What is this?

[jimj]

I noticed, this morning, a drip from the drain hole under the front of the Elan. It seems to be the colour of caramel only watery but it`s slippery. Not as slippery as oil, more like soapy water, but it`s not that. I haven`t used the car for 4 days, there`s no servo. I`m suspecting brake fluid, especiallly as the master cylinder level is down a bit. There`s no sign of it tracking to where it has pooled in the nose so how could it get there? and where from?
Here`s a blurred pic. but you`ll get the idea.
Thanks,
Jim

[jimj]

P.S. I`ve just been out to check the coolant which IS a similar colour but not as slippery, maybe a bit slippery. Would the antifreeze inhibit evaporation and as the water evaporated, would it feel a bit, just a bit, slippery? I do hope so.
Jim

[tvacc]

Yes, antifreeze does feel slippery. Easy way to check if it is brake flu is that brake fluid will remove paint from a surface ( don't try it on your car!) use something else.

[oldchieft]

Brake fluid tastes bitter, antifreeze tastes sweet.

Jon the Chief

[lotusS2guy]

[quote="oldchieft"]Brake fluid tastes bitter, antifreeze tastes sweet./quote]

Do you know this from experience?

Does synthetic oil taste different from dinosaur-based oil?

[richardcox_lotus]

Do you have the overflow/ expansion bottle in front of the rad ??

[pharriso]

Check your radiator overflow bottle, the bottle may have split or the tube to it may have come out.

[Fred Talmadge]

If it's wet outside I get some dirty water there. Have no idea what it tastes like.

[jimj]

Thanks for, what I hope is, reassurance. I did taste it, just a lick, not all of it, and it tasted of nothing. It hasn`t stripped any paint from the inside of the nose so I`ll check for a coolant leak.
Jim

[john.p.clegg]

Cat/dog urine?...wouldn't be the first time I've seen a leg cocked up at the front grill.....anyone know what it tastes like??

John

[billwill]

Check your radiator overflow bottle, the bottle may have split or the tube to it may have come out.

Or it may be full and overflowing. Easily done if you take the rad cap off a few times while the engine is hot and you note low level and top it up. It won't suck any back from the bottle if you do that so the bottle will fill up. You won't notice it if you look under the bonnet with the engine cold as it will have sucked back a quantity ( 1/4 , 1/3 ?? ) from the bottle.

[jimj]

Strangely enough, I don`t take the radiator cap off a few times, or at all, when the engine`s hot, nor is our dog sufficiently athletic to pee through the radiator grille, nor likely to. Anyway his pee doesn`t taste like that.
I ran the car up to temperature and can find no leaks, and yesterday I ran the car for, maybe 50 miles or so with no reappearance of the mysterious substance.
How strange?
Jim

[richardcox_lotus]

Cold cup of coffee when standing over the car when the bonnet is open ?