My Vehicle Is Leaking Red Fluid?
Have you ever pulled away from where you have been parked for a while and found a puddle right where your car was parked? When puddles of fluid are noticed under your vehicle it’s a pretty good indicator that there is some type of leak going on. All fluids on a vehicle have a color type to help us identify what might be leaking. Red colored fluids are typically found in power steering systems, transmissions, and transfer cases. Today we’re going to discuss how we determine where a leak is coming from and how fluid color can help us locate that leak as well.
What Should I Do If I Notice A Fluid Leak?
There are multiple systems on a vehicle that require some type of fluid to function normally. When that system leaks all of its fluid out damage can occur. Fluid leaks can be stressful, especially if your experience with cars is limited. If you are fairly familiar with cars a fluid leak is noticed and you know what system the fluid is leaking from, its as simple as checking that fluid level and making sure the vehicle is still in a condition where it can be driven to a repair shop safely without causing damage to that specific system. However if you are not familiar with vehicles the safest option is to call a tow truck and have the vehicle towed to a repair facility.
How Is A Fluid Leak Location Found?
We talked earlier about fluid color, fluid color is a very good indicator of what system is leaking fluid. Another way is to determine what type of fluid it is, most fluids have different consistency’s oil for example is a very heavy type of fluid, where as coolant looks and feels like water. Determining what type of fluid is leaking is crucial in being able to find the location. Lets talk about red colored fluids and where they have the potential to leak from. A red colored fluid is an indicator that either the power steering system, transmission system, or transfer case system is leaking. Once fluid type is determined each system that contains that type of fluid is thoroughly inspected in an effort to locate any leaks. Location of the leak is also very helpful, if a red fluid is noticed on the ground and it is just beneath the transfer case its usually a good indicator that the transfer case is leaking and needs to be repaired or resealed. If the fluid leak is bad enough sometimes its as easy as locating the constant drip. Finding a fluid leaks location is sometimes one of the hardest things we do especially if the leak has been going on for a long time. Sometimes it is necessary to clean up the area that is saturated in fluid and then allow the vehicle to run for a while to determine where the leak is coming from. It is recommended that your vehicle be inspected as soon as a fluid leak is noticed to determine the location the leak is coming from as well as how severe the leak is.
Leak Roadmap
At Dickerson Automotive we strongly believe in keeping you fully informed of all of your vehicles needs. This can be very overwhelming sometimes and can leave you feeling stressed. However we also believe in being upfront and straightforward about what things should be taken care of immediately and what things can be done at a later time. Our Multi-Point Digital Inspection gives you a very good overall condition of your vehicle, and helps our service staff develop a maintenance as well as repair plan to help you keep your vehicle on the road for as long as possible and at the same time making it affordable and as stress free as possible. When was the last time you had your vehicle inspected? Give us a call today and we can help you keep your car on the road for as long as possible.