What Do I Do If My Car Is Leaking Fluid?
Having your car maintained through a regular visit to your motor mechanic is the best way to ensure your vehicle is in good operational condition at all times. Sometimes however, things happen to your vehicle and you might find yourself in a position of having to make a decision as to whether your vehicle is safe to drive.
One of the most common things you may be confronted with is a fluid leak. This can be an unnerving experience and if there is a lot of fluid, it may make your blood run cold! But it may not be as serious as you think and as long as you take a coolheaded approach it could be possible to have a solution in no time. The importance of taking early action cannot be stressed enough however and you should consult an auto mechanic as soon as possible if you are in any doubt.
With these thoughts in mind let’s take a look at some of the possibilities when you discover leaking fluid under your car Let’s start by trying to colour code the problems.
- If the fluid you see is bright green in colour it is more than likely radiator coolant. It is also quite slippery so you should be careful. The first thing to do is to check your radiator fluid levels and if they are substantially low then you may have some radiator problems ahead of you.
- Red fluid could be either your automatic transmission fluid or power steering fluid and will be of a thick consistency. Red coolant is also used in some vehicles and the appearance will be of a watery nature. After checking under the bonnet you may be able to discover where the leak is coming from to determine which one it is. This could be a serious issue and may mean that you cannot move the vehicle and will need to be towed.
- Brown fluid is more than likely to be oil and it can vary from light brown in colour to quite dark, almost black. If you change your oil regularly the problem may not be a serious one but in any case you should have the vehicle checked by a mobile mechanic as soon as possible.
- Bright blue fluid is unlikely to be a problem at all and may simply be a leak in your windshield washer fluid tank.
- If the fluid is light brown in colour and has a smell of rotten eggs, it is more likely to be gear lube which could be leaking from your rear axle.
- Clear fluid is probably water from the condenser in the air conditioning unit.
- Amber or reddish coloured fluid could be a petrol leak but you will be easily able to detect this because of its distinctive odour.
These points will hopefully allay your fears and give you some idea of what the problem may be before calling your mechanic.
Remember that having your vehicle serviced by an auto mechanic on a regular basis is likely to be the best preventative measure you can take and will hopefully mean you will never have the experience of an unexpected fluid leak.
Sarah Smith says:
When I went to the car park to go home this afternoon, I noticed a large red puddle pooling underneath my car. Since I almost cracked my radiator last year after driving it when it had been leaking coolant, I figured I would take my car to an auto shop first. Your information that the red fluid could be transmission fluid or power steering fluid is very helpful. I’ll be sure to find a shop that specializes in fixing transmissions and power steering.
August 6th, 2019 at 1:02 am