Well.. I looked at the driveway yesterday morning and found my first signs of something leaking out of the Prius. It looked like oil.. not that much.. a few drops perhaps.. It was a little wet underneth.. but no visible oil dripping. It is coming from the passanger side.. not in front of the motor.. from somewhere behind Everything looked good up in front and no visible leaks. Any Ideas/suggestions.. 2004 with 95K miles... Scott
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(p626808 @ Mar 11 2007, 11:14 AM) [snapback]403747[/snapback]</div> Did you touch the leaking fluid to be sure it was oil? Water draining down through can pick up road oil that is generally all over the inside of an engine compartment. Then it will have an oily sheen. Unless you touch it, its very difficult to be sure its oil, or water, or even anti-freeze on a black tarmack (anti-freeze typically has lubricants added at the time of installation).
I've heard stories from ages past A/C drainage can freeze solid and remain that way throughout the winter. Then when the spring comes, it finally melts. And with the age of your Prius, clogging of that drain line could be possible enough to have caused a moisture build up...
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE(donee @ Mar 11 2007, 10:11 AM) [snapback]403763[/snapback]</div> Was able to touch it.. it was oil.. or some sort of grease? Was not antifreeze, or trans fluid or water. I have a concrete driveway.. so I can tell what it is.. Still not convinced what it is.. Parked in a different spot.. nothing leaking last night? <_< So we will see..
Well, we've already had one case here on PriusChat of a member noticing an oily sheen under the car. Turns out the Toyota dealer made an Oops and forgot to tighten the oil filter. Scary.
yep, jay's on the right track. have an oil change lately? could also be just residual oil from changing the filter that should have been cleaned off.
Two possibilities come to mind. One, the oil filter. I had one that just didn't align right even after proper tightening, and a few drops appeared on the bottom of it every couple of days and kept it mildly wet with oil. It wasn't bad enough to immediately replace so it stayed in for the full distance, and the next filter [same type] was leak-free, so it was probably just a fluke. . Two, there *is* a rumor floating around of half-shaft seals going bad at the transaxle end and leaking a little tranny fluid. It hasn't been substantiated much over here, I don't think, but the thing to do is get under there and wipe everything clean, and then keep an eye on it and try to spot where the first evidence reappears. Getting the car up on ramps makes that a whole lot easier, of course. . _H*
As a 2004 with 95,000 miles on it I would also check the crush washer for the oil pan drain bolt. It would probably be a very slow leak, and possibly has never been changed. Maybe a bit off topic, but my dad went to a mechanic to have the oil changed, and the mechanic left the old filter gasket on when he put the new filter on. It took about two blocks for all the oil to spew out. Nobody even started the car to check for leaks.
