It can be upsetting to find out that your car is leaking fluid — especially if you don't know what type of fluid is leaking. If you don't know what type of leak your car has, it can be hard to determine whether or not you should take your car to the auto service shop right away. After all, you don't want to risk damaging the car further by driving it while it has a major leak. Learn how to determine what type of fluid is leaking from your car so that you know whether to have your car repaired immediately.
Brake Fluid
Brake fluid leaks are dangerous. As brake fluid leaks from your car, the pressure in the hydraulic braking system lowers. This could result in total brake failure, so if your car is leaking brake fluid, it needs to be repaired immediately. In fact, you probably shouldn't even drive it to the nearest repair shop. It's safer to have the car towed.
You can determine if the fluid leaking from your car is brake fluid by looking at the color and texture of the fluid and the location of the leak. Brake fluid is similar in both color and texture to cooking oil. It is clear to yellowish, has a medium thickness, and feels slightly oily. If your car is leaking brake fluid, you'll notice stains on the pavement that are located near the tires or underneath the area where your brake pedal is located.
Engine Oil
Like brake fluid leaks, oil leaks also need to be repaired immediately. If you drive your car while the engine oil is low, it could seriously damage the engine. Oil leaks can be hard to spot, because oil can seep from various parts of the engine. So, you might not spot oil dripping from your car. However, if your car is leaking oil, you should notice a stain on the pavement that sits underneath the engine. If you've had the oil in your car changed recently, it will probably appear lighter in color. Older oil is darker and thicker than new oil, so the color can range anywhere from yellowish brown to black.
Transmission and Power Steering Fluid
Transmission fluid and power steering fluid are both reddish in color, so it can be difficult to tell the difference between the two. While you can drive a car that's leaking power steering fluid, you shouldn't drive a car that has a transmission fluid leak, so you need to know how to tell the difference between the two. You can do this by looking at the location of the leak. Power steering fluid leaks from the front of the car, while transmission fluid leaks from the middle.
For more information, contact Scotty's Automotive Center or a similar location.
Share20 June 2016
When I started focusing more on car maintenance, it was astounding to see just how many things needed to be repaired on my car. I felt as if I was whittling away thousands of dollars worth of repairs, and it was really frustrating. However, I just focused on one thing at a time, and before I knew it, my car problems started to melt away. Within a few months, my car was functioning perfectly, and I wasn't worried about it starting each and every day. This blog is all about choosing better auto service and knowing which problems to address first.