very strange leak
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
From: Atl. ga
very strange leak 
Hi everyone, I was taking a look under my car today and noticed a leak. It is orange in color but doesn't smell like antifreeze. Appears to be on the drivers side. I changed out my antifreze 2 weeks ago. So the first place I looked was the big plug on the drivers side. It's completely dry around the plug. I checked the smaller plug right by the starter and it's dry there as well. I checked my coolant temp sender and it's dry there as well. I'm not totally convinced it's antifreeze I'm seeing. If I drive the car 3 to 4 days and look under it, I can see some wetness on the bottom of the oil pan, and also some drips on the oil pan bolts driver side, and also some drips on the hard lines that go to the rack and pinion. It's getting blown back, cause sometimes the trans pan is wet. Nothing is ever on my driveway though. My radiator overflow stays full and radiator does as well. I have checked my power steering reservoir and it's full. I have checked everything I know to check. By the way car is a 00 Z28 A4. Sorry for the long post, just didn't want to leave anything out. Thanks. 
I have that same exact situation. Orange fluid on the underside of the car, but nothing on the driveway etc... But I'm pretty sure mine is coming from the power steering. I looked all around like you did and found nothing so I just forgot about if for a few weeks then my PS started whining and I checked it and it was low. I still can't find where the leak is coming from but it seems to be the PS somewhere.
Long story short, I think it's the power steering.
Long story short, I think it's the power steering.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 81
Likes: 0
From: Atl. ga
Does your steering get harder the longer you drive? When I first start my car I can turn the wheel fairly easy, But after driving 33 miles to work when pulling in the parking lot it's very hard to steer it. I haven't checked the connections of the metal lines going to the rack yet, But I don't think they will be loose.
Mine would whine and get harder to turn when I was turning. Once I filled it up, it was fine. I see what you mean about them looking different and I can't explain it either. The stuff that's leaking out of mine looks like coolant but it's not so that's why i think it's PS fluid.
On The Tree
Joined: Feb 2006
Posts: 107
Likes: 0
I would check the transmission cooler lines, they may be possibly seeping and runing along the lines which run along the passengers side by the oil pan 
As for the powersteering problem, my car is the same, it works great when its cold but sucks when its hot, time for a new pump
As for the powersteering problem, my car is the same, it works great when its cold but sucks when its hot, time for a new pump 
