Is this oil?
 

So my car's been sitting about 3 of the 5 weeks I've owned it... the first two weeks driving it, I noticed no leaks... two weeks after having parked it... no leaks... yesterday, I see a new puddle of oil? pooling up on the asphault. It looks grimey on the asphault and it's under the frame that passes under the steering column and driver seat.. but the leak is up further towards the front left wheel well almost.

I saw what looked like fluid beading on the bottom of the frame and slid my hand across it... it was very slick, chipped of some paint? from the frame and had a light beige color with it's transparency. I did have an oil change before I had to park the car.. and I'm worried this might be oil.. It's very viscous... slippery and frictionless... also stays on my hand till I brush dirt/sand/cat litter across it... regardless how much I was or wipe my hands.

My car has been parked for last 3 weeks on a suspected fuel pump issue, or fuel system related issue in nature.. and since the puddle is off-set from the center of the car where I would expect oil to normally drip... is there a chance this could be fuel (tho I don't really see it evaporating from the asphault) or does this sound like oil is trickling down something till it gets to the frame and drops to the ground from there? Finally, wondering if this brings back memories for anyone that might be able to narrow my search parameters for when I get this car on the lift this weekend?

Well oil normally wipes off fairly easy with a rag, sounds more like a grease if you need sand or something to get it off. When you say a puddle on the road how much are you talking about, because there are usually grease points that get grease added to them at every oil change that could be overfilled.

it looks about 6 to 8 inches wide and is pretty shallow... I think ink pads have more depth to them... but grease is fairly thick and sludge like in my experience... this was pretty clear w/ a tint of amber to it... my first thought on it was dirty water (like the kind from old, dusty [not rusty], pipes)... but since I haven't ran the car in 3 weeks, I know I can't have condensation build up and the only other water should have coolant in it too... I'd really like to think it's just grease, but I've played with grease in autoshop and it kinda reminds me of that gel like hand soap... you can dip a couple fingers in and pull out a gloop... there's no way you could have glooped the fluid I found dripping. Whatever the fluid is, it's not that self-adhessive.. :?

Edit:
Also, it's pretty odorless, which turned me away from thinking there's any chance it could have been gasoline...

well when oil and coolant mix then it tends to clump and have like a chocolate milk type of look, consistent with your amber look. Have you checked your coolant in the radiator to make sure you dont have a HG leak and maybe some oil got in the coolant and then leaked out of a coolant pipe?

You said you had your oil changed recently? Have you checked your oil filter to make sure it's tight? Cause from what you describe it's most likely oil and you should probably make sure your oil level is good before you drive it again.

well, it could be anything now I'm guessin... not really sure...

Shady auto mechanics that inspected my car (wouldn't let them work on it after trying to take me for a fool) told me I had oil pan gasket split, but the two weeks prior, I hadn't noticed any leaks... and even when I had my oil changed earlier that morning at my buddy's jiffy lube, my buddy looked over the car and said I got a good deal... no leaks... no crack in gasket...

We had a couple of cold days here in vegas, and it was after that I noticed the oil? on the ground.. I tried to collect more in a cup, but after I noticed it, the weather was warmer and nothing was leaking... so I thought it could very well be oil seaping thru the crack in the gasket... then thought maybe this could be why my timing got fucked... cam shaft/valves not getting lubed right and not rotating as they're supposed to? (eh, sounds likely anyways)

Another concern of mine is it might be coolant. Tho I saw an amber color moreso than green... I pulled my #6 plug wire and the wire itself had some condensation build up on the sides... something that would only be present if water were heated to a vapor inside the compartment... so I'm also worried it could be a BHG leaking coolant...

However, shop called after trying to run diags on my car... fuel pump and pressure checked good :\.. getting spark all the way thru to the plug... has compression as well.. Was told my battery was dead? (was good when I parked her 3 weeks ago) and my computer codes were all cleared out as a result... so I'm really hoping the problem isn't ECU related...

Atm, they're going to pull o2 sensor and test exhaust system... then timing if that doesn't fix it. I'm just afraid it's going to be ECU and I'll now be liable to pay for o2 sensor labor and work done on the timing since they couldn't find anything wrong under their diagnostic tests... and all said and done, after dropping several hundred between tows and labor costs, I've still got a broken car till I can buy a new ECU...

