Mystery Leak

[Anonymous]

After a drive in the sun this weekend, I noticed a puddle of something on the drive, which when I stuck my finger in it, was a slightly orange coloured oil. I had a look under the car (now in the garage) and saw a corresponding drip forming on the floor under the nearside front suspension. Having noticed a slightly doubtful looking brake pipe in that area whilst wielding the grease gun the day before, I wondered if it had cracked. I shoved a small plastic tray under the wheelarch and retired for the evening.
Following day, off with the wheel, all prepared for a brake pipe replacement, and sure enough there in the plastic tray is more of the fluid (although not much), but where it has come from is a mystery. The pipe and unions are clean and dry from end to end. I place clean newspaper under the area concerned and go and press the brake pedal, which is firm.
Not a drip of anything is in evidence. A good crawl around underneath shows nothing obvious.
I leave it an hour or so (taking one of my other cars out) and come back and have a look. Not a speck of anything. Still the same 24 hours later.
So what was it? The only clue may be that the nearside UJ seems a little oily, but is not dripping, nor has it sprayed up under the wheelarch as one might expect…plus the UJ is full of grease, not oil!!
Dipping the master cylinder comes up with a modern clear fluid, and no discernable drop in level. The oil in the puddle also feels slightly more viscuous than brake fluid and is an orangey brown colour.
???????
Any ideas?
I am all geared up to do a repair, but not sure what to actually take to pieces.

[Anonymous]

Maybe check seals where driveshafts exit gearbox? Check gearbox oil level at filler plug.

[Anonymous]

I had thought of that, but the oil consistency is extremely thin, even when cold, nothing like EP90. I’ll check it out anyway.

[Anonymous]

What type of coolant do you have in the car?

5 year OAT is orange in colour.

Also if petrol has softened underseal or waxoyl it can look ‘orangey’ in colour

[Anonymous]

………..

[Anonymous]

@OSL282 wrote:

What type of coolant do you have in the car?

5 year OAT is orange in colour.

Also if petrol has softened underseal or waxoyl it can look ‘orangey’ in colour

Thanks for your suggestions chaps. Interestingly, I had topped up the rad slightly before I went out and there is an oily brown deposit around a couple of bolt heads on the cross member under the bottom of the rad close to where the overflow discharges. The radiator has, I was informed, blue ‘classic ‘ antifreeze in it and the colour is more or less that. It has also self levelled back down to where it was in the header tank, so it has presumably done what old cars often do and spat out what it didn’t need. It is all due a back flush and that is on the list.

Den, I don’t think that I have an under bonnet oil can. Is that a usual fitment on a Traction? I found the Slough body number plate, incidentally, but need to spend a little time removing paint, etc. to read it properly.

[Anonymous]

@norustplease wrote:

Den, I don’t think that I have an under bonnet oil can. Is that a usual fitment on a Traction? I found the Slough body number plate, incidentally, but need to spend a little time removing paint, etc. to read it properly.

From the front of the car, on the right side between the rad and fuel pump there is a holder for a 2 litre oil can (on French cars anyway)

You can see where it sits in mine here:

[Anonymous]

Come to think of it, I have seen pictures like that showing a can, but mine has nothing there.

[Anonymous]

…………..

[Anonymous]

No, I’m sure that I have read somewhere that only French built cars have this.

[Anonymous]

It was a shock absorber leak. Went out again today and stopped at one point, and noticed another puddle. Actually saw the drip and it was the shock absorber, hence, one assumes, the reddish colour of the oil when all else on the car is clear or brown.
Mystery solved.

[Anonymous]

Good news….. well at least on the fact you know what it is.

Now you just need a new set of shocks 😕

[Anonymous]

Yes, ah well…….

[Anonymous]

New shocks fitted. the leak came from the end casing of the unit, which was fixed into place via a series of indentations, one of which pierced the casing.

I suspect that as the shock absorber worked, the fluid initially at least, squirted out under pressure, explaining why the spider on the outer UJ was wet with oil. I replaced the pair, and put the other good one back into storage as a spare.

[Author]

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