A puddle on the garage floor may be your first clue that something is wrong with your car. Indeed, car leaking can point to a significant problem, leading to an extensive repair. Before you panic, though, you need to determine what the leak represents.<\/p>\n
Diagnosing a leak isn\u2019t that difficult. In fact, the color of the leak or the smell it gives off will usually point to the problem. The sooner you make a determination, the better. You can use a\u00a0drip pan<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0to capture the fluid and note the color and smell of the liquid.<\/p>\n Here are seven visual and olfactory clues to help solve the mystery.<\/p>\n The most common car leak color is transparent or clear, although if you park on a dark surface such as a street, you may think it is something else. Fortunately, that fluid isn\u2019t a leak at all. Instead, what you have is water condensation from the air conditioner. Reach down and touch the fluid and you\u2019ll see it is nothing but water.<\/p>\n However, gasoline, like water, is also usually transparent. But various dyes and additives can change its color. The determining factor is its odor: If it smells like gasoline, then it\u2019s gasoline. Unless you overfilled the fuel tank and the leak is a spill, the gas tank may have cracked or a fuel line may have been broken. You should consult your mechanic to find out what repairs are necessary.<\/p>\n If the fluid is red, pink or brown, then that\u2019s a strong indication the transmission is leaking. A transmission may leak through its pan, fluid lines or broken seals. Road damage and the usual wear and tear can take its toll. Get it fixed ASAP.<\/p>\n Coolant, also known as antifreeze, is typically green or yellow. Certain less common colors, such as pink or orange, are also used. Use your senses to feel and smell the fluid. If it\u2019s slimy and sweet, then you probably have a coolant leak.<\/p>\n Brake fluid is usually clear or yellow, sometimes brown if it is old. It should feel oily to the touch, but the big giveaway is its unmistakable fishy smell. A leak may indicate the master cylinder is on its way out.<\/p>\n Engine oil is one of the easiest fluids to detect. It smells like cooking oil, is thick and slippery to the touch and ranges in color from brown to black. Most such leaks may be attributed to a stripped oil pan drain<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0plug \u2014 a simple repair. However, the issue could affect gaskets, seals or connections.<\/p>\n If it smells like glass cleaner and is watery to the touch, you\u2019re looking at windshield wiper fluid: typically blue or green, sometimes pink or orange. Whereas coolant typically drips from the front of the car, wiper fluid should fall a bit farther back in the engine compartment.<\/p>\n Leaking power-steering fluid has the smell of burnt marshmallows and is oily to the touch. The color is usually pink or red, sometimes brown if the fluid is old. In many cases, a product to stop power-steering fluid leaks will solve the problem.<\/p>\n The sooner you diagnose car leaking, the more likely you are to prevent further damage. Leaking could indicate a serious issue, so it\u2019s a good idea to consult your\u00a0local NAPA AutoCare<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Check out all the\u00a0chemical products<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0available on\u00a0NAPA Online<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0or trust one of their 17,000\u00a0NAPA AutoCare locations<\/a><\/strong>\u00a0for routine maintenance and repairs. For more information on car leaks, chat with a knowledgeable expert at your local NAPA AUTO PARTS store<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n Photo Credit:\u00a0Oil Spot drip on Pavement<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong>by Mike Mozart<\/a> <\/strong>(CC BY 2.0<\/strong><\/a>)<\/p>\n This article has been reproduced with the permission of the copyright holder, National Automotive Parts Association. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Click here for more\u00a0<\/i>automotive tips and stories<\/a><\/i><\/strong>\u00a0from NAPA, or here for more information on\u00a0the next Pomona Swap Meet & Classic Car Show<\/a><\/strong>.<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":null,"protected":false},"author":98,"featured_media":10252,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[805],"tags":[3492,4378,6049,6059,6055,6044,6056,6050,6046,6045,6057,6042,6053,6058,3626,3491,3026,1003,6047,6048,6054,5864,6051,6052,6043],"class_list":["post-10251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-classic-tips","tag-brake-fluid","tag-brake-fluid-color","tag-brake-fluid-smell","tag-brake-fluid-smells-fishy","tag-brown-fluid-leaking-from-car","tag-car-leaks","tag-clear-fluid-leaking-from-car","tag-color-of-coolant","tag-coolant-leak","tag-diagnose-leak","tag-gas-leaking-from-car","tag-glass-cleaner","tag-green-fluid-leaking-from-car","tag-identify-leak-from-car","tag-matthew-keegan","tag-napa","tag-napa-know-how","tag-oil-leak","tag-power-steering-fluid","tag-power-steering-fluid-leak","tag-red-fluid-leaking-from-car","tag-transmission-fluid","tag-transmission-fluid-color","tag-transmission-leak","tag-what-is-leaking-from-car"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t1. Transparent: In the Clear?<\/strong><\/h5>\n
2. Transmission Fluid Will Have You Seeing Red<\/strong><\/h5>\n
3. Green, Yellow, Orange or Pink: Not Cool (but Rather, Coolant)<\/strong><\/h5>\n
4. Is Something Fishy With Your Brake Fluid?<\/strong><\/h5>\n
5. Brown or Black: Engine Oil\u2019s Out of Whack<\/strong><\/h5>\n
6. The Dirty Truth About Glass Cleaner Smell<\/strong><\/h5>\n
7. When Burnt Marshmallows Are Not So Sweet<\/strong><\/h5>\n