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What’s leaking from my vehicle?

Vehicle Leak

What’s that stuff leaking from my vehicle?

Few car issues worry drivers more than when they spot liquid leaking from their vehicle. Although there are some instances where a puddle of liquid is nothing to worry about, other times it could signal a serious problem.
While it’s always a good idea to have a leak looked at by a mechanic no matter what, you could have a fairly good idea of what the issue is based solely on the colour of the liquid.  Read ahead to learn more:

Clear

If the liquid leaking from your vehicle is clear, it may simply water dripping from your air conditioning.  You’ll be happy to hear that this is completely normal and have nothing to worry about.

Clearish-brown

On the contrary, if your vehicle is leaking clear-ish brown liquid, it likely means that you’re facing a serious problem. This could signal that there’s an issue with your brakes, meaning that you should have your car checked immediately. You could be putting yourself and others at serious risk if you don’t have a professional look at it right away.
Brake issues are not something you should mess around with.


#TopTip:  If your car is leaking anything, bring it to your favourite NewRoads dealership, don’t Google Self-Diagnose!


Dark brown/black

While engine oil starts as light brown, it slowly darkens overtime and can look dark brown or black if it’s been a while since you’ve had it changed.  Oil leaks can sometimes be minor in nature, but you should still have it checked out by a mechanic just in case. Leaving any issue unattended can always lead to something worse down the road.

Fluorescent

If the liquid leaking is a bright fluorescent colour such as yellow, green, or pink, you can be confident that there is a leak in your cooling system. This could mean there’s an issue with your radiator, coolant pump or heater core.
Coolant leaks range in severity, so it’s important to take your vehicle in to get it checked out. If the leak is accompanied by a strange smell when you turn your heater on, there may be an issue with your heater core.

Red

If the leaking liquid is red, it could be one of two fluids: power steering fluid or transmission fluid.
Power steering fluid is needed to ensure your handling is in order. If a leak persists, not only will you be putting yourself at risk, but it could lead to an entire system failure which would turn into a very costly repair.
Your vehicle needs transmission. If the problem goes untreated for too long it could lead to serious damage to your transmission, which is far from a cheap repair.
If you notice a delay in shifting or notice that the leaking liquid smells like petroleum, you can be confident that there’s an issue with your transmission system.
Both leaks could result in serious issues down the line, so it’s important not to wait before getting the leak looked at.