There is a puddle under my car
Clear water near the front passenger side is the AC draining condensation, and in this humidity it is normal to leave a puddle. Anything with color is a fluid that belongs inside the car. Green, orange, or pink and sweet smelling is coolant. Brown or black and slick is engine oil. Red or brown and thin is transmission or power steering fluid. Clear and oily with a light tint is brake fluid, which is the one that cannot wait.
What to do right now
- 1Put a piece of cardboard under the car overnight. In the morning, note the color, the smell, and where it landed: front, middle, or rear, driver or passenger side.
- 2Check the dipstick and the coolant overflow tank. If either is low, top it up with the correct fluid to get to us. Do not run the engine low on oil.
- 3Clear water only, near the front passenger footwell, and only after running the AC: that is normal. Nothing to fix.
- 4If the brake pedal feels soft, or the puddle is near a wheel and looks like light oil, do not drive. Brake fluid leaks get worse suddenly.
What it usually is
Cooling system
Coolant leaks from hoses, the water pump, a radiator end tank, or a heater hose are the most common colored leak we see. A pressure test finds them in minutes.
See the serviceOil change
Oil leaks are often a valve cover gasket, an oil pan gasket, or a drain plug and filter that were not sealed right. We find the source, fix it, and refill with the right oil.
See the serviceTransmission service
Red fluid means a transmission cooler line, a pan gasket, or an axle seal. Transmissions do not tolerate running low. This one gets checked quickly.
See the service