Leaking fluids

V8inMA

V8inMA

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South Hadley
2006 V8

Car has been sitting for about 2 weeks - moved it today and noticed the fluids on the garage floor. Middle one looks to be a mix of oil and something else - coolant ? Bringing it on Friday to get checked out but thought I would ask here for some initial thoughts. In one of the pictures you can see something around where the front right tire was also.

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V8inMA said:
2006 V8

Car has been sitting for about 2 weeks - moved it today and noticed the fluids on the garage floor. Middle one looks to be a mix of oil and something else - coolant ? Bringing it on Friday to get checked out but thought I would ask here for some initial thoughts. In one of the pictures you can see something around where the front right tire was also.

View attachment 828570947

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A dark mix of sorts. Could be just water condensation draining from your air conditioning system. The AC unit is usually mounted over the right side of the car. Your tire might have some water,dirt or motor oil that transferred from the inner fender area.
 
Danny351C said:
...Could be just water condensation draining from your air conditioning system. ...
Click to expand...

After sitting for two weeks? (Otherwise, would have been my first thought too)

My wild guess is that if you take the engine cover off and look at the top of the engine near the front, you'll find coolant.
 
Appreciate the replies. It definitely has the look and consistency of condensation, except for the small spot in the middle, where there looks to be oil.

My wild guess is that if you take the engine cover off and look at the top of the engine near the front, you'll find coolant.[/QUOTE]

I see something that looks like it could have leaked -picture below
Capture.JPG
 
^ That's more towards the front/right of the engine.

Looking at your previous pictures, the drips (based on that spot from the right side wheel), it's coming from further back.
Seems very level with the back of the engine, right about near the firewall.

Motor mounts have fluids. Looks to me like it's right about where the engine meet the trans.
Does indeed look like water/oil mixture. I don't think it's direct engine oil, think it's a drip down from right, back side of engine.

Your washer spray nozzle tubing and plastic elbows in good shape?

Maybe grab a large fresh piece of cardboard and park the car on top of it for a night or two.
before moving the car, have a look underneath, see if you can pin point, where it's coming from.

It's definitely coming from behind the wheel as apposed to further up the front of the engine.


Your oil level on the dipstick, shows the same blackness of oil color ?
Hopefully it's a bit more golden/brown as apposed to that blackness on the floor.


EDIT: possible 'blow-back' ~ check the bottom of your oil pan. is it covered in oil ?
 
Leaks at the front top of the engine can run under the manifold to the back of the engine.
Motor mounts have thick dark red fluid that can leak for days.
That is minor oil seepage around a PCV connection in the picture. It would never be enough to drip on the floor.
 
Took Rigs suggestion to clean up the original fluid and put down a fresh piece of cardboard last night. Checked it this morning and it was bone dry. Going to take it out a lunch today and drive it for a bit and check again tonight. Oil on the dipstick is gold/brown not black. Hard to get under it at the moment, will get in on a lift Friday and go from there.

Joegr - agree oil seepage would not be enough to drip, but was the only area I saw anything close to a leak.

Thanks again !
 
Before you parked it, any roadways near your house that were just freshly paved and by chance it was raining that day? Might have just picked up some crap in the wetness. Not sure.

Agreed @joegr with respect to blow back.
 
just got done doing a cam tensioner job..I put the oil back in and prestone and fired her up..I used about a gal of oil plus about a half a quart of new magnetic castrol..started to bleed the gas(prestone)bottle also some smoke from what I think was brake fluid and drips (addressing too many issues to be expected) was waiting on the bubbles of prestone but decided to shut down and check oil again I had the other half gal of oil from the drain I added it started her up sounding just that much better and smoke beginning to dicapate was going to take a test spin but my brakes were non existant as to shut down 2nd time but the problem now is there are two patches of oil both right and left side almost symmetrical just behind inner front tires?
 
It takes seven (a little less if not a sport) quarts of good new clean oil, 5W30 (1st gen only), 5W20, or 0W20.
There is a torque sequence to reinstalling the valve covers, otherwise they might crack. There is a spot on each side where the head meets the front timing cover where some sealant has to be applied.

Have you looked on ebay for a factory service manual?
 
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good there don't see that kind of leak yet (valve covers) ..ran my hand around bottoms not feelin yet but I put everthing back so might missed a spot ...yea gasket sealant bottom top of flats ...I assume id have blacker smoke ...I was doing the job in exploratory thinkin some of my train wasn't gettn enough ...wondering about the double feeding of oil like it burped the second helping not sure yet ill have it up again tommoro after thanks ...is there a purge valve? they look like twin stains ... advent planning for too much pressure ? my t birds had a few quirks some time after ping don't expect them to start up until cooled down
 
I currently have a leaking motor mount and it is the same dark color as in your photo, but it is definitely an oily consistency and wouldn't be mistaken for coolant. I have been waiting for it to go dry for months.
 
Just an update. Took it Friday and they didn't find any oil leaks - not sure how hard they looked but they have worked on this car for the past 2 years and they are pretty trustworthy. Checked on Saturday, more of the same fluid on the ground, but mostly dried already, similar to when I ran the AC in the summertime. But the AC has not been used in close to 2 months now. Will let it sit for its winter nap and see what the spring time brings.
 
oh crap ... on older cars like these, at the very least once every second week or so, exercise everything. Anywhere from opening and closing all windows, sunroof, mirrors, rear defrost, door locks, handbrakes, all DATC temperature settings. It's the idea of "Don't use it, lose it!"

Keep things moving once and a while, specially the AC and heating.
Run the DATC through it's settings. Run it in AUTO for a while, then individually go through all settings manually. Both cooling and heating. Defrost also.

On any car in storage, myself, I like to also park it back and forth a foot at a time just to keep the tires round, trans shifted, brakes pumped and reset the mouse traps (peanut butter lasts all winter)(sticky pads at the inside bottom of each wheel).

Arthritis sets in when we don't exercise the elders a bit.


~ Least it will look good sitting till spring with your new 'amazing looking' ALL RED 2nd gen tail light. (which btw they 'attempted' to door deliver today)





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Yes, those are good suggestions. On the odd day over the winter when its clear I try to take it for a short ride just to move it and give it a little exercise.
 
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