It’s important to know what fluid is leaking out of your car because, in some cases, it may not be safe to drive your automobile with the fluid leak. No matter what, make it a priority to get your vehicle into our shop so we can find the fluid leak and fix it. Automotive fluids come in different colors to help you identify what fluid is what. New Castle Auto Repair provides a list of the identifying colors below.
Blue
Blue fluid could be antifreeze but it is more likely the washing fluid that your wiper system uses when you clean your windshield. You can drive without windshield washing fluid. You’ll still want to get the leak fixed, however, so you can use the windshield washer when you need it.
Brown
Whether light or dark, brown fluid could be your vehicle’s brake fluid, motor oil, or gear lubricant. It’s not a good idea to drive your automobile if any of these fluids are leaking, especially if you have a puddle instead of spots on your garage floor. Another color that brake fluid comes in is red.
Green
Green is usually coolant/antifreeze, and the color might also be bluish-green. If your engine is leaking coolant, it’s important not to drive it because you run the risk of it overheating. Coolant can leak out of the cooling system seals and gaskets, the water pump, or the radiator among other parts.
Orange
If the fluid on your garage floor is orange, it’s possible there are flecks of corrosion (rust) in the engine coolant. This is a sign of serious radiator damage. Chances are the rust has eaten away at the radiator’s metal and you have a hole in the bottom of it from where the coolant is leaking.
Pink
Pink automotive fluid is also a sign of engine damage. Usually, pink fluid is pink and milky and it means that you are looking at a combination of transmission fluid and engine coolant. This means that you have a serious leak in the transmission’s cooling hoses or the cooling unit in the radiator.
Red
Transmission fluid is normally bright red. The other fluid in your automobile that is always red is power steering fluid. You may also have red engine coolant and, as mentioned above some brake fluid is red. Red is a common color of automotive fluids, so finding the leak might take a little work.
New Castle Auto Repair in New Castle, PA, would be happy to find out what fluid is leaking from your automobile and fix the leak so you can continue to drive safely. Call us today to schedule an appointment.