Please help diagnose leak

[Subfan]

Hi Guys-

 

Please bear with me.. I am not the type of person who works on my own vehicles, so I am pretty clueless when it comes to this kind of thing.

 

I noticed some fluid on the floor of the garage yesterday. I touched it with my finger and it was slick, but didn't have a strong odor (like engine oil). I took a couple pictures to illustrate where it is coming from. It just developed over the last day or two.

 

It seems to be coming from the compartment that says "Engine Oil Filter". My wife took the car in for an oil change 1,500 miles ago (1 month 1/2 ago), I just checked the oil level and it seems fine.

 

Could it be coming from somewhere else and dripping out of the area that says "engine oil filter"? or could something be going on with the filter 6 weeks after an oil change?

 

A visual check on the fluids, shows all at normal levels, with the Power Steering being slightly low. Car has 17,000 miles.

[rao]

It could be power steering fluid or coolant. Power steering fluid is pretty similar to oil and smells funky. Coolant is very slippery feeling and smeels sort of sweet.

[xt2005bonbon]

I cannot really tell from the picture but if it is redish, then it may really come from the powersteering. Check your steering rack and possily the whole powersteering system. In any case you may have to take the plastic cover off underneath the engine to really see what's going on.

[Subfan]

Thanks xt2005

 

I took a paper towel out there and touched underneath the car where the leak is (on the left).. I also dabbed a drop of the power steering fluid on the paper towel next to it (on the right). The Power Steering was definitely a different color, more red.

 

The leak is brown, making me think more and more that it is engine oil. Unless someone knows of something else that color that could be coming from the "oil filter" area..

 

I appreciate any help.

[PearlBlueGT]

They might've overfilled it or didn't tighten oil filter/drain plug very well. They might've been just very careless and spilled oil. That's why I never take my cars in for oil changes.

[compsurge]

something else that comes from the oil filter area is coolant from the oil cooler (the cirular thing that sits above the oil filter. In my case, I think it's just a loose hose clamp so I'll fix it when I do a coolant change. Yours looks a little more constant. Check your coolant overflow tank. I am not sure where it is in the 2.5i.

 

Silly quesiton, but has it been raining or snowing where you live? If it doesn't smell like anything it could be something as dumb as muddy snow melting from under your car

 

I think the slickness is a clue though, it could be coolant (mine didn't smell, but it was greenish).

[xt2005bonbon]

Good job on the use of the paper towel to compare/contrast.

I looked again at your first set of pictures and it does seem like you've been dripping pretty good. If you look on the plastic undercover, there is a smaller one with plastic 'screws' (one of these can be seen on picture 1). I think that's where you can access the oil filter without having to take off the whole cover. I would take that small plastic cover off asap and at least have a look at the oil filter and oil pan as well. That'd be a good start.

 

p.s: dang, 17000 miles. that's nothing!!

[Subfan]

Good job on the use of the paper towel to compare/contrast.

I looked again at your first set of pictures and it does seem like you've been dripping pretty good. If you look on the plastic undercover, there is a smaller one with plastic 'screws' (one of these can be seen on picture 1). I think that's where you can access the oil filter without having to take off the whole cover. I would take that small plastic cover off asap and at least have a look at the oil filter and oil pan as well. That'd be a good start.

 

p.s: dang, 17000 miles. that's nothing!!

 

Update: My wife took it into a local tire/service shop.. It was the oil filter, it wasn't all the way tight. They tightened it back up and sent her on the way.

 

Oil level still looks good, but the engine is warm. Is it better to check the oil level on a cold engine?

 

Yeah, the miles are pretty low. We bought it about a year ago from an older lady who didn't drive it hardly at all. It had 6,200 miles when we got it.

[compsurge]

Thank goodness that got fixed. It could have ended in tears.

[xt2005bonbon]

Update: My wife took it into a local tire/service shop.. It was the oil filter, it wasn't all the way tight. They tightened it back up and sent her on the way.

 

Oil level still looks good, but the engine is warm. Is it better to check the oil level on a cold engine?

 

Yeah, the miles are pretty low. We bought it about a year ago from an older lady who didn't drive it hardly at all. It had 6,200 miles when we got it.

 

Good for you man. I am glad you took care of the issue promptly and that it was such an easy fix.

Yeah, you should check your oil level when the engine is cold and on a FLAT surface. Level should be right at the F mark on the dip stick. The notch a bit above the F mark on the dipstick is the oil level limit when the engine is warm I believe. Make sure it is not overfilled. It'd be bad.

 

Good for you to get a car with such low mileage. Enjoy!