wolfhound Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 i have a mysterious fluid leak and i need you help. for about a month now i have been experiencing a burning smell and some mild smoking from underneath the hood of my Baja. here is what ive discovered so far. -the fluid appears to be oil, though it looks a little opaque -it pools on the top of the engine beneath the drivers side intake manifold -when i last changed my oil the person at the parts store told me my car takes 4.5 quarts of oil, but i checked the hanes manual after the problem occured and it says 4.2. Could this have caused and increase in oil pressure resulting in a blown gasket somewhere? - this time last year, my head gaskets, water pump, and timing belt were replaced. could this be related? -the fluid seems a little opaque. i wonder if it might have some coolant in it? how do i check to see if this is the case? Any help you can offer would be awesome, and feed back in general is appreciated. -wolfhound Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted November 24, 2011 Share Posted November 24, 2011 Power steering fluid leak are common on these and tend to result in a reddish pool of fluid on top of the block. Check the level of the fluid in the steering reservoir. Another possibility is a leaky oil pressure sender, which is on top of the block under the alternator, more towards the passenger side of the engine. Both are easy to check. The sender can be replaced relatively easily. The steering pump can be resealed in about a hour with some basic tools and a vice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfhound Posted November 25, 2011 Author Share Posted November 25, 2011 Power steering fluid leak are common on these and tend to result in a reddish pool of fluid on top of the block. Check the level of the fluid in the steering reservoir.Another possibility is a leaky oil pressure sender, which is on top of the block under the alternator, more towards the passenger side of the engine. Both are easy to check. The sender can be replaced relatively easily. The steering pump can be resealed in about a hour with some basic tools and a vice. fairtax, i checked the power steering fluid, and it seems to be level. I could not identify the oil pressure sender. im going to try to find it in my manual, and take a look at it tomorrow. However, the fluid does look a tiny bit red in color... do you think it might be transmission fluid? i couldnt find the transmission dip stick either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 (edited) Red fluid on top will be steering fluid. Alot of times the leaks are so small that the level in the reservoir does not drop noticeably until it has been leaking for a long period of time. There are no transmission related lines or hoses on or near the top of the engine. Automagic Transmission Fluid dipstick is on the driver side down low kinda hiding underneath the heater hoses. It's yellow, but usually covered in crud so you can't see it as well. The ATF dipstick is about 18-20" long. The front differential gear oil dipstick is on the passenger side of the transmission. Also yellow, but is short, only about 8" length. A good pic for locating the Oil pressure sender. This shows the sender with the alternator removed, but if you look straight down just to the left of the alternator between the bracket you will see it. http://www.autometer.com/article/bodyImages/96.jpg Edited November 25, 2011 by Fairtax4me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caboobaroo Posted November 25, 2011 Share Posted November 25, 2011 It could also be two different problems. The oil could be from the A/C compressor as that is also on that same side of the engine. Also peek down the passenger side behind the engine and look at the inner axle boot. It could be split, slinging grease onto the catalytic converter. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfhound Posted November 25, 2011 Author Share Posted November 25, 2011 im going to check out all of these possibilities tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frank B Posted November 26, 2011 Share Posted November 26, 2011 Take some pictures of the fluid and your engine and post them up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wolfhound Posted December 5, 2011 Author Share Posted December 5, 2011 i just had a chance to check out my engine again. it seems that the leak is coming from the a/c compressor. any thoughts on what might be leaking on the a/c compressor? i plan on taking it off when this god forsaken rain lets up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MilesFox Posted December 5, 2011 Share Posted December 5, 2011 there is an oil pressure sending unit on the top of the block under the alternator that will sometimes leak. It leaks where the top terminal is crimped to the rest of the housing, but not the ftting where it connects to the engine.I would advise you check this as it is a common occurrence. IT is a 7 dollar part to replace. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairtax4me Posted December 6, 2011 Share Posted December 6, 2011 (edited) If it is the compressor leaking it's leaking compressor oil. Does it have a green tint to it in the sunlight? The common leak points on the compressor are where the hoses attach up on top. The O rings dry out and the refrigerant and oil leak out. The O rings can be replaced fairly easily once the refrigerant is evacuated from the system. Generally if there is a large amount of oil, its one of the main case seals on the compressor. Not going to hurt anything if you don't mind not having AC. If you want the AC to work you'll have to replace the compressor and have the system re-charged. Edited December 6, 2011 by Fairtax4me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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