What is Leaking Under the Car?

No matter how well you take care of your car, it could develop a leak. You might not notice it for some time. Now that you have, you can't stop thinking about it. Perhaps you worry about what this could mean. The following will help you figure out where this leak is coming from.

Okay, the best-case scenario is that water is causing your car leaking problem. Water is usually not an issue because it means nothing is wrong.

Maybe you were running your AC for a while that caused some condensation within the vehicle. This will leak a bit of water at some point, but it'll go away, so need to worry. The other reason could be that you used your washer fluid to clean your windows. Again, no big deal, the issue should resolve itself quickly enough.

Now, there's a reason to be concerned if you notice that the leaking fluid is brown or black. This means you've got engine oil leaking under your vehicle. Sometimes, the fluid can look amber like, so if you notice this, it's probably still engine oil. You can test the liquid to make sure it's oil.

Get close to the liquid and touch it. It's going to feel slick. You'll also notice that it's hard to clean off afterward. Figuring out where your leak is coming from can be challenging. The leak could be coming from the head gasket, or it could be coming from the oil filter. The issue may be the oil plug. You'll need to talk to a mechanic to find out where the car leaking problem is coming from so that you can figure out what to do next.

A red fluid leak could be automatic transmission fluid. The liquid is going to feel pretty slick to the touch. Most of the time, it's light in color though if it's relatively old it might look slightly darker. If you get close to it or try to smell it, you'll notice it doesn't really have a smell.

This type of leak could only come from the front or the middle section of the vehicle. Check your transmission fluid level to see if it's low even though it shouldn't be. You can add a little stop leak transmission fluid, but this problem should be dealt with by a specialist.

The power steering fluid could also be leaking, and this fluid is relatively red as well. To tell the fluid apart from the transmission fluid, you'll have to examine it a little closer. The power steering fluid has a burnt smell, and some people say it smells sweet. 

If you notice one of these smells, then your power steering is leaking. You can check near the vehicle's steering rack to see if you notice the leak. Check the power steering fluid level to see if it's low. If you have a leak, you'll probably need to refill the power steering oil. Stop leak fluid could help, but it's better to deal with this problem as soon as possible.

Your coolant could be leaking as well. If you notice a yellow liquid under your car, then you may have a coolant leak. Now, all coolants aren't the same, so you could also see green or even pink fluid, and you'll still be dealing with a coolant leak. 

Nothing else resembles coolant fluid, so figuring out this problem is pretty simple. If you still can't figure it out, then try to smell it. You'll smell something sweet, and you'll feel something that reminds you of slime. The leak could be coming from your radiator but could also be coming from hoses or the water pump. Have your mechanic check it out to see if you can get to the bottom of the issue.

Now, you know what could be leaking under your vehicle. As a side note, if the liquid is brown and is by your tires or brakes, then it could brake fluid, but this rarely happens. Still, if you do see fluid by your brakes, then treat this as an emergency because your brakes are important.

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