370z leaking engine fluid?

Methodical4u · 08-30-2011, 01:23 AM

well it's not oil obviously... like the others said, it looks like plastic. What do the drips smell like?

wstar · 08-30-2011, 02:14 AM

Definitely melted plastic. I had this problem a couple months ago with a plastic grocery bag that got hung up underneath the car and melted against the exhaust pipes. You might not notice the smell from in the cabin, or even outside if most of the plastic is already melted, and is just reheating and dripping off.

Lug · 08-30-2011, 10:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wstar

Definitely melted plastic. I had this problem a couple months ago with a plastic grocery bag that got hung up underneath the car and melted against the exhaust pipes. You might not notice the smell from in the cabin, or even outside if most of the plastic is already melted, and is just reheating and dripping off.

Same thing happened to me.

JrumMusic · 08-30-2011, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ChipsWithDips

Definately looks like melted plastic to me. No other "fluid" from your car would harden when cool. No telling which exact piece of plastic it's from until you put it on a lift, or jackstands and look around for what has melted.

Edit: oh and if you're looking around under there while the engine is warm, wear some googles.

Yea, your right no other other fluid would harden like that afterwards, thanks for the safety tips =]

JrumMusic · 08-30-2011, 12:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Methodical4u

well it's not oil obviously... like the others said, it looks like plastic. What do the drips smell like?

Like nothing. Like that helped lol haha

JrumMusic · 08-30-2011, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by wstar

Definitely melted plastic. I had this problem a couple months ago with a plastic grocery bag that got hung up underneath the car and melted against the exhaust pipes. You might not notice the smell from in the cabin, or even outside if most of the plastic is already melted, and is just reheating and dripping off.

Im will take another look, that horrible, there is no foul smell though... So maybe its something else, hopefully nothing major

red6spd · 08-30-2011, 12:26 PM

If he had a bag he would have a bad smell. Right before I was suppose to go to Atco raceway with a few friends I started to get his burning plastic smell coming from the Z. I was so worried it was something that was going to stop me from hitting the track. I searched and searched could not find anything. Untill one day I smelled it really bad after getting on her a little, I pulled over and got under the car and saw a melted plastic bag my FI exhaust. I was pissed and happy at the same time LOL

cheshirecat · 08-30-2011, 12:33 PM

Almost looks like some kind of silicone sealant.

Red__Zed · 08-30-2011, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cheshirecat

Almost looks like some kind of silicone sealant.

Yeah that's my thought. Looks like the high-temp rtv.

Red__Zed · 08-30-2011, 12:47 PM

Where under the car is it leaking?

11Thumper · 08-30-2011, 02:03 PM

Take a good look in the engine bay and under the car as well. Make sure you do this when the car is completely cool. Use a flashlight and look for more of this goop, or debris that is stuck in there. Did this just happen one day or does it continue to happen? You say it is hard now, but did you ever see it when it was soft?

JrumMusic · 08-30-2011, 03:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Red__Zed

Where under the car is it leaking?

Imagine where the intakes are, underneath the car of course, that is where the leaks were on the floor, left and right. I looked again this morning, i cant seem to find anything, no smells, no engine lights no nothing. hm...

JrumMusic · 08-30-2011, 04:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 11Thumper

Take a good look in the engine bay and under the car as well. Make sure you do this when the car is completely cool. Use a flashlight and look for more of this goop, or debris that is stuck in there. Did this just happen one day or does it continue to happen? You say it is hard now, but did you ever see it when it was soft?

No idea when it happend, its not ALOT of it on the floor, but it enough to notice something aint right. Ive never seen it fresh and gooey.

spearfish25 · 08-30-2011, 05:40 PM

There is no way anything slightly dripping from the engine will be visible on the ground from the front bumper all the way back to about the front edge of the doors. The under tray covers that whole area. The only way to get a fluid leak in that area is to have a big one (lots of oil or coolant) that actually fills the tray and then seeps through the holes in it.

Either your under tray or something in the wheel well is melting, something is dripping from further back than the intake area, or you have a ton of that melted crap caught by the under tray and only a bit got through to the ground.