Anyone that can ease my whoa's by debunking my logic? or is this a very likely probability I might be facing really soon?

Ok, so it's not oil, it's not gas, it's not trans. oil or even brake fluid... it's my brake fluid. Noticed finally when after nearly a week and a half of leaking, my brake light finally came on in my instrument panel. I've had a car w/ cracked brake lines before and it leaked out nearly over night... so I'm guessin this is probably a seal or fitting somewhere down the line... for now, I add some when I lose some and hope to get it fixed in November.. just had the brakes done too.. suspecting a fail on part of the mechanic who did the job, since I'm also hearing squeeking and the new pads and rotors have no more than 300 miles on them... but how do I go about having him repair it w/o charging me (since it's been sitting for 3 weeks waiting after brake job, waiting for a distributor repair)? :dunno:

Brake fluid can be hard on paint. Chances are that any paint the brake fluid touchs will soften or peel off. Consider that "saving money" by fixing it later could result in a car wreck sooner rather than later.......:nono:

it's not a matter of should I fix it now or wait... it's a matter of "I don't have enough cash to pay anyone to even lift my car, let alone look at it."

It's not touching the body paint, luckily, but I do see it flaking some stuff off of the frame... dunno if they paint the frame, but I'd imagine a solid chunk of metal wouldn't flake like that... but I could be wrong since rust can do just that to a car... it's been leaking about 2 weeks and I intend to fix it in another 2 1/2 to 3 weeks... not something I'm gunna be driving on for long time..

You're just screaming for trouble... well, just in case, get used to downshifting and engine braking and make sure your E-brake is 100%.

the frame is probly coated in an "under coating" i do not know if brake fluid disolves that stuff..
you should really learn to do as much on a car yourself, rather than paying someone...

I've had my brake light come on once, that's how I knew it was brake fluid... and I've added fluid to replace what I lost.. so hopefully she'll be ok till the 1st of the month.

Heh, I told you I had leaks and kinks to work out... I thought this car was in good condition when I bought it... just my luck, two weeks later it starts falling apart. My first car did the same... after two weeks, alternator went, then had to replace brakes, then alternator went twice more.. the last one actually made contact with my hood and made my car lunge and act like it was dying out... I popped the hood before it could set fire or melt the hood seriously... only made a small bubble in the hood. After this, the brake lines cracked on my way from Vegas to Salt Lake City... Stayed in St. George, Ut for the night... when I went out in the morning, brake fluid all over my wheel, tire and the ground. I was out of fluid completely. Had to drive that back to vegas at 40mph w/ hazards... outside the city limits, we hit traffic.. Had to use my gears and ebrake... it was scary and nerve wrecking, but managed to not hit anyone.. after that, I was done and got rid of it.

I used to do all the work on that car... and the alternator kept failing cause I had the amp for the speakers overloaded... :dunno: It's been 10 yrs since then and I haven't needed to do auto work since... so I've lost my year and a half of autoshop skill from HS due to lack of practice. I'm also more of a learn by seeing and doing kinda person, so I'm trying to observe the repairs when possible and I try not to ask too many questions so they can do their jobs, but it's all I can do since I'm sure their garage won't let me work on it myself.. If I could afford an automotive trade school, I'd seriously consider it... but I can't even afford to fix my car once and for all.

It can be tough when you've got a car with a lot of problems and no cash or nowhere to work on it or a general lack of know how.

I've got the know how, just no money and I live in a 1 bedroom apartment with no garage or car port... and we're not allowed to do anything more than check our oil in the parking lot.

I got my car where it's at through using the garages and driveways of friends and family members. Turboing the car and doing the head gasket were the hardest things to arrange.

Unlike you, I knew from the first minute my car was a pile... Bought it for $300. It didn't run, had been in a wreck and had also seen a power slide into a curb (had to replace EVERYTHING in both passenger side wheel wells).

yup, that's my situation... 2 bdroom apt, no garage.. I'm sure I can do more than just check my oil... but my know how extends to brake jobs, alternators, and basic understanding of some of the parts and components on the car.

