Unknow Leaking Fluid

[rickyble]

I had a couple of things looked at with my local usual mechanic last Thursday on my 2004 new beetle tdi. He put in the temp sensor I have purchased off line and looked into my flashing battery light. I had used a vagcom for the cel light and done a search and found the temp sensor was the most probable thing wrong but I had not had time to replace. Then I had the flashing battery light and found that the alternator pulley needed replacing. I took it to them to make sure it wasnt something else with instruction to let me k now if he found it was indeed the pulley and I would buy it and furnish it for him to replace. Afterwards I drove strait home parked and got up and drove to work the next morning. At work I noticed fluid running out from underneath and on a closer check it appeared to be either brake or some kind of fluid with that consistency.. Drove it home pulled the skid plate and set up on jack stands and looked for the obvious. It appears to have been coming from the back side of the top of the engine compartment. There are two larger side hoses that go into the firewall and just above those two smaller hoses/tubes. The oil substance is running down from those but it looks like it is not leaking directly from those but from somewhere either above or to the passengers side of the car. The color is actually like brake fluid, not the blue but regular and has is oil. Very clean looking and very clear. It ran out about a half a cup at work and then about a 1/4 after I parked it in the drive way. I pulled it into the garage this morning and it only dripped a few drops. After I cleaned everything I could from the under side and started it back up I could see a little more oil and quite a few drops but nothing pouring. I dont know if all has drained out or if the leak as loss pressure. I dont know where it came from exactly and therefore dont know what it is and how much there should be. I probably will take it back but first I would like to know what it is and if they could have possibly caused it. Doesnt look like it but you never know. Any help would be great. thanks

 

[CopaMundial]

Was it the coolant temp sensor that he installed?
If so, that's the first place I would look for this leak.

 

[rickyble]

I immediately thought of that but its up much higher and its not coolant. Its oily like brake fluid or hydraulic fluid. The sensor and around it looks good and like I said its up much higher and wrong fluid type

 

[Alchemist]

Have you checked your brake fluid and power steering fluid levels? I don't have a good mental picture of the area you are describing, but either of these fluids fit your description.

Paul

 

[rickyble]

The power steering was very low but the original replacment I got from VW was green in color. I added that back and started it and drove it but not leaking. The brake is half way between max and min and seems to be stable.

it is hard to explain where it is.

 

[PDJetta]

Leaky EGR cooler? The 2004 PDs were plagued with that.

--Nate

 

[JB05]

How much coolant was lost during the CTS change? That would be my likely suspect.

 

[rickyble]

sorry but the coolant is pink. This is like hydraulic fluid. I cleaned everything this morning and left the pan off and the cover. Topped off the brake fluid. I drove it around until it warmed up and it is definitely leaking right behind the motor cover from one of the two very small hoses that come up from below and into something right behind and just below the cover and below adn behind the airline from the air cleaner. Does the erg have yellowish hydraulic fluid in it?

 

[rickyble]

I am really really stumped. when I came out from work Friday about a 1/2 cup of the fluid had leaked and spread enough to look like quite a bit. But if you gathered it all up it would have been only about a 1/4 in reality. I have no clue what this is. I dont see any brake lines running that way unless somehow its being squirted out from the brakes/lines some way onto the hoses.

 

[cleaver]

Brake Fluid
Tranny Fluid
Power Steering Fluid
Coolant Fluid
Oil (black)
Diesel fuel

These are the only fluids in your car...cross each one out that you know that isn't leaking....

 

[Joe_Meehan]

These are the only fluids in your car Windscreen fluid?

 

[rickyble]

Well then its got to be brake. I know its not tranny since thats at the bottom end. Windshield fluid in mine is blue and really water that can not be mistaken for hydraulic fluid. The PS was a sort of green color that I got from vw oem. Coolant is pink. The oil is so black you couldn't mistake it. Diesel couldnt be mistaken for anything else with that smell. Since this was kinda thin and yellow its got to be brake fluid but Ill be damn if I know where its coming from directly. I took it back to the shop last night and parked it there. It didnt leak a drop for the next five minutes. I left it and will go back out there this morning and give them the keys. Since it wasnt leaking when I took it there and was leaking as soon as I got it home then as far as Im concerned it has to be on them. Ill let you know what they find and fix. thanks everyone

 

[cleaver]

These are the only fluids in your car Windscreen fluid?

oops, missed one...

I would have assumed brake fluid too. Wonder if you have a loose fitting somewhere and it only leaks under certain conditions...

 

[rickyble]

Went by there on the way to work to drop off the keys and let them know what I have found so far. When I dropped it off last night nothing leak out and letting it sit for a few minutes nothing else leaked out. This morning there was a pretty big puddle under it again so it seems to leak after a period maybe pressure lets off.

 

[rickyble]

I just spoke with a guy at work and looked for some more clues. Possibly transmission fluid from one of the hoses from the tranny cooler. The cooler I believe is to the right and below the temp sensor they replaced.

 

[runonbeer]

I immediately thought of that but its up much higher and its not coolant. Its oily like brake fluid or hydraulic fluid. The sensor and around it looks good and like I said its up much higher and wrong fluid type

Brake fluid is glycol based, just like coolant

 

[Judson]

Power steering fluid is only barely green going in. After circulating
around, it'll be black, as it would be mixed in with the rest.

