Is there anything which might leak from the passenger side of the engine bay on a '98 Civic which could leave a chalky residue?

CAR HAS BEEN MOVED. THIS IS NOT WHERE THE STAIN WAS IN COMPARISON TO WHERE THE CAR WAS PARKED.




Modified by NOFX at 12:27 PM 8/29/2007

 

How chalky? The first think that comes to mind is condensation from the A/C, which may be picking up some sort of dirt or deposits before dripping onto the ground.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Padawan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">How chalky? The first think that comes to mind is condensation from the A/C, which may be picking up some sort of dirt or deposits before dripping onto the ground. </TD></TR></TABLE>
White... like the kind of stain salt dripping from a snowy car would leave.

My A/C hasn't run for a couple years because the stalk on the compressor broke a few years ago (overcharged by previous owner apparently).

 

Added a pic.

My boyfriend moved my car before I even saw where exactly it was, so I'm not sure exactly where the spill was in comparison with where the car was parked overnight (in the garage).

 

what coolant do you run? is it honda blue

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by highrev1987 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">what coolant do you run? is it honda blue</TD></TR></TABLE>
I honestly can't remember. Probably time for a flush soon.

The car has no overheating issues.

The only problems the car has is the previously mentioned A/C issue (it doesn't even get turned on) and it has a bad ISB.

 

Maybe your BF had an accident and covered it with the car?


All your fluid levels good?

 

Hmm... that's an interesting pattern, too.

Without getting under the car to look for evidence, it's pretty tough to say. The only things in that general vicinity that might leak and not be oily would be the battery, perhaps coolant, and maybe a sunroof drain tube (though I'm not certain of its location). I'd start by either climbing under and looking around, or checking the above-mentioned items. You should be able to rule out the coolant if yours is blue.

 

Check the windshield washers and see if maybe the fluid leaked out.

 

You sure it was from the car though?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Padawan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hmm... that's an interesting pattern, too. </TD></TR></TABLE>

Yeah, it has the same pattern as anything iced would give off - like freon or R134a.

It's possible there was some left in the lines or one of the pieces and it ruptured.

The way it's splitting on the inside though, I'd say it was cold.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Padawan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Hmm... that's an interesting pattern, too.

Without getting under the car to look for evidence, it's pretty tough to say. The only things in that general vicinity that might leak and not be oily would be the battery, perhaps coolant, and maybe a sunroof drain tube (though I'm not certain of its location). I'd start by either climbing under and looking around, or checking the above-mentioned items. You should be able to rule out the coolant if yours is blue. </TD></TR></TABLE>
Drain tube is on that side, but it hasn't rained and I havent' washed my car in several days.

I don't really have time to check everything. I'm about to leave for work in 15 minutes and still have to finish eating and dry my hair.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by JeffBro &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Check the windshield washers and see if maybe the fluid leaked out.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Wrong side.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by NOFX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Is there anything which might leak from the passenger side of the engine bay on a '98 Civic which could leave a chalky residue?

CAR HAS BEEN MOVED. THIS IS NOT WHERE THE STAIN WAS IN COMPARISON TO WHERE THE CAR WAS PARKED.




Modified by NOFX at 12:27 PM 8/29/2007</TD></TR></TABLE>

looks like battery acid. where i work we use battery operated forklift trucks.
in the battery room (where the batteries charge) the concrete is corroded from years of acid that leaks out of the batteries. they leave a white chalky reidue as well.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by EL Vap133 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">You sure it was from the car though? </TD></TR></TABLE>
Not sure. I didn't notice it until the car was moved. It was last driven yesterday around 8:30PM or so.
<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Syndacate &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">

Yeah, it has the same pattern as anything iced would give off - like freon or R134a.

It's possible there was some left in the lines or one of the pieces and it ruptured.

The way it's splitting on the inside though, I'd say it was cold.</TD></TR></TABLE>
I'm not sure what exactly you're saying. The A/C has been overcharged in the past (thus why the compressor broke). But I'm not sure how it could be anything from the A/C.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by philosofy1 &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">looks like battery acid. where i work we use battery operated forklift trucks.
in the battery room (where the batteries charge) the concrete is corroded from years of acid that leaks out of the batteries. they leave a white chalky reidue as well.</TD></TR></TABLE>
My Optima Redtop looks fine.

 

It looks to me like battery acid, or when battery's corrode and you clean them with battery cleaner they drip down and look like that.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by lillthingz &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It looks to me like battery acid, or when battery's corrode and you clean them with battery cleaner they drip down and look like that.</TD></TR></TABLE>
Can an Optima even do that?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by NOFX &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">
Can an Optima even do that?</TD></TR></TABLE>
No, optima's are a gel-cell as opposed to a liquid cell and dont have a liquid acid that can leak from them.
It just makes me more confused because that does appear to be battery acid on the floor

 

It's not her battery, it's not her coolant (it's green and FULL), it's not freon, I checked the HI line that runs along the passenger side, and there is no sign of rupture.

******* stumper here.

 

Have you climbed under to see if you can detect a source?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Padawan &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Have you climbed under to see if you can detect a source? </TD></TR></TABLE>

I got as much of my big head under there without jacking up the car as I could. I couldn't see any evidence of the same or a similar stain ANYWHERE.

 

i looks like it was there before the car was parked telling by the 4 drip marks

 

Are you two sure that its from her car and that it wasnt there before?

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by 95sloweg &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Are you two sure that its from her car and that it wasnt there before?</TD></TR></TABLE>

It may not be, but I can't think of what else it's from. I don't remember spilling anything

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Eran &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">It's not her battery, it's not her coolant (it's green and FULL), it's not freon, I checked the HI line that runs along the passenger side, and there is no sign of rupture.

******* stumper here.</TD></TR></TABLE>

did you ever think, maybe the residue was there before you parked the car? maybe something was cleaned there, or spilled there, dried up and now you have that residue. didn't notice it when you were parking, but now you see with the car removed.