Whether you drive a new Lexus automobile or one of our stylish, reliable pre-owned Lexus vehicles, you may notice a pool of liquid or some drip marks under your car at some point. When your air conditioning has been running, it’s not unusual for you to see a pool of condensation under your vehicle, for instance.

While seeing something under your car isn’t always a cause for alarm, it can be depending on what the liquid is. The first step toward figuring out whether your car needs the attention of a professional automotive technician is determining what the substance under your automobile is.

To figure out what’s leaking from your car, inspect the liquid’s color and smell. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, dab the substance with a paper towel or put a flattened cardboard box under your car so a sample can soak into the cardboard.

Here are some common liquids that leak from vehicles and some tips to identify them:

  • Engine Oil: Fresh oil is normally amber or brown. If you haven’t changed your oil in a while, it will probably be black instead. Oil is slick and it’s hard to wipe off your hands. Oil can leak from multiple points, such as valve covers and your oil pan.
  • Transmission Fluid: Like oil, transmission fluid is slick. This liquid normally has a reddish hue, but it’s available in other colors as well. Transmission fluid often leaks from a seal or gasket.
  • Power Steering Fluid: This is the same fluid that you put in your transmission. If your power steering fluid is leaking, your reservoir or hoses will likely be to blame.
  • Engine Coolant: This liquid comes in an assortment of colors, including green, yellow, and pink. Engine coolant feels like slimy water and it normally has a sweet aroma. There are several sources for engine coolant leaks, including your overflow tank, radiator, and water pump.
  • Brake Fluid: Brake fluid can be clear when it’s new, but its color gets darker as it ages. Like many other car fluids, this liquid is slick to the touch. Just like it’s dangerous to drive a vehicle if it has a gas leak, it’s risky to operate an automobile that’s leaking brake fluid.

If your vehicle is leaking, don’t take any chances. Bring it into our Florida Lexus dealership so our factory-trained technicians can identify the source of the leak and repair the problem. Make a service appointment with Lexus of Jacksonville now.