So if any of you have seen my recent threads on my new motor build youll know its been giving me hell. Well I drove it finally around the block to make sure everything was ok. Got back and it had a puddle under where the y pipe merges (not a very good seal there as of now) about 3-4 inches in diameter. It looked like water and didnt have a smell but when we wiped it up it didnt dry (like coolant/oil/trans fluid etc would leave a wet looking spot).

Fast forward to today. Looked underneath the car for leaks and nothing was on the ground. Since driving it previously, I have parked it and cranked it up later that day to let it warm up and check everything else out. Well seeing as there was no leaks apparently, I decided to test drive it again to see how it did. Pulled it out into the driveway and cranked it up, while letting it warm up, I looked for drips/puddles etc on the ground.

Nothing to be found except for what looked like condensation coming out of my tips, just small drops, but it felt slippery (like coolant) but was clear and had no smell. There wasnt alot just like 5-7 drops on the tips. Well I test drove it again and it seemed fine, temperature got up to normal and stayed there, didnt over heat or smoke out of the tail pipe like a blown headgasket would.

So this leads to my question, is this anything to worry about or is it just oil/fuel I coated the cylinder walls with (used alot and running very rich since no tune)?

I thought it was coolant but my levels havnt dropped and the temperature gauge is showing fine. Oil looked fine too so I dont think its leaking in there or burning it. Exhaust was too rich to distinguish a scent.

How would I make sure its not coolant and if it is where is the most likely cause of it?

Also, I replaced the camshaft position sensor and after driving it twice and letting it idle some I now have a P1380 code (camshaft circuit bank 1)? Whats up with that?

Thanks for your help and sorry for the long post, just trying to be as detailed as possible to rule out the obvious...

 

The drip from your y-pipe: check to see if it is water...

if it only drips when cold and it is just water, then it is ok, it's just condensation;

if it continues to drip when engine is hot (say after 30 minutes of driving) and/or it is not just water (e.g. coolant, fuel, oil, other) then it is a problem.

How do you test it to see if it is water only and not coolant...? Smell/taste it (and spit it out of course).

[ coolant feels a little slippery to the touch ]

 

I got some on my finger and rubbed it between my fingers to see if it was slippery and it was but it was clear, not orange. I smelled it as well and it was odorless. Then my dad wiped it up and said it looked like water but it left a wet looking spot on the concrete floor of my garage instead of evaporating and not leaving a trace. It hasnt dripped or anything since the initial puddle and the residue on my tailpipe could be a mixture of water/oil/gas. But idk or know how to verify this besides testing the ph, and not even sure where I could get some strips...

 

Ok so I tested the coolant system for leaks with a coolant pressure tester and it tested good. While it was under pressure I used a mechanics stethescope to listen for hissing or bubbling/gurgling too. After I pulled it in the garage it left another puddle which turns out to just be condensation by the looks of it. Hopefully problem solved. Ive been scatter brained since I got it in there and have just suspected the worst instead of being rational... Ha

 

Drive it and check the coolant level in the overflow reservoir before (cold) and after (hot) each drive (30+ minutes)... each time the cold level should be the same, and each time the hot level should be the same (but higher than the cold level).