Is this oil?

Krem · 10-09-2009, 05:36 PM

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?

97SupraTT · 10-09-2009, 07:00 PM

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.

Krem · 10-09-2009, 07:08 PM

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...

97SupraTT · 10-09-2009, 08:08 PM

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?

DarkSupra2.5 · 10-12-2009, 01:28 AM

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.

Krem · 10-12-2009, 07:19 PM

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?

Krem · 10-19-2009, 01:05 AM

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)?

jvginpdx · 10-20-2009, 10:16 PM

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.......

Krem · 10-20-2009, 11:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jvginpdx

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.......

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..

cre · 10-21-2009, 12:19 AM

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%.

10-09-2009, 05:36 PM	#1
Krem 3" Exhaust Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 167	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?

10-09-2009, 07:08 PM	#3
Krem 3" Exhaust Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 167	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... Last edited by Krem; 10-09-2009 at 07:11 PM.

10-12-2009, 01:28 AM	#5
DarkSupra2.5 3" Exhaust Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sacramento Posts: 60	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. __________________ 1jz-gte swap (Currently spun #3 rod bearings), Apexi high flow filter, Greddy thrust 3" downpipe, N1 3" catback with cat delete tube, 1 peice driveshaft, Bar and Plate intercooler, and 440 JDM 2jz injectors. Possible 2jz lower block swap in the works if I can't rebuild the 1j. So troublesome.

10-09-2009, 07:00 PM	#2
97SupraTT 3" Exhaust Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Guam Posts: 56	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.

10-09-2009, 08:08 PM	#4
97SupraTT 3" Exhaust Join Date: Jun 2009 Location: Guam Posts: 56	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?

10-12-2009, 07:19 PM	#6
Krem 3" Exhaust Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 167	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?

10-19-2009, 01:05 AM	#7
Krem 3" Exhaust Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Las Vegas Posts: 167	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)?

10-20-2009, 10:16 PM	#8
jvginpdx Stock Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Portland, Oregon Posts: 13	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.......

10-21-2009, 12:19 AM	#10
cre Toyota Racing Development Join Date: Apr 2007 Posts: 5,038	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%.