Leaking something red...

[Ryan Boileau]

Something wrong with my engine again...thank goodness for extended warranties. It'll get looked at on Monday by the folks at GMAC. Just asking for curiousity beforehand, if you have any ideas please respond:

Started just the other day, my wife noticed a small puddle of liquid on the ground during lunch. I looked, and it was reddish-colored, but not a lot. I returned to work, and the next morning someone asked me what was up with my car, that it was leaking. A second look, and it was literally dripping like a sieve - reddish colored liquid from right under the pulley assemblies. I can't see exactly where it's coming from, though.

Fluid levels of both transmission and power steering still seem good. I suspect the power steering system is the culprit, either the pump or the lines which lead to the rack and pinion, but am not certain.

Any ideas?

[Big Tymer]

red would be tranny fluid :)

[Dojo2000]

When your water pump goes out it leaks coolant from a small hole on the underside of it.

Used tranny fluid is a dark red, but used coolant is a orangish to light red color.

[mw02]

My guess is that it will be coolant. When my water pump went, coolant was all over.

[93v6firebird]

tranny oil level is good, youre sure??

I would go w/ the water pump as well, but if for some reason its NOT that it MIGHT be the tranny and that far forward I would look at the plumbing putting tranny fluid through the radiator... any leak there could mix tranny fluid w/ coolant and that could be dripping out... Im thinking this is pretty unlikely, but worth a shot if nothing else works

[Dominic]

Just check the thickness of it and odor. Tranny fluid has a completely different smell and feel than coolant, you should be able to tell the difference by comparing it with the coolant and trans fluid you can easily get to at your radiator and dipstick.

[Gmtech1005]

Check the texture of it. Coolant has a more watery texture than trans fluid and ps fluid. If it is leaking pretty bad you should be able to crawl under the front a get a look at what's going on....If you're brave...taste it....lol you'll definately know what it is then.

[Ryan Boileau]

Thanks for the input. I'll take a look at it tomorrow in the daylight again. I had pretty much ruled out a coolant / water pump leak because the temperature wasn't increasing at all beyond its normal operating temperature. In fact, all my gauges show that everything is normal.

I have felt the transmission slipping, of a sort, every now and then, but never anything real bad. Just a kind of intuition that it's doing it. No increased resistance in turning the wheels either, which I'd normally see if/when a power steering problem occurs.

Like I said initially, it's under warranty, and will be going in Monday for the work regardless, but I ask to learn. [img]smile.gif[/img] This is the second major leak with the car since I got it in January - first was a series of bad oil rings / valves, including the main rear. So, for the 1200 I spent on the GMAC warranty, I've already had in excess of 2k of repairs done... Which isn't a bad return at all. My guess is that whoever had the car before me ragged the heck out of it and sold it when it started breaking down.

Thanks again for the input.

[Ryan Boileau]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Dojo2000:
When your water pump goes out it leaks coolant from a small hole on the underside of it.

Used tranny fluid is a dark red, but used coolant is a orangish to light red color.<hr></blockquote>

Right on the money, Dojo - The GM service department says that it is a coolant leak. Will be getting it back tomorrow, barring them finding something else wrong with it.