Help identifying fluid leak

unclejjg · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 4:20 pm

Hi guys,

Haven't been on in quite a while, but I needed a bit of help. Just took my '09 Liberty up to my camp....we have a very long driveway (a few football fields long....gravel), and it had seriously deep snow. Due to the fact that I didn't want to walk the whole driveway carrying all of my crap (nor did the 3 people with me), I attempted to make it up with the Jeep.

It required several attempts, a lot of wheel spin,....nothing a mature off-roader would be proud of...but then, this is deep snow....so tread lightly doesn't apply.

At any rate, the vehicle was basically high-centered several times...despite my 2.5 inch JBA lift and larger tires. No prob, right???....wrong.

Later that day, I thought it best to turn the Jeep around before it settled in the snow. After doing so, I noticed a bright yellow fluid in a couple patches of the snow where it had made contact with the underside of the vehicle. It looked about the color of urine after you've taken a multi-vitamin....kind of fluorescent...non-viscous....no smell.

The fluid appeared to be traveling down my exhaust, from the front, and dropping off about mid vehicle. I've got two guesses....1.) brake fluid from over-use of the brake traction control, or 2.) differential fluid. It is definitely not oil, or gas...and far too light to be coolant.

The leak stopped after I turned of the car...it doesn't appear to have come back. I have since returned home from the camp.

Can anybody tell me what this is....and is there a chance something just boiled over, or that it is lubricant that spun off of the diff from spinning my wheels to much or revving to high in 4-lo?

unclejjg · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 5:19 pm

By the way...my Jeep has Selec-trac...not sure if that makes a difference in fluids.

MtnLuvr · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 6:24 pm

Sorry I don't know anything to help you but glad to see you back on-line -- one of the original JBA 2.5" lifted KKs.

At The Helm · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 6:43 pm

Your sure its not coolant? Maybe mixed with snow it looks lighter? Gear oil from the diff or transfer case would range from brown to black. I think brake fluid would be red, but have never done any brake work or added brake fluid. Sorry I cant really help, but my thought would be coolant.

Elt31987 · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:15 pm

My Mobil 1 diff oil is golden colored. But I think the original oil was silver

Diggerfreek · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 9:41 pm

OK, it is probably one of 3 things,

1. Coolant
2. Brake fluid
3. Yellow washer fluid.

The color of your coolant depends on if your system has ever been filled it aftermarket fluid. The factory fill is pink in color but the aftermarket G05 is yellow.

The brake fluid is yellow, however it is unlikely that it boiled over....

As you probably know, washer fluid comes in many colors.....

You already know what engine oil looks like so that is easy, both the tcase and trans are filled with red ATF+4 and the diffs are going to be a honey colored to dark brown...

What side of the jeep was the fluid on?

unclejjg · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 10:47 pm

Diggerfreek wrote:

OK, it is probably one of 3 things,

1. Coolant
2. Brake fluid
3. Yellow washer fluid.

The color of your coolant depends on if your system has ever been filled it aftermarket fluid. The factory fill is pink in color but the aftermarket G05 is yellow.

The brake fluid is yellow, however it is unlikely that it boiled over....

As you probably know, washer fluid comes in many colors.....

You already know what engine oil looks like so that is easy, both the tcase and trans are filled with red ATF+4 and the diffs are going to be a honey colored to dark brown...

What side of the jeep was the fluid on?

I am not aware of anyone filling my coolant with aftermarket fluid. I've never had it flushed, and I've mostly taken it to a Jeep dealer for regular services. The coolant in the resevoir looks pink/orange to me...like this.

The color of the fluid on the snow looked closer to this.

It appeared to be coming from the dead center of the vehicle...but again, it looked like it might have been dripping off the exhaust (not at the rear, but near the center of the vehicle). When I got out of the snow this morning, I immediately looked under the vehicle...granted, it was snow covered from spending the evening with snow up to the skid plates, but there appeared to be a yellow stain on the center diff.

I had thought that it could be brake fluid, however, when I pump the brakes..nothing squirts out. Further, there is no noticeable change in my braking ability. Also, whatever it was seemed to have stopped leaking. I thought maybe, since I was in 4-lo and the wheels were spinning (throwing snow off of the tire) and I was basically busting through snow drifts and swerving all over hell, and the BLD were sounding off like crazy, that I boiled over the brake fluid.

I can't imagine that I ripped our punctured a line...there was nothing that could have done it. We are talking about a straight shot driveway, couple hundred yards, with gravel...no big bumps or holes. Cover that with snow up to the rocker panel, and you've got my scenario.

Diggerfreek · **Posted:** Sun Jan 30, 2011 11:39 pm

Well, from the sounds of it, it isn't from your jeep. If your brake reservoir was leaking, the leak would be from the driver front. The rear brake lines run along the driver side "frame" rail along with the fuel lines. SO it looks like the husky's got to that spot before you :SOMBRERO:

Jeepin_it_real · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 12:03 am

Diggerfreek wrote:

Well, from the sounds of it, it isn't from your jeep. If your brake reservoir was leaking, the leak would be from the driver front. The rear brake lines run along the driver side "frame" rail along with the fuel lines. SO it looks like the husky's got to that spot before you :SOMBRERO:

LOL

lefty's pride · **Posted:** Mon Jan 31, 2011 11:22 pm

Here is a tip for you DON'T EAT THE YELLOW SNOW

Maxr · **Posted:** Wed Apr 06, 2011 12:43 am

Hi,

I parked the jeep outside and it snowed about a foot overnight . In the morning I pulled the jeep off the driveway to shovel it and noticed a circle of melted snow . It was yellow . Bright yellow. No fluid in this vehicle is yellow and my wiper fluid is blue . I moved the jeep again and a few more drops were on the snow.
The yellow circle was from about one foot in front of the right rear wheel and one foot underneath. The brake and fuel lines are on the left side off the Jeep.

I am inclined to think this is Aluminum oxide from the catalytic converter. Thats all it could be . And p.s. it was not a cat.

So its rust and has not happened since.

Cherrie 274 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 06, 2011 8:00 am

My reply was going to be that the snow washed off the yellow, not a leak. But I think Maxr has a better anwser.

bhudha1 · **Posted:** Wed Apr 06, 2011 7:47 pm

With all the snow we have down here in south Florida I can say I have never had that problem. Close to 90deg this coming weekend. Sometimes I wish I had that problem. With the white snow not the yellow snow.

Help identifying fluid leak

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