Stains under passenger side motor or front wheel area

[Clamps]

I recently noticed oily, almost tar like stains on my garage floor. They seem to align with the passenger side of the car near the motor or front wheel. Calling the dealer today but was curious if anyone else has had this happen to them?

 

[Jimct]

I recently noticed oily, almost tar like stains on my garage floor. They seem to align with the passenger side of the car near the motor or front wheel. Calling the dealer today but was curious if anyone else has had this happen to them?

So I took a look under the hood, passenger side, and there are a couple of hoses, I have to assume for battery coolant, windshield wash and/or brake fluid, none of which I could imagine would be tar like. Any possibility you might have picked something up that collected in the wheel well, maybe from driving through a work zone?

 

[electriceddy]

I recently noticed oily, almost tar like stains on my garage floor. They seem to align with the passenger side of the car near the motor or front wheel. Calling the dealer today but was curious if anyone else has had this happen to them?

Do you use the AC much?
It is possible condensate has dripped out of the drain tube (located near the HVAC unit low on the firewall), gathered a puddle after accumulated road gunk over time sitting on the front under cover, and has now dripped out between the 2 under covers, seems the right area.
If you run your AC for a while and lift the hood, you can see the vent doing its job.

 

[Clamps]

Any possibility you might have picked something up that collected in the wheel well, maybe from driving through a work zone?

This crossed my mind too. I took a photo of the stains but was unable to upload here, my computer doesn’t trust this site but my iPad is just fine with it. Basically it’s a larger stain by the wheel and a trail of spots as it moves out of the driveway.

One other note, when I’m at full lock on the wheel at times I can feel a shudder through the steering wheel.

 

[Clamps]

Do you use the AC much?
It is possible condensate has dripped out of the drain tube (located near the HVAC unit low on the firewall), gathered a puddle after accumulated road gunk over time sitting on the front under cover, and has now dripped out between the 2 under covers, seems the right area.
If you run your AC for a while and lift the hood, you can see the vent doing its job.

I don’t run it very often but it could be I suppose. I’ll find my password and load the photos.

 

[Clamps]

Here is the garage floor

 

[OzKona]

One other note, when I’m at full lock on the wheel at times I can feel a shudder through the steering wheel.

This could be a failing outer CV joint. Have you checked the outer CV boot for cracks and leaking grease?

 

[Clamps]

This could be a failing outer CV joint. Have you checked the outer CV boot for cracks and leaking grease?

Nope. But I do have a service department visit scheduled for mid November.

 

[hobbit]

It looks like dirty water. Have you felt/smelled it?

_H*

 

[Clamps]

It looks like dirty water. Have you felt/smelled it?

_H*

Yes, it was mostly dried up by then. Didn’t feel like water but did not detect a strong odor.

 

[Docpw]

Yes, it was mostly dried up by then. Didn’t feel like water but did not detect a strong odor.

Please let us know what dealer finds. I have same thing and got the “maybe it’s the AC drain” , but it lasts through rainstorms (at my work parking spot) so seems unlikely.

,

 

[Clamps]

It looks like dirty water. Have you felt/smelled it?

_H*

I picked up the car today from the service center. They agree with you, just some dirty water. We had some very heavy rainfall around the time this happened, they think it just washed out some grimly undersides.