XSeries-forum

hi all, noticed a small patch under car over past few days so today I put the x5 on ramps and climbed under, I found what I thought was deisel leak dripping but after closer inspection it looks like it's coming from gearbox housing (if that is what you call it ha) the fluid is cleanish, if anyone has any ideas what fluid it is and were it might be coming from it would be very appreciated,    ::)

Does it feel 'oily'.  Did you take a bolt out - it looks as if there ought to be one there, but possibly not.

Not instantly clear in the piccie, but is there any colour to it?

It could be transmission fluid, coolant, air con condensate.  Any signs of leakage higher up on the engine itself?

Colour will be the key here..

Greeny / yellowy Brown or red (depending if someone has changed it!!) will be transmission

Black - oil

Clear - Usually Diesel, or can be as Richard said condensation from the Air Con.

I have had a diesel leak appearing there too, but haven't been able to find where its tracking from!!??

Im 99% sure it's clear but also slightly oily texture, maybe a slight tint of blue but pretty sure it's not coolant, it seems to be escaping down the seam were the gearbox bell housing attaches then at its lowest point it builds up until it drips,  there has never been a bolt in the hole since I've owned it, I had quick look at it and doesn't seem to be any threads in there, also when I first seen that big gapping hole into the gear box were all kinds off debery can get in I thought there must be a cover missing like a plastic self holding cover or something...  :blink: I also put a very short video on YouTube but doesn't show any more than the pic really.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=fsq7tDOCn ... ata_player

This may sound silly..

Catch a drip on your finger tip.... taste it ??
It will be sweet & sugary if its anti-freeze coolant... (you don't need a mouth full or to swallow the stuff)

If it is sweet on the tip of your tongue, then you have a leak to fix !!

Right ok, I've done the taste test and it's defenatly not sweet, so I'm 100% it's not coolant, I don't go tasting fuel but it seemed to make my tongue a little tingly and it's a bit greasy on the fingers but not oily smooth greasy so I think it's deisel, it's so hard to see clearly on these beasts from top or bottom...

if its diesel, it will smell strongly.... rub it on fingers & sniff... and compare to the smell from the fuel filler maybe ?

I would clean the surrounding area then run the engine obviously making sure the car is secure on stands then watch where the fluid is coming from, the drip in the picture looks clear so it doesn't look like gearbox oil which would be red or engine oil which will be black if leaking from the engine , if it's diesel the smell should be obvious and as X5 mentioned if it doesn't taste sweet which is what anti freeze taste like ..., unless you've no anti freeze in your coolant system it's unlikely to be a coolant leak, if it's none of those it's probably water,  I'm not sure where the air con vent pipe is so can't advise on that

I took a copy of your picture & blew it up...
The liquid looks clear....
Maybe put a pot under the vehicle...
Leave it running for 30 mins in the drive... wth the AC on cold and see what collects in the pot from the drip point.??

I recon its conensation expulsions from the AC condenser.

The AC has 2 drains going through the floor and exiting just to the rear of the gearbox and infront of the Transfer Box.

They have a tendancy to drip on the front propshaft splines into the trnasfer box and cause some nice issues!!!

That is not to say there isnt another drain up front..

Mine was definitely diesel and the only thing i could attribute it to, but not conclusively prove, was a cracked injector return pipe fitting. 
It looked like the fuel ran along the injector tray (Plastic moulding around the injectors) and down the back of the engine.

Run your hands up around the bellhousing to engine transition and try to feel where it stops...

Oh and the big rectangle hole doesn't usually have a cover on it...
Just dont go putting your finger (or anything else to that matter) into there when the engine is running!!!!