Knubblo

Hi,

Inside the engine compartment just between the wheel housing and the fixture for the shocks there seems to have been some sort of fluid running, however not anymore. The traces left (long treads, 20-30 cm) looks exactly the same as if it would have been battery acid i.e. white powder.

The strange thing is that the "leakage" is identical on left and right side.

I will try to arrange a picture, but until then, anyone who can give an educated guess on what it is?

Kind regards
Knubblo

jsal

Not an educated guess, but a guess non the less: windshield washer fluid runoff?

Ricracing

Shocks can leak and on old cars it's not all that uncommon.

But the shocks are not in the engine comparment and they are
filled with oil and that will not turn into white powder.

My guess is that it is transport protection liquid that has not been washed properly off.

Ray Hull

You don't mention where you are, Knub, but is it possible this is a salt solution from the road that has just dried there because of the way water is thrown (sounds symmetrical) from the brake vent ducts in the grill or spoiler? Otherwise, it could be a lot of things, but not likely from the engine, as they would all be dark wet oil spots, except antifreeze or windshield washer (and I can't think of any such symmetrical route of deposit for either).

FWIW, I think high performance shocks nowadays are more gas than fluid, but I could be wrong. I know mine on my past BMWs have never needed replacement, even at above 100K miles.

Maybe the picture will tell us another 1000 words or so.

Cheers,
Ray Hull

Ricracing

The E60 do not take any road salt nor nothing in to the enigine compartment.

Man, open your hood!

Ray Hull

Please forgive me, Ric for arousing your temper. When I open my hood, I can't see anywhere near as much as when you open yours (mine's a V8, ya know...). I'm so sorry for your impatience; I was just trying to be helpful.

Ray

Heiss5

I don't think anyone cares about the "equipment" your compensating for by saying you have a V8. Underneath all of our engines is a huge ass skid plate, nothing is getting up into the engine compartment unless he took that off or he cut his wheel wells out. He's also not going to be getting anything from the grill or the brake vent ducts. The grill goes straight into the radiator and intake, and the brake vents are direct tubes from the bumper to the wheel wells. All of us have twin-tube gas-pressure shocks, so unless he switched those for something else too, it's not coming from the shocks. I would agree that it could be the transport protection liquid, but I doubt that it would be symmetrical on both sides of your engine compartment. I don't know man, get some pics up and it will help a lot more.

petri

I?ve noticed that also. Exactly like you described... I guess it's salt from the road...
Also there is a small hole (square) in both sides (the wheel housing ) where some dirt comes to engine compartment (I've sticked small rubber pieces to those holes).

Peter530i

I would say it is some dirt from the road, or some washed off wax or washer fluid or something..... since being the same patter on both side there is no way those are the shocks... besides the shock are out of the engine compartment.....

do you wax or polish your car or use some special winshield washer fluid??? it is probably one of those

Ricracing

Dear Ray,

Aren't we all .

Try to handle four languages and keep in mind all their politeness codes,
sorry if I was too straight.

It's not a question what we have under the hood but what gets into and under the hood.

The hood do leak in some but the chassi is covered with plastics.

So still I'm for what I said.

How often do you wash the enigine compartment?

Old motor saying goes like:
If you're looking for a fluid leak, wash it and find out where exactly coming from.

It works out, I have been owning some four US built nice fullsize V8 cars,
and they where not new...