EVERY DAY YOU SEE A POOL OF FLUID UNDER YOUR CAR AND WONDER WHAT TO DO, IF ANYTHING. WHAT KIND OF FLUID IS IT? IS IT SERIOUS? IS IT DANGEROUS? WHAT CAUSED THE LEAK? THESE AND OTHER QUESTIONS RUN THRU YOUR MIND. WITH ALL THE VARIOUS SYSTEMS THAT CARRY A FLUID OF SOME VARIETY IN YOUR CAR THER IS ALOTTO BE CONCERNED WITH. AND THESE LEAKS SHOULD BE CHECKED OUT BY YOUR MECHANIC, AS THEY CAN LEAD TO CATASTOPHIC FAILURE AND HUGE EXPENSE IF IGNORED.
THESE FLUIDS CAN BE ENGINE OIL, ENGINE COOLANT, POWER STEERING FLUID, BRAKE FLUID, TRANSMISSION FLUID (MANUAL OR AUTOMATIC), TRANSFER CASE, FRONT OR REAR DIFFERENTAILS, WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUIDS, AIR CONDITIONER, EVEN THE SHOCKS AND STRUTS CAN LEAK. A FEW CARS WILL HAVE OTHER ITEMS THAT CAN LEAK, ALSO. SO WHAT TO DO WHEN YOU SEE A LEAK? IT HELPS TO KNOW THE AREA OF THE CAR THAT THE LEAK SHOWS AND THE COLOR OF FLUID. MANY TIMES YOU CAN PLACE A PAN OR PIECE OF CARDBOARD UNDER THE CAR TO COLLECT THE FLUID. THIS CAN HELP YOU AND THE MECHANIC IDENTIFY THE LEAK FASTER. DO THIS AND BRING IT WITH YOU TO THE REPAIR SHOP. ANOTHER GOOD IDEA IS TO PERIODICALLY CLEAN YOUR ENGINE AREA AND UNDERNEATH THE CAR. SLOW LEAKS WILL COLLECT IN POCKETS AND ON SURFACES AND HIDE SERIOUS LEAKS FOR A LONG TIME.
ONCE THE CAR GETS TO THE MECHANIC, THEY OFTEN CAN IDENTIFY THE LEAK QUICKLY AND ADVISE HOW TO REPAIR IT. OTHER TIMES IF THE LEAK IS SAY ON TOP OF THE ENGINE, IT CAN HIDE OTHER LEAKS BELOW IT AND OTHER TYPES OF LEAKS. THERE IS DYE AVAILABLE THAT CAN BE PLACED INTO THE FLUIDS TO MORE ACCURATLEY DETERMINE THE SOURCE IF THERE ARE MULTIPLE LEAKS. THE DYE SHOWS UP UNDER A BLACKLIGHT AND CAN PIN POINT MOST LEAKS.
HAVE YOUR REPAIR SHOP ESTIMATE THE COST OF REPAIRS AND ADVISE YOU AS TO THE SEVERITY OF THE LEAK AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. THERE LEAKS THAT ARE ESSENTAILY A NUISANCE AND CAN BE MONITORED OVER TIME. OTHERS SHOULD BE REPAIRED NOW!
KEEP IN MIND THAT FLUIDS LIKE COOLANT ATTRACT ANIMALS AND CAN KILL THEM. ANTIFREEZE IS VERY DANGEROUS! ALSO, AND THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE WITH A COOLANT LEAK, ONE REPAIR CAN LEAD TO ANOTHER. YOUR CAR’S COLLANT SYSTEM IS UNDER PRESSURE. IF THERE IS A WEAK AREA IN THAT SYSTEM A LEAK WILL DEVELOP. WHEN THAT IS REPAIRED THE NEXT WEAK LINK WILL APPEAR. BE ADVISED OF THIS IN ANY REPAIR. THERE ARE OFTEN OTHER REPAIRS THAT CAN BE DONE INCONJUNCTION WITH ANOTHER. COST SAVINGS AND THE CONVIENCE OF ONE TIME IN THE SHOP ARE GOOD REASONS TO TAKE THAT APPROACH.
MOST IMPORTANTLY, DO NOT IGNORE LEAKS. A RATHER MINOR REPAIR CAN SAVE HUNDREDS OR THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS. WOULD YOUR RATHER BUY A RADIATOR HOSE OR AN ENGINE? PLUS IT KEEPS THE MESS OFF YOUR GARAGE FLOOR.