Small Leak Near Petrol Tank

[Barricade]

Hi Everyone,

Recently purchased a Superlight 150 and it arrived last week, I took it out for it's first outing on Sunday for about 30 minutes, mostly mild motoring with a few straight pulls on quiet back roads, it was my first road drive in the car and am still feeling my way through its quirks.

I went out to the garage at lunch today and saw a small pool of liquid on the floor, it is located at the rear of the car and appears to have dripped from near to the hoses on the driver's side of the car. I think it is the breather hose but I'm not sure as it appears to come from above the hose end?? The liquid didn't smell (like I would have expected if it was petrol) and it was slightly gelatinous (again not what I would expect if petrol)...I will investigate further tonight.

Any ideas on what it might be and how I might be able to remedy?

Many thanks.

**Now with pictures that I've just figured out how to add**

 

 

[Piers300]

It’s worth checking the fuel sender gasket, as modern fuel does it no good and it falls to bits.

Also check for splits in all the rubber tubes between the petrol fill point and the tank.

Piers

[Piers300]

It’s also worth looking at the differential if the fluid is not petrol . I’m assuming this is not a brand new car.

[Jonathan Kay]

Private Message sent.

[Barricade]

Thanks Piers - Not a new car no, it's a '10 plate.

I'll check the hoses and gaskets, though at a glance they all look ok - looks can be deceiving of course.

It's pretty high to be diff fluid (now that I've worked out how to add photos you can see more clearly where it is coming from). Also the colour looks wrong too. Unless 7s use glow in the dark diff oil

[ScottR400D]

Diff breather? Washer bottle? (Think they were at the front in 2010 though). 

What else would you have a breather for back there?  

Just seen the stuff on the cable tie. Are you sure that’s what’s on the floor? 

[SM25T]

Watch that one way valve doesn't chafe its way through the aluminium tank. Put your finger in the liquid and then rub it between finger and thumb to feel the texture and smell it. Diff oil, brake fluid and petrol all smell and feel very different.

[Barricade]

@ScottR400D - will have a look at the breather later on. Can't think there is any other breather at the rear. The gloopy green on the zip tie is the stuff that's on the floor.

@SM25T - good catch thanks!! - I've ordered some new neoprene foam for the nose / bonnet / scuttle shuts and will have 1 million metres spare so I'll cut a section off for a pad on the tank and figure out where I can secure the hose away from the tank too. The fluid feels exactly as it looks, gelatinous and without any real smell to it at all. Odd..

Thanks for the ideas all - will get my head under properly later and see what I can find tonight.

[SM25T]

Just cable tie it clear. Something spilt in the boot ? Grease from CV joint boot leaking ? Gloopy green is odd !

[Roy Blyth]

An internet search suggests coolant:

If your leak is green, yellow or pink

Coolant: This comes in many fluorescent colors, and can leak from many places throughout your cooling system. Coolant has a sweet odor and a slimy texture.

Is the washer bottle in the back, maybe with antifreeze/screen wash added?

[Wrightpayne]

I think if it were petrol it would stink! 
 

I had a cracked o ring on my 911 filler cap and it absolutely stank when I put it in the garage. 
 

Ian

[Barricade]

It looks and smells like diff oil (burnt marshmallows), it's leaking out of a breather hose that comes from the top of the diff housing, round the fuel tank and is zip tied to the fuel tank breather hose. The hose is a length without any valve from what I can see.

Is this usual?

[SM25T]

Quite normal. Open breather is usual. Maybe it had been overfilled.

[Wrightpayne]

If you remove the plug while the car is level and it runs out it has been overfilled. I've done it before with the back of the car jacked  up with front on the ground.

[Barricade]

Thanks - good to know its usual, like i said still working my way through the quirks :)