My Car Is Leaking Something and I Don’t Know What it Is
We here at Total Auto Care understand why fluid spots on your garage floor can put you into a panic. Before you get too upset, take a moment to identify which fluid is leaking from your car. This is important because depending on the fluid leak, it might not be safe to drive your automobile into our shop. Let’s talk about the different fluids in your automobile below and what their colors are to help you identify your automotive fluid leak.
Brake Fluid
If brake fluid is leaking from your car, you will see spots on your garage floor near your wheels. Brand-new brake fluid is either clear, light yellow, or light amber. The brake fluid turns brown or even dark brown as it ages and gets dirty. In some cases, brake fluid is also red. Check your brake fluid reservoir in the engine to see what color your vehicle’s brake fluid is.
Coolant
Engine coolant comes in a wide variety of colors. From blue to green, orange to red, and even yellow, this fluid will leak underneath your engine toward the front. If you see coolant leaking from the front and center of your engine, it’s probably leaking from the water pump. You can check your engine coolant color by popping your hood and looking at the coolant inside the overflow reservoir.
Motor Oil
Motor oil is light brown when it’s brand new and dark brown when it’s old. If your motor oil is dark brown or black and very thick and sticky, you need to have it changed immediately. Dirty motor oil will deposit grime throughout your automobile’s engine, which can lead to long-term damages. Oil leaks also open up your engine to complete failure because there is not enough oil flowing through it.
Power Steering Fluid
Power steering fluid leaks are rare, but they do happen. Your power steering fluid is red. On occasion, the power steering fluid can turn brown if it gets dirty, starts to burn, or is old. Depending on the type of power steering system your vehicle has, you may not have power steering fluid in the engine. Electric power steering systems do not use power steering fluid.
Transmission Fluid
Transmission fluid is also red. When it is new, it is bright red and translucent. As it ages, it goes from light brown to dark brown. Your transmission fluid will leak more toward the center of your automobile, so if you see red fluid spots underneath your car there, it is more likely transmission fluid than it is power steering fluid. It’s important to get this leak fixed right away.
Water
In some cases, you will simply see water spots underneath your automobile. Most likely, you’ll see them underneath the front of your car if you’ve been running the air conditioner or underneath the tailpipe. This is just natural condensation that occurs during your vehicle’s operation. There is no need to worry about water underneath your car.
Windshield Washer Fluid
Finally, your windshield washer fluid is blue, and much like water, it isn’t the end of the world if it’s leaking from your automobile. The only downside to a windshield washer leak, aside from the mess, is that you will eventually run out of fluid that you might need to clean your windshield when you’re on the road.We here at Total Auto Care in North Branch, MN, can find exactly where the automotive fluid is leaking from your car and fix it. Give us a call today to schedule an appointment.