be blown backwards while driving). One way to isolate the source of a leak is to safely lift and secure the vehicle, get underneath it and clean the bottom of the engine and transmission with brake cleaner or a similar solvent. Spray the entire area with foot powder, which should then clearly show where the leak is originating. 
 
Leaks can be troubling, but older vehicles with high mileage tend to have gaskets and seals which dry up and shrink, causing at least minute leaks. Got any concerns? Make an appointment with us and let us track down that leak and fix it!
Categories: Auto Repair 101 | View Count: (340) | Return

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Contact Us

Email: [email protected]
Phone: (973) 838-2555
Fax:
Address: 1511 State Route 23
Butler, NJ 07405
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (973) 365-6014
Fax:
Address: 960 Bloomfield Avenue
Clifton, NJ 07012
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (973) 625-4800
Fax:
Address: East 329 U.S. 46
Denville, NJ 07834
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (201) 871-3600
Fax:
Address: 375 South Dean St
Englewood, NJ 07631
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (201) 666-0162
Fax:
Address: 351 Broadway
Hillsdale, NJ 07642
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (201) 804-8858
Fax:
Address: 757 Page Avenue
Lyndhurst, NJ 07071
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (973) 694-4897
Fax:
Address: 1395 Hamburg Turnpike
Wayne, NJ 07470
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (201) 781-4000
Fax:
Address: 22 Kinderkamack Road
Westwood, NJ 07675
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 201-562-1000
Fax:
Address: 340 River Street
Hackensack, NJ 07601
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