That's my vote. Keep on top of your power steering fluid levels.
If you keep needing to top off, then you know that's it.

 

[rickyble]

Well here you go. The new coolant the guy put in was orange. The g12 from vw was an orange clear color instead of the original pink. He purposely overfilled it and let it find its own level. I will have to say it solved one mystery. The spots on the asphalt at home and the spots on the concrete at work disappeared. Just any outline. Mixed with water and washed away. The oily feel is the lube in it for the water pump....all is well. I go pick it up this afternoon. He drove it around let it idle and cut it off and on just to make sure nothing did leak out. No charge.....

 

[dieseldorf]

The new coolant the guy put in was orange.

You may have a signficant repair ahead if he co-mingled fluids. You'd better find out exactly what product was added, Rick

 

[rickyble]

Actually I just bought some and had not opened the bottle yet ....when I checked it is now orangish in color. Who knew.

 

[rickyble]

Well scratch one honest mechanic from the list. Picked it up and he said that all was fine. Drove it home went out about one hour later and a puddle was under it, Caught some on a paper plate and did the taste test. Was kinda sweet. So back to square one. Now looking for someone honest that will at least tell me they cant fix it and know what it is or fix it. I guess Ill have to end up doing it myself. I did notice in another thread someone mentioned white substance on a hose as a tell tell sign of slowl leaking. Only problem I really cant see this one. I guess maybe the next step is to get a mirror on a long extension I can see under things with.

Anyone that can tell me exactly where the coolant lines run throughout the beetle 04? That might help a great deal. Do they pass behind and between the back of the top of the motor and firewall in anyway? I still am pretty sure the leaking is originating there and I am still not convinced its coolant but its a start....

 

[CoolAirVw]

so its one strike and he's out? Take it back.. give him a chance. Anyone can make a mistake.

First thing I though of was maybe after changing the sensor some of the antifreeze fell into some "pocket" and now as you drive it splashes around and then drips out.

You just need to tell him park it and let it sit just like you did.

 

[PDJetta]

"Was kinda sweet."

Ethylene glycol. Its coolant.

You can pressure test the system to get the3 leak to "leak" so you can see where its coming from. You'll have to get a coolant reservoir adapter to use air and I don't know how many PSIs you should use.

Anyhow, check the temp sensor location very carefully. Since it was just replaced, this is a prime area for leaks. Was its O-ring replaced?

--Nate

 

[rickyble]

I can tolerate someone looking and not finding something but The real problem is there is no way he drove it around like he said and parked and let it set. I am not sure the car had even moved since I took it back out. Also I had explained in detail how it leaked and the characteristic that made it leak so he already knew all that. He has more work then he can do and I think he really didnt take anytime at all to find it. And btw it had leaked when I took it back out and parked Sunday night and the spot was still under it Monday morning when I took the keys back to him, If you dont have time to really look at something then just say so. I can take honesty but I can stand a lying mechanic. It ranks right up there with used car sales men and dealerships. Just tell me the truth. As long as I can trust you I dont care if you accidentally break something while you are working on my car but if you lie once how can I every really trust anything else you say. Sorry but thats just the way I feel about it.

I did give it a real look over at the sensor and it looks like a couple of hoses leave out close to there and go up. I believe now and pointed out to the mechanic that I suspected that one of those were leaking and still do. I dont have one of those mirrors on a stick or I could see behind the motor and tell really quick. So thats another thing. I practically ran the problem for him and he still didnt find it.

 

[rickyble]

Turned out to be coolant. Coming from right where i had told the mechanic inthe first place. Up on top to the rear of the engine and it was the two hoses I had questioned at first. Guy at work put it under pressure adn both hoses were leaking. He is replacing them now. Should have it back soon. Sorry for coolant is pink statement...it only looks pink in the filler overflow. It is yellow out of the bottle and out of the car. Still not sure why the coolant goes up to the top and what it is exactly going into there but I think I will invest in a bently. Thanks to everyone who posted.

 

[PDJetta]

The coolant should be pink. Did the mechanic put the correct (VW G12 or G12 plus) coolant back in? Its really bad to mix coolant types. If he used the wrong coolant, the entire system should be drained, flushed with distilled water, and refilled with the proper amount of G12 (or G12 plus) and topped off with distilled water. There is no block drain, so one of the oil cooler hoses has to be pulled to get it to drain. There is a drain on the radiator, bit that only gets about 25% of the coolant out.

The coolant/distilled water mix should be 50/50 to 60/40, anywhere in that range.

--Nate

 

[rickyble]

I just got a brand new gallon from the vw place. Its kinda orangeish...really not pink. He used from the gallon I gave him and the guy thats doing it now is using the rest

 

[2004STARWARSTDI]

Antifreeze

I just got a brand new gallon from the vw place. Its kinda orangeish...really not pink. He used from the gallon I gave him and the guy thats doing it now is using the rest

Did the VW dealer give you the correct antifreeze? It does say G12 on the bottle-right?

 

[rickyble]

it did say that it was the correct fluid. and it still looks pink in the overflow. I am thinking the pink color is more of an optical illusion and its really orangish yellow anyway I got a text its fixed and the hoses were 23 bucks.

 

[RECCE-17]

Ha ha. I had to get another club member to double check my coolant. I'm so dam colour blind. Pinks and oranges screw me up

I hope this is the end of your coolant battles.

Cheers.