Green/blue fluid below car.

davyk31

RMS Regular
Messages
3,256
I have noticed now a couple of times a small pool of blue/green fluid below my Mini Countryman when it’s parked in the garage. Has happened a couple of times now in the last week or so.
There is a tray under the engine so it’s hard to see where it comes from. I’m thinking it’s maybe screenwash but worried it’s something more serious and should not be ignored for now. It’s quite watery but does have a slight thickness to it. It’s totally clean so it’s not engine oil and cant really see it’s fluid from anywhere else as it’s so clean

Any ideas before I book it in for a check?
 

colin84

RMS Regular
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3,899
Quite watery but slightly thick? Lol. Any pics of the liquid? would make identify it a bit easier.

Sounds like coolant.
 

RevT

RMS Regular
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5,862
Coolant is a possibility if it’s the green/blue stuff used in it?
 

Ben P

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9,240
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BMW F33/A6C7
I thought they'd changed it these days to deter kids/animals/alco's from poisoning themselves?


Alot have Bitrex added.
It's apparently the bitterest substance in the world. So you'd not be able to take too much 😂
 

davyk31

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OP
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Yes hadn’t thought about coolant. Will try to get a pic if there is any there tomorrow. Not sure I fancy tasting it to check though.
 

Nicky

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24,533
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HiluxSurf
Have you checked all the possible fluid levels are at the correct mark? Or checked which bottle contains which colour of fluid? Power steering? Coolant? Brake fluid etc?
 

Coog

Admin
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47,512
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GTI
You had to spoil the fun with that last bit!

I do it all the time. With caution though.

Heard tale of a chap who's grandad had a catheter fitted, who was in the habit of draining it into flower pots, ditches, sinks, etc. They stopped at motorway services and he opened the door of the car and let it drain between the two parked cars. It ran out the other side of the car beside them.

Some time later the owner of the car beside them decided to do the taste test on realising there was a pool of fluid running from under his car 8o|
 

Woodcutter

RMS Regular
Messages
31,235
Almost certainly coolant.

Screenwash will just look like water the dilution is usually so high, and it would probably have partially evaporated.
 

davyk31

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Will get a check of the fluid levels today. Isn’t always easy to see the colour of various fluids with the tanks being hidden down in various nooks and crannies.
 

56oval

RMS Regular
Messages
4,903
Don't know if it's relevant to a countryman as it's probably reasonably new. The thermostat housings on the older 1.6 were notorious for leaking. Very hard to spot where they were leaking from. Easy enough fix but may not be applicable to yours. Worth a shout though.
 

davyk31

RMS Regular
OP
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Messages
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It's definitely coolant as it's the same colour and the tank was down below the minimum. Topped it up and will book it in to get checked. Quite online check does mention the thermostat housing as above and also water pump. Only seems very occasional though as nothing dropping over the last couple of days.
 

davyk31

RMS Regular
OP
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Messages
3,256
All sorted today. Was coolant leaking from a small break in a pipe. New front wheel bearing and a set of decent tyres rather than the rubbish the previous owner fitted and it's tramformed the car. Hard to beat the effect a decent premium tyre brings.
 
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