suggestions for keeping the driveway clean since my 240 leaks..!?
 

my landlord just told me in a very FIRM way that they didnt appreciate my ol 240 dripping on their brand new driveway/parking lot.. which i then said (in my head) arent parking lots for cars to park? but anyways...
while im tracking down my leaks (i think a little fuel, a little oil) im wondering if anyone has suggestions on what to lay down on the driveway to catch the drips? its only a few drips everynight, but over time its created a pretty stain collection of drips...
im not sure exactly where the drips are coming from, and some kinda seem to be random (prob getting on things while driving and then dripping when i stop) so it might need to be a larger surface area than just a small drip pan, since it seems to drip in a different place sometimes... i was thinking maybe cardboard or an old carpet, but that would get nasty in the rain ...

I have two metal drip pans in my garage for both of my cars from wal-mart.

I also have a metal catch tray on the garage floor. But cardboard will catch drips and you can throw it in the trunk, and toss it when it's full of drippiness. But the wind may blow it away if you're outside. So a little metal tray would work. I've also use old cookie sheet with sides as drip trays.

I've used both cardboard and carpet and neither work - go for something sturdy. (Carboard blows away, carpet gets gross fast and oil still leaks through it).

diapers.....

Pig pads, oil only ones, these are white. the brown ones absorb water as well. they are about 12" x 18" may want something to keep them from blowing away, or use in a pan. Washing machine pans are great too, use one under my truck as the drip area is bigger. these are about 3 ft square with about a one inch high edge.

most mcparts stores have a 1/2" x 30" x 42" metal pan for around 8.00
you could drill holes in it, and wire it to the underside of your car. put in a little drain plug, etc... hook that to a catch jug of some sort. that way it would not matter where you park, oil catch stays with the car.

I have a couple of rubber store entry mats that the delivery driver gave me. I use them for mud diving. They are useful for protecting the lawn mower when left out in the rain and keeping leaky diesel oil off the ground. The entire mat can easily be pressure washed. At least 1 goes in the trunk when we take trips.

I really like vstech's idea of a homemade belly pan. If not . . . It's a lot easier if you have a dedicated space--do you? A metal drip pan would be OK, especially if the parking space is covered so the drip pan doesn't get full of water.

If you have to take your chances in a common parking lot, see if your landlord will "give" you a space (mark it for you, maybe) if you choose an unpopular location--for example, way out where no one ever parks 'cause it's too far from the building. You can then put down a drip pan and hopefully no one will park over it while you're gone.

Jeremy

thanks guys! good tips about carpet getting nasty and cardboard blowing away!

i like the 'belly pan' idea :) i bet i could rig a metal pan of sorts under there, maybe some cardboard in the belly pan to soak up the drips, lower the pan, and change the card board from time to time ! its really just drips so there wouldnt be fluid rolling around in there.
i do have a dedicated space, so i could put metal pans on the ground too- so maybe ill look for some larger metal pans like you guys suggested and put em on the ground for now, but with the rainy season coming, im sure they will fill and then send an oily overflow everywhere@!
even if i do the belly pan and im not dripping, i'll prob put something on the ground for the landlords sake, just to keep everyone happy.

is it OK to pressure wash the under side of the car/engine? can i go to the self serve carwash and just spray the heck out of it? ive fixed a couple of the leaks, but i think some drips are just junk slowly falling down off random parts full of oil now...

pressure wash away.

Kitty litter on the cement or in the pan (as suggested above) - great absorbant, but outside, it will eventually be washed away by rain... Good luck.

Don't get the pressure washer nozzle too close to any gaskets. I've heard tales of water being driven into places it doesn't belong. May just be an old husband's tale but better safe than sorry.