Few spots under car after drive.
 

Well after every drive it seems like I'll find a small spot under the car. I'm almost positive it's oil, but it just doesn't smell like oil. My guess is it's just such a small amount and then the dirtyness of the ground dilutes it, but I always seem to find a spot after every drive. It seems like it drips just once or twice because I wipe it up, and I don't find any drips later or even after a day or so. I'm thinking it might be my front crank seal, but I'm not sure. The smot is right around that area, and there's some rubber tubing that runs under the crank and to a little bit in front of the car. Is there an easy way to tell if it's the crank seal? Are there oil lines that run right near that area that it could be? I just find it weird that it drips a little after I drive it, but doesn't drip after that, or at least until I drive it again.

Could be the power steering leaking. If the leaks a very small one then it'll only leak when the fluid is pumping and when the car is shut off and the pressure is gone the leak stops. But what ever already leaked out still drips off the car. Just a thought since you said you thought it was oil but said it didn't smell like oil. Power steering fluid still has some viscosity like oil and if it's running through dirt and stuff on it's way down to the ground it'll turn brown. Of course it could be an oil leak just like you were thinking though.

Power steering will look like oil as well? It's pretty close to the center, around the front crank, is it possible that power steering can drip over by there?

Yes. Cause it can squirt for one while you're driving. And the lines run underneath the engine, I believe towards the front. I'm not saying this is your problem but it's worth a check. Try running the car and seeing if you can see where the drip is coming from. If you have some one turn the wheel back and forth you can check to see if anything is leaking from the power steering lines. Like I said it could be just regular oil like you suspected but it's worth a check.

Thanks for the idea j. I never would have thought of that. I'll give it a check.

Haven't had a chance to mess around with the car much today, but a thought I had was. If there is a leak in the oil system, wouldn't the oil pressure be lower than normal, or no?

my power steering leaks, yeah its about center of the engine bay where it drips on the ground.

well i mean, its just my theory, but if its only "a drop or two" like you say, i don't think there would be a noticable oil pressure change. correct me if im wrong someone?

It looks like oil though?

Cus like I said, I damn near have my finger with that little bit of whatever halfway up my nose and I smell no scent of oil. After I checked it yesterday or the day before it looked like more of a drop, like a little thicker. I just wiped it up sooner than normal, and it still did not smell like oil, but like I said it only seems to drip after driving and only one or two spots. Near the main crankshaft, but a slight bit towards the driver's side. Not in like the exact center. I'll check into it though.

put on a white glove and tap the car down.....

So I was messing around a little bit. I was feeling all around the main crank pulley, behind it and whatever. That just feels greasy. There's a little metal line that goes into a rubber line. It has two tiny clamps on it, I don't know why two, but it looks like that's where it might be, but it's still hard to tell that if it came from there or if it dripped down onto there. I'm thinking it might be power steering like you guys said, but it seems to look like oil. Just minus the smell. I figure I'll wipe it all down, and adjust the clamps and see what happens.

Well I didn't feel like making a new thread. Anyway I've never really looked heavily into this problem. Haven't driven the car in a while with the winter and all, and this problem got pushed aside due to the injector work and then the problem fixing the alternator fan. Anyway I found some residue under the car. Will oil usually smell like oil even after it's been sitting on the ground? I've had a few good concentrated drips on my finger and it looks just like oil, but don't smell like it. There's that mounting bar or whatever it is, right under the engine, then a metal line that goes into a rubber hose, that runs under the front crankshaft and goes a little further towards the front of the car over by the radiator. Do oil lines run that way? I can't tell if it's an oil or power steering line. I guess I'll have to try and trace it better.

power steering line..there should be no engine oil lines outside of your engine (UNLESS you have an oil cooler!)

Well that's good. As long as it's power steering fluid I don't feel so bad. I've been suspecting that, so that's why I never jumped at trying to fix it.

I don't know if this was covered, but a leak will follow the best path downward, meaning that no matter where the leak is sometimes, it will follow the path of least resistance down, so it could end up anywhere. So check everything when checking for a leak, cause you never know where it's coming from..... :D

Carl

Auto or manual. The tranny lines run along the bottom to the radiator

What Fluids Do You Constantly Top Up. The Power Will Be The Most Noticeable Due To Its Low Volume (reserve) Tank. Tranny Unless Never Changed Would Be Red. Clean Everything Completly And Start Fresh. It Will Make Your Life Easier.

I just spent half a day cleaning my damn splash pan so I could pull a mold off of it. I've never seen anything so nasty. I don't think that things seen the light of day since it rolled of the lot back in 1980. Power Purple, steel wool, and 2 rolls of paper towels and now it's clean. Makes me want to get under there and clean everything else up :rolleyes:

Well, I keep checking. Not sure if it's still dripping or not. Stuck some cardboard under there to see if any new drips show up. Anyway, I was looking at the line that I think I have it narrowed down to. It looks like a metal line, I wipe my finger along there and I can pull off a little drip of whatever this is. It like I said doesn't smell like oil at all, but can oil out in the air lose it's scent? Or can oil really lose it's scent? The metal line I'm trying to trace goes back and it's hard to tell since the car is down on the ground. The power steering fluid looks like it's a little low, I don't know if it's been that low or not. Oil seems to be about where I remember it.

Also I know this is completely off topic, but where can you take your car to get an undercoating? I'm thinking I'll do that when it gets warmer.

"Well after every drive it seems like I'll find a small spot under the car."

The solution is to quit parking on the DOG! :eek: :o :D :)

I Dont Like Undercoating. I Use Truck Bed Liner Thinly In The Wheel Wells And Paint The Rest Body Color So You Can See Rust. Under Coat Traps Moisture.