Leaking (brake?) fluid

[pmezo33]

So i was changing the oil today on my 2010 mks and i noticed some fluid leaking in the passenger side front of the car.  It's got a slight brown/orange tint to it, so i'm assuming it's brake fluid.  That's the only thing i can think of that resembled what this looked like.  My coolant is specialty green, so it's not coolant.  It wasn't oil.

Also, what's in front of the radiator starting from the front of the car?  Is it the intercooler then the condensor or the condensor and then the intercooler?  Because whatever is in front, the whole left side was covered in whatever this was.  You can see it directly through the front grill of the car on the passenger side.  Do the brake lines even run that far in front of the car?  Kind of hard to tell.

Brake fluid level was a little low, but still between full and low, so nothing too out of the ordinary.  Just did the brakes and a brake flush not too long ago.  Front passenger calipers were clean and dry.  I filled it up and will be keeping an eye on the fluid level over the next couple days.

Any ideas?

 

[pmezo33]

Looking at it a little closer, it's definitely the condenser in front.  Checked the a/c low pressure and it's sitting at about 30-35 psi.  Still blowing ice cold air.  Never heard of orange tinted a/c refrigerant though. 

Looks like I'm going to have to swap this thing out. 

 

[Rockstar04]

It could be UV dye if you have ever had the AC serviced in the car.

 

[pmezo33]

It could be UV dye if you have ever had the AC serviced in the car.

A/C was never serviced.  At least not since I've owned it.  Can't see why the previous owner would have had it serviced.  Got the car around 40k miles.

 

[SHOdded]

http://www.truckpr.com/red-dot/2013/12/1/what-pag-color-says-about-your-ac-system

Assuming of course it's not externally "applied" fluid ...

Check your IC piping for tightness & integrity.  Crud that accumulates in there from PCV blowby can look orange.  See JimiJak's Rx Catch Can thread for pics.

 

[66 Galaxie]

Could be transmission fluid because the top section of the ac condensor is the transmission cooler. This same basic design has been a problem in other Ford's including Taurus, Edge, Flex, etc. I am on my third with my '08 Taurus x with 253k miles and every time it leaks on the passenger side.

 

[glock-coma]

I think when the PTU input shaft seal leaks the fluid is a brown/orangeish color. Because of the tranny/PTU mixing together.
If it leaks and then gets thrown due to the cv spinning it could cover the left/passenger side.

 

[glock-coma]

Does the fluid look like this

 

[pmezo33]

http://www.truckpr.com/red-dot/2013/12/1/what-pag-color-says-about-your-ac-system

Assuming of course it's not externally "applied" fluid ...

Check your IC piping for tightness & integrity.  Crud that accumulates in there from PCV blowby can look orange.  See JimiJak's Rx Catch Can thread for pics.

Everything was good with intercooler piping.  I'll suck that oil water out every once in a while.  Just did it today after the oil change and everything was good.  No more or less fluid than there usually is in there.  Tubing was relatively clean.  This was actually my first thought of what it could be, but the oil on my condenser and that was leaking down isn't that typical brown oil color. 

 

[pmezo33]

Does the fluid look like this

Definitely didn't look like that.  More clear with a light orange tint.  Kind of similar to orange soda, but not as bright orange. 

 

[pmezo33]

http://www.truckpr.com/red-dot/2013/12/1/what-pag-color-says-about-your-ac-system

That's interesting.  I've got to assume this is the issue.  Compressor works fine - ac is still ice cold. 

Now is my compressor somehow going out, but still working?  I'd hate to replace the condenser and have this happen again.  I don't want to change this condenser out and have the compressor somehow absorb more moisture and just eat at more parts.

 

[SHOdded]

So it did not feel oily, nor had any distinctive odor?

 

[pmezo33]

So it did not feel oily, nor had any distinctive odor?

Definitely oily.  There wasn't a smell to it.  At least nothing too noticeable when i put my nose to it.

 

[ZSHO]

I just like to put my nose everywhere,lol but do you leave the car parked outside ? ?could be a possibility that the [Evap] drain is clogged up...BTW do you see clear condensation/H20 on the ground after A/C is off ? Any musty odor inside the cabin?  just a thought. LMK.  Z

 

[SHO Rod]

If your brake fluid is that color, there's something wrong with it.  Your brake fluid should be more like water clear with maybe a slight tan coloration to it.  Since you mention it was flushed recently, it should be more like water clear.

I'd guess along the lines of others here, trans fluid, PAG oil, or PTU is there's a cooler for it up front.

-Rod

 

[pmezo33]

I just like to put my nose everywhere,lol but do you leave the car parked outside ? ?could be a possibility that the [Evap] drain is clogged up...BTW do you see clear condensation/H20 on the ground after A/C is off ? Any musty odor inside the cabin?  just a thought. LMK.  Z

Car is parked inside in the garage.  There's a puddle of water under it, so it's not clogged.  Car smells fine inside the cabin.

 

[pmezo33]

If your brake fluid is that color, there's something wrong with it.  Your brake fluid should be more like water clear with maybe a slight tan coloration to it.  Since you mention it was flushed recently, it should be more like water clear.

I'd guess along the lines of others here, trans fluid, PAG oil, or PTU is there's a cooler for it up front.

-Rod

I mentioned the brake fluid because it's the closest in color to what I'm seeing here.  Nothing else was even close.

After someone mentioned it in this thread, it sounds like it could be contaminated pag oil.  It's the only thing that makes sense.

 

[SHOdded]

I'd talk it over with an experienced HVAC tech see if this really is a possibility.  Oh, almost forgot, those dang motor mounts and control arms have some kind of hydraulic fluid in them, don't they?  Did you recently replace the pass control arm or was it someone else?

 

[pmezo33]

I'd talk it over with an experienced HVAC tech see if this really is a possibility.  Oh, almost forgot, those dang motor mounts and control arms have some kind of hydraulic fluid in them, don't they?  Did you recently replace the pass control arm or was it someone else?

Wasn't me.  I'll bring it by my regular mechanic tomorrow and get his opinion.  If I'm not comfortable with what he thinks, I'll either bring it by an a/c shop or (gulp) the dealer.  I know a/c systems can be a real pita. 

 

[SHOdded]

Check the control arm bushings and the motor/transaxle mounts while in the shop.  Worth it to rule them out.