mtsmiths Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 The Pretty One left for work early this am. WHen I went out to drag the garbage can up the hill I noticed a few drops of what I assumed to be water on the garage floor. No overnight puddle, just one drop every foot or so the length of the garage, then no more in the driveway. Came home at 6:00 ... still there, even after 100 deg heat all afternoon (prolly higher in the garage). Clear, slightly oily, viscous enough to retain a bead after all day, slightly acidic on the tounge and very salty, no metallic taste (yeah I'm old school, when in doubt, 'taste test' ). Right along the driver's side tire line. No idea at all whatthehell it is. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vic/se Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 The Pretty One left for work early this am. WHen I went out to drag the garbage can up the hill I noticed a few drops of what I assumed to be water on the garage floor. No overnight puddle, just one drop every foot or so the length of the garage, then no more in the driveway. Came home at 6:00 ... still there, even after 100 deg heat all afternoon (prolly higher in the garage). Clear, slightly oily, viscous enough to retain a bead after all day, slightly acidic on the tounge and very salty, no metallic taste (yeah I'm old school, when in doubt, 'taste test' ). Right along the driver's side tire line. No idea at all whatthehell it is. Salty? We do use tons on winter .....could this just be some kind of residue left from last winter? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericem Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 Might have been condensation from the AC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gbhrps Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 I may be barking up the wrong tree here, but a clear liquid alongside the driver's wheel suspiciously suggests brake fluid. I'd be looking for the source of that leak sooner rather than later! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MG McAnick Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 Might have been condensation from the AC. Surely that would have evaporated in 100 degree heat during the day. 'Round here it wouldn't have lasted five minutes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 I may be barking up the wrong tree here, but a clear liquid alongside the driver's wheel suspiciously suggests brake fluid. I'd be looking for the source of that leak sooner rather than later! i agree. There is only one thing that can leak in that area. You described the taste of brake fluid. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
75subie Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 no doubt about it, that'd be your synthetic blinker fluid holder leaking. careful, this stuff will eat right through black top i had this exact problem just the other day, duct tape fixed it up just fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ericem Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 Surely that would have evaporated in 100 degree heat during the day. 'Round here it wouldn't have lasted five minutes. just read further and realized that lol. Sorry :-p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 no doubt about it, that'd be your synthetic blinker fluid holder leaking. careful, this stuff will eat right through black top i had this exact problem just the other day, duct tape fixed it up just fine. i bet he didnt put the summer mix of blinker fluid in. Even the synthetic fluid needs to be changed. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast I Drive Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 i bet he didnt put the summer mix of blinker fluid in. Even the synthetic fluid needs to be changed. nipper I always make it a point to check my blinker fluid; Man oh man, once that starts to dissapear, then the problems start Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtsmiths Posted July 13, 2007 Author Share Posted July 13, 2007 Brake fluid ... sure don't smell like it usted to. Resevior was already down to the minimum mark. Dropped it off at the dealer, still under warranty with only 25,000 miles on it. Prolly kicked up a rock with all the highway construction around here this summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted July 13, 2007 Share Posted July 13, 2007 Brake fluid ... sure don't smell like it usted to. Resevior was already down to the minimum mark. Dropped it off at the dealer, still under warranty with only 25,000 miles on it. Prolly kicked up a rock with all the highway construction around here this summer. Well now its lemon scented and synthetic nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtsmiths Posted July 13, 2007 Author Share Posted July 13, 2007 Well now its lemon scented and synthetic nipper Or maybe ... "Medical researchers report that a marked decrease in the ability to distinguish smells may be the first symptom of incipient Alzheimers". What was it we were talking about? :-\ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mtsmiths Posted July 13, 2007 Author Share Posted July 13, 2007 Subaru dealer called and said the brakes are fine, the drips are from oil picked up from road work. So, why then do I have brake fluid on my garage floor and a reseviour 1/3 empty? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beast I Drive Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 Subaru dealer called and said the brakes are fine, the drips are from oil picked up from road work. So, why then do I have brake fluid on my garage floor and a reseviour 1/3 empty? It could be the hill brake, ours had that problem Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hondasucks Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 Quick way to check, is brake fluid is water soluble, most other car fluids, save for antifreeze, are not.. So if it washes away with water... (This only applies to Propylene Glycol brake fluid, if it's got some of that synthetic stuff in there, it might not be water soluble, although most of the synthetic stuff is purple). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hankosolder2 Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 Subaru dealer called and said the brakes are fine, the drips are from oil picked up from road work. So, why then do I have brake fluid on my garage floor and a reseviour 1/3 empty? The level drop in the resevoir could be due to pad wear; as the caliper pistons move out as the pad wears, the fluid level drops. You could have driven through a puddle of brake fluid on the road--this happened to my family many years ago and proved baffling for a little while. Or, there could be a leak the dealer failed to spot...hmm. Nathan Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulwnkl Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 Quick way to check, is brake fluid is water soluble, most other car fluids, save for antifreeze, are not.. So if it washes away with water... (This only applies to Propylene Glycol brake fluid, if it's got some of that synthetic stuff in there, it might not be water soluble, although most of the synthetic stuff is purple). I agree. Brake fluid (that we use in Subies) is water soluble. And, since ALL brake fluid is synthetic, it won't matter whether someone paid extra money for that word on the bottle prior to putting it in the master cylinder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted July 14, 2007 Share Posted July 14, 2007 I agree. Brake fluid (that we use in Subies) is water soluble. And, since ALL brake fluid is synthetic, it won't matter whether whether someone paid extra money for that word on the bottle prior to putting it in the master cylinder. But i hope there is still organic blinker fluid. nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olnick Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 But i hope there is still organic blinker fluid. nipper Of course there is. Who's going to pay that ridiculous price for the synthetic stuff? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hondasucks Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 I agree. Brake fluid (that we use in Subies) is water soluble. And, since ALL brake fluid is synthetic, it won't matter whether someone paid extra money for that word on the bottle prior to putting it in the master cylinder. I guess by "synthetic" I meant the silicone (DOT5) brake fluid as opposed to the "normal" stuff... Although the silicone tends to clog orofices in ABS valve bodies, since it likes to ball up at high pressures... I dunno why I thought it'd be in a production Subaru.. (Some old British cars used a form of mineral oil in the brake system, oddly enough...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nipper Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 (Some old British cars used a form of mineral oil in the brake system, oddly enough...) And wood in their frames .... and many other oddities nipper Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bulwnkl Posted July 15, 2007 Share Posted July 15, 2007 Hondasucks: I had only meant to agree with your advice while simultaneously putting in my little "plug" for not being deceived by the word "synthetic" on various bottles of DOT 3, 4 or 5.1 (but not 5) brake fluid and paying more for what we're already getting. I really shouldn't probably have interjected it here since perhaps the irony was lost... Sorry for any confusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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