wheel well sprayed w/ oil & clutch pop noise

[davehatch]

I have an 03 GT w/ 62000 miles on it and two days ago as the car was parked on the driveway I noticed a small oil patch on the driveway that was caused by oil dripping from the front of the right side front wheel well....the entire right front wheel well was coated with oil but the tire tread was not....there was also oil that was sprayed along the bottom rocker panel on the right side of the car from the front wheel well to the back, and the right back wheel well had a small amount of oil inside it as well. I took it to sears automotive where I regularly have my oil change (and a service dept that I trust) and they gave it a quick once over and could not find anything wrong with it. They checked the oil filler cap, drain plug, and oil filter and all were tight. I took it to the car wash and cleaned the oil off the paint as well as sprayed out the engine compartment so it would be easier to find the source of the oil leak. I drove it home (about 20 miles) and after parking in the garage, did not notice any source of leak from inside the engine bay or on the ground....I put papers down under the right front wheel well and did not notice any leaks over the weekend. All of my fluid levels are full and although I am not 100% sure that the fluid is oil, it does have the consistency and color of oil so I wouldn't rule out other fluid leaks, such as cv boot grease, power steering fluid, etc.I also have noticed a faint popping noise when I shift....it only happens when the clutch pedal is pushed in at the farthest point....I asked the service tech at sears what the manual transmission fluid looks like and he said it is basically oil, and has the consistency of oil, so I wouldn't rule that out either. I am taking it to the dealer tomorrow where I purchased it from and see what they find out. Everything seems to work fine....brakes, steering, clutch feel all seem normal except for the clutch popping noise. Any ideas? Thanks in advance for any advice and I will post the results of what the dealer found out.....Davedhatch@myvine.com

[ragingfish]

Only thing I can think of in terms of the oil is, if you hit a patch on the road, it could've sprayed all over, and as you drove on beyond it, the residue on the treads would have flew or rubbed off by the time you got home?

[joatmon]

If it's not brake fluid o engine oil then it's probably not from your car. The thansmission fluid in a manual is oil, thicker than engine oil, but the tranny is on the driver's side, (I think of the right side as the passenger side) o if it was leaking it seems like it would be on the other side. in these cars the cluthc and brake systems use the same fluid and reservoir, so if that level is ok, then you're not losing clutch fluid.if it doesn;t happen again or you can;t see any leaks/evidnce of leaks, then I'd guess ragingfish is right and you probably drove through some somewhere. I don't know what to say about the clutch popping sound though.welcome back!Been over two years since your last post http://forums.genvibe.com/zero...=5280

[ToolGuy]

Check CV boots like Silver mentioned. When CV joints go bad they pop and snap. If the boot is gone, lost a clamp or torn, all the grease leaks out as the axle turns and soon, very soon, the joint goes bad from dirt. It does not take long to have dirt destory them and no grease. Eventually it will sound like a spray can agitator ball when you shake it. My guess is it is bad all the grease leaked out and now destoryed your CV joint. The damage is done now since it is making noise.

[davehatch]

Good news! Dealer checked out the car and could not find any fluid leaks at all.....service manager said I must have driven through something....I dismissed this at first since there was no fluid on the tires but he said that the friction/heat of the tires on the road would dissipate any fluid on them.....good call ragingfish! The noise I was hearing was a loose bracket on the exhaust system.....$35 charge for four hours of troubleshooting seems fair to me!

[kostby]

Reviving an old thread...Quote, originally posted by davehatch »...two days ago as the car was parked on the driveway I noticed a small oil patch on the driveway that was caused by oil dripping from the front of the right side front wheel well....the entire right front wheel well was coated with oil but the tire tread was not.... dhatch@myvine.comThursday, I noticed a spot or two under the front, driver's side wheel-well. Thought it was just morning condensation... Friday, I noticed it was still there, although the rest of the driveway and the car was dry. I have an automatic, so it can't be clutch-related, and I haven't noticed any popping noises from the CV joint either at about 32,000 miles.Wheel well is sprayed, too, so it appears to be brake fluid, though the brake fluid reservoir isn't down that I can tell. Probably only a tablespoonful, but I'm taking the car in tomorrow, just to be sure. I'll have them fix a laundry list of 'recall' and TSB issues, too.I'll keep you posted!

[kostby]

UPDATE: It was a leaking front strut at 33,000 miles, not brake fluid or wheel bearing grease. Replaced under warranty, no charge, although they had to order the part and it took 2 days to get it. First one they've seen that sprung a leak.