Clear odorless fluid - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

lsmalley · #1 09-21-2014, 01:02 PM

There is a puddle of clear odorless fluid that has leaked from somewhere near the front a little towards the passenger side. I don't know what it could be as I don't know of any fluid lines that carry a clear odorless fluid near the front of the engine near the passenger side.

liquiddog · #2 09-21-2014, 08:38 PM

Just a shot, but windshield washer fluid? Coolant would feel slippery.

lsmalley · #3 09-21-2014, 08:50 PM

Don't have windshield washer fluid, but I should mention that the viscosity of the fluid is similar to mineral oil. If that helps.

liquiddog · #4 09-21-2014, 09:07 PM

Mineral oil is in the original r12 A/C system. Although most of the ac stuff is on the driver side. I don't think any of it is on the passenger side, except of course the radiator looking thing (I always forget if it's the condensor or evaporator) in front of the radiator.

lsmalley · #5 09-21-2014, 09:18 PM

My system was converted years ago to r134a. I've cleaned everything off and tried to find a leak but can't see anything

liquiddog · #6 09-21-2014, 09:32 PM

If it's closer to the firewall then just condensation from the ac dripping off. The only other thing near the passenger side at the front is the air pump, which should only run for a minute on startup. Outta ideas!

lsmalley · #7 09-22-2014, 03:30 AM

I'll just contiue to watch for source of leak

lsmalley · #8 09-25-2014, 12:47 AM

Fluid turned out to be coolant. Color was actually a very faint yellow. Anyways, I still can't see where it's coming from. I dumped in some bars stop leak pellets. So far no more leaking, but it

ps2cho · #9 09-25-2014, 10:24 AM

Why would you put stop leak in when you don't have any idea where its coming from? Future readers please do not follow his decided path. Find the leak and replace or tighten the hose...its not that hard.
You are stepping over dollars to pick up pennies. When you end up overheating or have a failing water pump in the future you will pay for it then.

lsmalley · #10 09-26-2014, 05:03 AM

I agree, I usually don't do that, but I can not find the leak and also, I don't even know if it was a hose or not because there are only 3 or 4 hoses at the front of the engine that carry water and every single one of them was dry. So was the radiator and so was the water pump and the belt tensioner. The only fluid I saw was either in a puddle on the ground or dripping off the bottom portion of my bumper. I have actually used the bars stop leak in the past and I usually like to keep it circulating in my system and it keeps all the seals very pliable and keeps everything lubed up and corrosion free. The leak has stopped hough since adding the bars to the system so maybe it was a small hole somewhere. Eventually it will have to show itself again, but probably no time soon.

geordie · #11 09-27-2014, 06:04 PM

I had the same problem on my '95 E320 cab- I thought it was power steering fluid.
Turns out it was coming from the weep hole in the water pump which drains via a drain tube onto the AC compressor and from there onto the floor.
Installed a new water pump and problem solved !

West Florida Playboy · #12 10-03-2014, 03:25 PM

for future reference you do NOT want to mess with stop-leak pellets (akin to snake oil) and especially if you have not diagnosed the problem. hopefully you will be ok.

Playboy

nelbur · #13 10-03-2014, 07:58 PM

I don't fault you for using BarsLeaks. I am using it to keep my head gasket from leaking on my E 300 D, but please, not the old pellets. They only half disperse and the useless half just settles out in your rad or block. BarsLeaks has a new Radiator Sealant that is dispersed in a bottle and can be poured right in. They have a bunch of sealants but the Green lable is the old ground up root in a updated form.

tinypanzer · #14 10-09-2014, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lsmalley

I agree, I usually don't do that, but I can not find the leak and also, I don't even know if it was a hose or not because there are only 3 or 4 hoses at the front of the engine that carry water and every single one of them was dry. So was the radiator and so was the water pump and the belt tensioner. The only fluid I saw was either in a puddle on the ground or dripping off the bottom portion of my bumper. I have actually used the bars stop leak in the past and I usually like to keep it circulating in my system and it keeps all the seals very pliable and keeps everything lubed up and corrosion free. The leak has stopped hough since adding the bars to the system so maybe it was a small hole somewhere. Eventually it will have to show itself again, but probably no time soon.

Oh God!

Please please please flush that stuff out of your system now! That stuff is almost impossible to get out of your system and will take many, many flushes to remove it, and will probably keep coming back for years to come. In the long run, that stuff is just plain evil. Unless you are using it to stave off a head gasket replacement, and you're driving an old American boat that has nothing like a monovalve, you really ought to stay away from it. It will slowly clog up your cooling system and gradually reduce its heat transfer capabilities as time goes by.

pawoSD · #15 10-10-2014, 08:19 PM

Never use a stop leak, that stuff is horrid!

If its leaking on the passenger side like that there's a chance that your coolant expansion tank has a crack and is seeping, or the radiator cap is weak and the system is discharging some coolant out the overflow tube when you shut the car off hot.