You can certainly melt the dust boots around the brake caliper pistons, but they usually vaporize rather than drip.

11Thumper · 08-30-2011, 06:06 PM

Are you sure this wasn't some type of plastic flash material that just dropped to the floor? Perhaps you ran over something on the road and this was just leftover debris? If you never saw this in a wet/soft state then I would question the origin. Are you sure it couldn't be from something else in the garage?

Do you have kids?

08-30-2011, 02:14 AM	#17 (permalink)
wstar A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Houston, TX Posts: 4,024 Drives: too slow Rep Power: 3594	Definitely melted plastic. I had this problem a couple months ago with a plastic grocery bag that got hung up underneath the car and melted against the exhaust pipes. You might not notice the smell from in the cabin, or even outside if most of the plastic is already melted, and is just reheating and dripping off. __________________ 7AT Track Car! Journal thread / Car setup details

08-30-2011, 12:26 PM	#22 (permalink)
red6spd A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Long Island NY Posts: 3,277 Drives: 2010 Z Coupe M6 SPT Rep Power: 21	If he had a bag he would have a bad smell. Right before I was suppose to go to Atco raceway with a few friends I started to get his burning plastic smell coming from the Z. I was so worried it was something that was going to stop me from hitting the track. I searched and searched could not find anything. Untill one day I smelled it really bad after getting on her a little, I pulled over and got under the car and saw a melted plastic bag my FI exhaust. I was pissed and happy at the same time LOL __________________ 2010 Base+Sport 6spd: Stillen G3, FI Non-Resonated CBE, FI Non-Resonated Test Pipes, UpRev Tuned, Custom 24R Oil Cooler, JDM Rear Fog-OEM Harness. ???Whp ???WTQ (Will find out come spring time)

08-30-2011, 05:40 PM	#29 (permalink)
spearfish25 A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Naples, FL Posts: 4,117 Drives: to work Rep Power: 1856	There is no way anything slightly dripping from the engine will be visible on the ground from the front bumper all the way back to about the front edge of the doors. The under tray covers that whole area. The only way to get a fluid leak in that area is to have a big one (lots of oil or coolant) that actually fills the tray and then seeps through the holes in it. Either your under tray or something in the wheel well is melting, something is dripping from further back than the intake area, or you have a ton of that melted crap caught by the under tray and only a bit got through to the ground. You can certainly melt the dust boots around the brake caliper pistons, but they usually vaporize rather than drip. __________________ 2013 Cadillac V-Wagon, RIP Z

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08-30-2011, 01:23 AM	#16 (permalink)
Methodical4u A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Maryland Posts: 1,393 Drives: 11 370 6mt pw w/sp Rep Power: 16	well it's not oil obviously... like the others said, it looks like plastic. What do the drips smell like?

08-30-2011, 12:33 PM	#23 (permalink)
cheshirecat A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Florida Posts: 1,428 Drives: N54 135i Rep Power: 292	Almost looks like some kind of silicone sealant.

08-30-2011, 12:47 PM	#25 (permalink)
Red__Zed A True Z Fanatic Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: window seat Posts: 28,940 Drives: Mostly on two wheels Rep Power: 120	Where under the car is it leaking?

08-30-2011, 02:03 PM	#26 (permalink)
11Thumper Track Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 754 Drives: '11 370Z, '01 S2k Rep Power: 17	Take a good look in the engine bay and under the car as well. Make sure you do this when the car is completely cool. Use a flashlight and look for more of this goop, or debris that is stuck in there. Did this just happen one day or does it continue to happen? You say it is hard now, but did you ever see it when it was soft?

08-30-2011, 06:06 PM	#30 (permalink)
11Thumper Track Member Join Date: Mar 2011 Location: Bay Area, CA Posts: 754 Drives: '11 370Z, '01 S2k Rep Power: 17	Are you sure this wasn't some type of plastic flash material that just dropped to the floor? Perhaps you ran over something on the road and this was just leftover debris? If you never saw this in a wet/soft state then I would question the origin. Are you sure it couldn't be from something else in the garage? Do you have kids?