??? Odd oil leak ???

[apapada]

20 virtual dollars to the first of you who explains this mystery to me... :biggrin: for the record I already checked the "search" to no avail... here it goes:
I was checking my car this evening and noticed that there were fresh oil stains near the front passenger side wheel. I looked closer and there are drips of what appears to be engine oil all over the wheel well, with drops ready to fall on the back of the wheel well and the front of it . Refer to the picture for a better idea of what the heck I'm talking about. btw, it's not brake fluid... Any idea ?

 

[Briank]

My guess is that you drove through a puddle of oil and the tire sprayed it up and around the wheel well and when you stopped it drained down at each end.

 

[nsxhk]

Or it could be your shock absorber is leaking.

Henry.

 

[Russ White]

Could your A/C condenser have sprung a leak allowing the oil from the compressor to leak into that area?
Russ

 

[the nsxnut]

Henry may have hit the nail on the head... pull the wheel off and inspect the shock body; if it is also coated with oil, then send Henry the cyber cash! Oh, and shop for new suspension If one shock has given up, you better do all four... a great upgrade opportunity! Or, get a rebuild from TrueChoice, they specialize in performance shocks, and give discounts to NSXCA members. See the inside cover of NSXDriver.

 

[SCS2k]

Make sure it's not a power steering fluid leak.

 

[hlweyl]

Make sure it's not a power steering fluid leak.

There's no power steering fluid in the NSX. Very unusual for oil to be leaking in that area. The clutch, brake, and ABS fluids are closer to driver's side.

good luck

 

[nsx-tech]

the only thing in that area that can leak oil is the shock. brake fluid feels different than oil.

 

[apapada]

Thanks for your replies my friends. I hadn't thought about the shock absorber and was kind of sure that had to be it. I just checked it, and it is NOT... I took some more pictures using my camera phone, I apologize in advance for the poor quality. I do have a smaller leak at the rear passenger wheel well as well now that I looked closer. And when looking inside the wheel well oil appears to be on only on half the plastic, towards the outside. The shocks are dry. Start thinking I might have run over a oil puddle or something, but where, when and how is it possible I did not notice it?!?!

 

[apapada]

another couple of them where one can clearly see where the front louvers in the wheel well are half covered with oil and half dry

 

[SCS2k]

There's no power steering fluid in the NSX. Very unusual for oil to be leaking in that area. The clutch, brake, and ABS fluids are closer to driver's side.

good luck

I know that it is electric but I still thought it was hydraulic and required fluid.

 

[Briank]

I know that it is electric but I still thought it was hydraulic and required fluid.

You thought wrong :wink:

 

[titaniumdave]

The only thing in there with oil is the A/C condenser, if it has a tiny hole it could be spraying oil out. No easy way to get in there to check, try looking in with the fender liner removed, I think the louvered liner will come off too. Hopefully you can see through the fan and see if there is oil on the condenser that would explain how much oil you are seeing. Total volume of refrigerant oil is 80 cc, not a whole lot. If that is where it is coming from, get it fixed right away because you will seize the A/C compressor if it runs out of oil.

 

[Bart Geerts]

It's me comming by every night spilling some oil under your car...
my account number for the 20$ : 285-0563407-60
:biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:

 

[hlweyl]

This may be a stupid question, but did you smell the fluid? Could be a big clue.

Now that you see it front and back also, sounds like Brian is right and you just ran over something.

good luck

 

[apapada]

It's me comming by every night spilling some oil under your car...
my account number for the 20$ : 285-0563407-60
:biggrin: :biggrin: :biggrin:

THAT explains it. Ok, I'll be sending you the virtual $20, along with the $150 bill for cleaning the garage

 

[apapada]

This may be a stupid question, but did you smell the fluid? Could be a big clue.

Now that you see it front and back also, sounds like Brian is right and you just ran over something.

good luck

I did smell it and it has the consistency, color and smell of 10W40 (Not sure of the weight thought )

I'm starting to think that Brian may have been right, just puzzles me that I ran over an oil puddle and felt nothing while doing it

 

[DocL]

I'm starting to think that Brian may have been right, just puzzles me that I ran over an oil puddle and felt nothing while doing it

You would be surprised at how little the amout of oil that you ran over can cover everything in sight. You may have driven through a puddle of water that has some oil in it and that's why you didn't feel anything. I had a tiny leak from the oil pan gasket on my Mustang and the wind blown oil covered the entire underbody of the car. It must have only leaked a third of a quart, but it was still everywhere.