I'm embarrassed and feel dumb, what could this be?

I don't feel like reading through the whole thread so I'll just ask. Did you clean up the underside of the engine and then start looking for the origin of the leak? The route fluid takes is not necessarily a straight shot downward because it can deflect off other things. You have to be a detective. Look where the drip is coming down and then let your eyes travel upward to see where it could be coming from above. You keep searching for drips and wetness upward until you no longer see any more drips and wetness. The upper most spot is the origin of the leak.
 
Update on this annoyance that I still can't figure out. It went away for a good two-three weeks so I thought it resolved itself.

I know it is not engine oil as I have checked that multiple times and it is not low.

It is not PS as that is now low and I have no steering problems.

I thought it could be trans fluid as that was a ***** to check, but I'm having no shifting problems.

I thought it could be coolant, but my reservoir is not *that* low, and I have had no temperature problems whatsoever.

Could it be leaking from the oil filter? I thought that, but then again, it is not staining the driveway (for more than one day).

Could it be oily condensation? Honestly, I think this one could be it as my engine bay/area is pretty grimy (I know, I need to wash it). It is the wet season and the temperatures are fluctuating up and down so much.

Thoughts/comments/flames at me?

edit: I realise the irony of the newspaper ad......

Dude, as the post before me said, clean up the areas where its dripping from. Once degreased and dry, be vigilante on looking for the leak. Get under there after every trip. Catch it before it has gotten low enough to "spread" out. If your undercovers, are on take them off and leave them off. As Tim said, look for the highest place above the wet spot. I like to use brake cleaner as it leaves a very dry "haze" which makes leaks easy to spot.

In the post i quoted, you said your PS fluid is "now" low. Did you mean to say "not" low?

Also, the amount that is leaking might not show up as causing problems for a while so you can't diagnose leaks like that. If' it's coolant, you certainly don't want to wait until you overheat.

Furthermore, it has to be either, PS fluid, motor oil, brake fluid, coolant, or tranny fluid or dif oil. Rule them out, one by one. Brake fluid has a very distinguishable smell. As does coolant. Toyota calls for using tranny fluid in our PS systems so if you narrow it down to tranny fluid it would be either of those two. Dif oil is a lot thicker and also has a distinguishable smell. One other thing, leaks don't fix themselves, they usually get worse.

PS. I just re read a little of this thread an no where have you ruled out condensate from your AC system.

Edit again: You said it's not staining your driveway? In that case you can rule out any of the oils and really even the coolant unless your's is super diluted. I'm saying it's AC condensate, because of this and because you said it went away for a few weeks.
 
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I know your pain when it comes to long term problems that seem to have no resolution. One of the problems I see is that wherever the fluid is leaking from it may be mixing with engine grime on its way to the ground thus changing the color and our opinion of its composition. That picture you posted looks a light tan/brown to me but maybe not quite dark enough to be oil. In my opinion this could be brake fluid or power steering fluid mixing with some nasty engine gunk before dripping down.

One possible thing you could do is try to collect some of the fluid with a small cup or Styrofoam bowl. I know you have done several "paper" tests but a pooled sample might be more useful. Collect as much as you can and then compare it to a sample of each engine fluid. You could put a few drops side by side of all the fluids and we might be able to help you decide which one matches the most.

So you would need a sample of the unknown fluid, Brake fluid, Coolant, Engine oil, Transmission fluid, Power steering fluid and front differential fluid if you have a 4wd model.

This a very good idea. Put a tarp down or anything that wont soak up the fluid and we'll go from there.
 
Dude, as the post before me said, clean up the areas where its dripping from. Once degreased and dry, be vigilante on looking for the leak. Get under there after every trip. Catch it before it has gotten low enough to "spread" out. If your undercovers, are on take them off and leave them off. As Tim said, look for the highest place above the wet spot. I like to use brake cleaner as it leaves a very dry "haze" which makes leaks easy to spot.

In the post i quoted, you said your PS fluid is "now" low. Did you mean to say "not" low?

Also, the amount that is leaking might not show up as causing problems for a while so you can't diagnose leaks like that. If' it's coolant, you certainly don't want to wait until you overheat.

Furthermore, it has to be either, PS fluid, motor oil, brake fluid, coolant, or tranny fluid or dif oil. Rule them out, one by one. Brake fluid has a very distinguishable smell. As does coolant. Toyota calls for using tranny fluid in our PS systems so if you narrow it down to tranny fluid it would be either of those two. Dif oil is a lot thicker and also has a distinguishable smell. One other thing, leaks don't fix themselves, they usually get worse.

PS. I just re read a little of this thread an no where have you ruled out condensate from your AC system.

Edit again: You said it's not staining your driveway? In that case you can rule out any of the oils and really even the coolant unless your's is super diluted. I'm saying it's AC condensate, because of this and because you said it went away for a few weeks.

If his leak "goes away" for the winter then we know it's A/C condensation dripping down a dirty component.
 
JRZEE2000TR4LTD, yes I did mean "not" low instead of "now."

All, thanks again for taking time to respond and I will keep looking and use your tips, and get back if need be.
 

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