I still don't think she's a pile... but I think the work I've had done since I've had her has tainted her. First one was auto shop that wanted to fix stuff that was new or didn't need fixing. Even wanted $450 each control arm before they'd replace the bushings to do my wheel alignment.. when I had the brakes done and the wheels came off, the control arms looked like new... I wouldn't be surprised if this shop set my distributor up to snap the shaft since it happened 4 days later.

Between the time it was at this shop and she died for the distributor issue, I did have my brakes done... all 4 wheels' pads and front rotors were replaced, rear rotors were turned.. so I wouldn't be surprised if they guy didn't release pressure before pushing the caliper piston back... thus creating the leak I have now... the only thing I knew of wrong with my car was the coolant smell, but even having it parked for weeks, never saw coolant touch the ground.. so that should be a fun leak to check for :\.

You don't need to release any pressure when compressing the calipers. There really shouldn't be much as there aren't any check valves in the system on our cars. The hoses see a lot more pressure than that when you're using them as it is. What they could have done to damage them would be either allowing the calipers to hang by the hose or bending the old hose too hard.

I do feel your pain though... finding a good mechanic can be hell. These days I couldn't afford a car if I wasn't doing my own work.

Found the leak... sort of... I'm not sure what it is cause the label is very worn on it... but the fluid is coming the big cyndrillical drum that is mounted to the firewall and connected to the brake fluid resevoir.. the leak is coming from the pipe's connection with said drum... so can only imagine that drum is full of fluid that has leaked out in there :'(

Edit:
Looking at the TSRM, looks like it's my brake booster? now if I can just figure out what the internals look like and see what kind of nightmare I am faced with... I can either be saddened or relieved...

Edit #2:
After speaking with some more mechanically inclined individuals, my suspicions of the booster being flooded were completely debunked... as was my impression the issue came from the booster. Since I can stop the car with normal effort, rather than having to shift down thru gears and stand on the brake to stop, going to go with the master cylinder as the culprit.. now I just need to find a place to get one... not only does the Autozones here have none in stock, they don't even have a vendor to order them from :\.

If the fluid is leaking into the booster, the master cylinder is the most likely culprit. It's not very hard to fix and can be rebuilt with a kit from NAPA which includes a new plunger and replacement seals.

Ah, just saw your edit... either get a complete master cylinder or a rebuild kit which comes with everything, not just seals. A full cylinder is preferable.

yea, I think I'd rather just pay up the few extra bux and get the whole master cylinder... the luck I've been having, I'll fix the seals and something else on it will fall apart. LoL... thanks for the help, again, Cre... it is much appreciated.

make sure to put brake fluid in the master brake cylinder and bleed it before you put it on the car...
most master brake cylinders come with a set of bolts to bleed it before installattion.
first time i done it put it on first... what a fuckin mess,

also i suggest when bleeding system after. put a rubber tube to go on your bleeder bolts on the calipers into a cup full of brake fluid.. that way there is room for "some error" and if the peddle is accidentally let off a bit, it will only suck up more fluid not oxygen...

wish you luck, i myself got a master brake cylinder for 75$ new

That's $75 Canadian I hope...

Definitely want to bleed the whole system after install and make sure the piston is lubed before you put it in... heh, that sounded dirty... :p

$75 USD was what I was quoted from Autozone, and that was without the core charge... with that added in, it was just over $120 I believe...

I'm glad that you narrowed that down. Get the whole master cylender installed, then do the bleeding proceedure for all four wheels. You will be safely back on the road.:wavey:

same deal
 

yeah i was driving my supra in an underground parking and my flex line for the front left decided to pop. although they are aftermarket metal, here in canada snow and salt made easy work of messing that up. so what i did was take a couple of zip ties and electrical tape and patched it till i got to canadian tire for fluid, after that i drove for 50km knowing i only had one full pedal stroke till the reservior emptied. the only thing i can say is go to horsepowerfreaks.com and get their silicone reinforced flex lines, they are good for any kind of weather and improve brake feel:) don't get me started on how i got home from middle of nowhere when my turbine blew off my turbo shaft, i took the turbo apart right there, blocked off the big hole in the turbine with a steel plate and clamp, rerouted the oil and coolant, and hey presto work like an n/a , didn't have balls to take it over 2.5-3000rpm just to be safe from knocking:):roflwtf: