News

What is that spot under my vehicle?

If you notice any spots or puddles on the floor where you park your vehicle, it is best not to ignore it for awfully long. We pulled a 2012 Jeep Wrangler Sport V6 into the garage bay as the owner noticed a fluid spot on their garage floor. Upon opening the hood, we found oil everywhere! This would make anyone just want to stand there and think, “What now?” When chasing an oil leak, or any other type of leak it is always best to have a professional mechanic inspect your vehicle.

This particular oil leak was not easy to identify where the source of it had started.

Check out this short video from our mechanic and how he located the problem.

Southsidetire.net 901 East Patrick St Frederick Md 21701

Your vehicle has several types of fluids to keep everything working properly. Should you have a leak and cannot identify what it is, there are a few factors you need to keep in mind:

***COLOR, CONSISTENCY and LOCATION***

Dripping fluids can change color once on the surface beneath the vehicle. Some can soak into the surface and darken. To get an accurate color of the leaking fluid, consider putting down newspaper or even aluminum foil at the location of the leak. Take note of the color, consistency and if it smells so you can share that with the technician. Bring that along which is always helpful!

Let us review a few of the most common fluids that could leak on your vehicle.

ENGINE OIL – This is the most common of all leaks. The color is most likely going to be brown or black with a thicker consistency. After time, the seal/gaskets on the motor may go bad by breaking down, resulting in a considerable size of an oil escape. Or it may be as simple as left over residual oil from an oil change which can leave those nerve racking tiny drops on your floor. Either way, it should be checked out by a trained eye.

POWER STEERING FLUID – This will drip from the front of your car and can be anywhere from a light brown color to red. Your power steering level should always be at its peak
since this is what keeps your steering wheel nice and smooth to turn.

Transmission - this can run on the front of the engine back to the transmission; it has a red tint. When this fluid gets too low you can feel a split when the gears are shifting.

Brake fluid - you can find these leaks behind each wheel. or near one of the brake lines. and could lead to brake failure or soft brakes we're your pedal goes to the floor a lot
easier than normal.

Antifreeze - you will find antifreeze in the color of green, yellow, pink, red, purple or blue depending on the manufacturer. it's normally found towards the front of your vehicle.

How about clear water - normally you would find this in the summertime on the right hand side of the engine dripping down. Most of the time is when your air conditioner is on.
This is normal.

For more content & videos:

Meg A Tread Keeney - YouTube