Mysterious leak

[suprabob]

Guys and Gals,

I'm only moderately mechanically inclined and tend to research things until I thoroughly understand them or I forego the instructions and just tear into whatever I want to do. My Supra has been leaking from the engine bay on the passenger side almost directly under where the turbo sits. I can't pinpoint the type of fluid but it's kind of a clear yellowish. I have a heater in my garage where the car stays most of the time and usually when it gets hot in my garage the leak starts. It seems to stop as mysteriously as it starts and the fluid seems to dry up on its own after several days. What could this be? The car seems to run fine. I don't notice any low fluid levels. Any thoughts would sure be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[super.secret.supra.club]

so im thinking you have a 7mgte. if so, you might wanna look at the water and oil lines that go to the turbo. a leak at the turbo would run down the lines.

 

[Rennat]

touch it... if its really slick and slippery its oil... if it just feels wet, then its water...

its most likely the turbo oil fidd or return line that are leaking... jack the car up and look underneath... you should be able to see where the leak is falling from.

 

[suprabob]

Yeah, it's real slippery and oily to the feel but it almost drys up completely over several days. My car is the 7MGTE and it also has the splash guard under the engine. I thought that it might be leaking from anywhere and just flowing across the splash guard until it found the nearest exit. Thanks for the suggestions, hopefully I can get the car on a lift next weekend to remove the splash guard to see if I can spot anything.

 

[dumbo]

Turbo coolant lines. What colour is your coolant?

 

[TomFraser]

is it a greenish yellowish?

this is a common color for coolant

 

[suprabob]

The color is more yellowish. It looks and feels thicker than coolant, but not as dark as motor oil. It's very strange.

 

[ForcedTorque]

The fact that it dries up rather quickly tells me it can't be too thick. I'm betting coolant. It could be the turbo coolant line, or it could also be the plugged off part on the block coolant pipe that resides right at the corner underneath the turbo. It's proximity to the turbo takes a toll on the rubber plug over time. Another source could be on the firewall straight up from there at the Heater control valve. And my last guess would be a loose connection or small hole on the hose coming out of the back of the head. It's a pain in the ass to get a tight seal there, so it's a possible easy fix. You are also right, the splash guard could lead you away from the leak wherever it is.

 

[sneakypete]

i would remove the undercover, jack up the front end, start the car and get underneath. wear goggles and use a flashlight. thats always how ive found leaks.