Re: Pink fluid leak ....

Greetings.

In my continuing saga to bring the Boxster out for spring, I noticed a pink fluid leak. The fluid seems a oily, but it is pretty thin - perhaps coolant?.

The leak is coming from directly below the A pillar on the drivers' side.

I have a 2000, 2.7, Std shift.

I have not had a chance to get it up in the air and see exactly where the fuid is coning from, but it has created a little (3ft) stream out the side. It does not appear to be evaporating, but that remains to be seen. I have only been monitoring a couple days.

So... what pink fluid can be leaking under the A-pillar? I think it must be either coolant or wiper fluid. But I am not sure either is in fact pink. Plus, if there was a coolant leak, wouldn't it be A LOT more obvious?

If it were wiper fluid, it could only be spillage. I have not refilled for quite some time. It certainly has not been the last few weeks.

Bottom line -- thoughts on things to check?

guessed coolant or washer fluid. Brake/clutch fluid is I think clear. If it is not water soluble it is some kind of oil. Engine oil, transmission oil are not pink, though, so just what oil it could be I'm not sure. I do not know what color the A/C system's compressor oil is but the few times I have seen the dealer service department A/C system in action I do not recall seeing pink in the compressor oil reservoir.

(Anti-freeze is sweet tasting if you are feeling adventurous.)

My WAG is it coolant. What is the coolant level? While you are at it check the brake, power steering fluid levels too. Might as well check the windshield washer fluid reservoir level and content to see if if looks like the fluid.

A coolant leak at the driver's side A pillar is not a common leak location. (Based on location alone, it reads more like a washer tank or line lieak.) If it is a coolant leak, I would have to guess the leak is somewhere else and the fluid is running over and then dripping down.

You are going to have to get the car in the air. If it is a coolant leak, or another fluid, I think it should be easy to find the source. Now the source may be hidden by panels under the body if the leak is a hose or hose connection of one of the coolant lines that run under the car from the engine to the front and back again. Or if the leak is a radiator. (Have you kept the trash out of the radiator ducts?).

I agree that I will have to get it on the ramps and get under there. I just have not had time to do it with my schedule.

It seemed like a VERY odd place for a leak. Still does. But there are so many lines going front to back who knows.

I thought it could be power steering. Perhaps there is a cooler for that? I don't think so, but .... I am searching I know.

and would evaporate about as quickly as plain water. On the other hand, Rain-X washer fluid comes in two color, each for winter or summer, and might feel a bit slippery.

the fluid is not evaporating. Or at least not in an observable way. I think that eliminates washer fluid.

... on the drive'r side there aren't too many fluids that could describe your leak.
The two that come to mind are Power Steering Fluid and A/C Compressor oil.
Both of them have lines that run on the left (passenger) side of the car and can leak the way you are describing.
You'll need to get under the car and find the source.
Take a picture of where it's leaking from and we can identify it for you if you don't know which line it is.
Happy Boxstering,
Pedro

Pedro Bonilla
1998 Boxster 986 - 314,000+ miles: [www.PedrosGarage.com]
PCA National Club Racing Scrutineer - PCA National HPDE Instructor - PCA Technical Committee (Boxster/Cayman)

---

Racecar spelled backwards is Racecar

"Racing is life. Anything before or after is just waiting" ... Steve McQueen as Michael Delaney in "LeMans"

"If you wait, all that happens is that you get older"... Mario Andretti

"Being second is to be the first of the ones who lose" ... Ayrton Senna

Almost certainly coolant. It is water soluable. It did not evaprorate over the entire week and maintains a slippery feel.

It doesn't smell like glycol though.

I can't tell the source without removing panels.

Guess what I am doing after lunch....

Once the water evaporated, it left the deicing portion of the fluid behind - I guess. That was indeed very much like coolant. I suspect it was essentially some sort of antifreeze

In any event the washer tank split on the seam which is right at the frontmost part of the tank. I suspect it actually touched the plastic liner around the front wheel. I can't imagine any other reason that tank would fail.
It is not under pressure and there is no stress on it. One wonders why coolant tanks and other plastic stuff seems to fail on these cars, but it never seems to fail on simpler cars. Why huh?

The good news is that the tank is not visible - so I should be able to patch the hole with no downside.