Is this normal?
- Thread starter hiimh8m3
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Warwicke36
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Probably fluid film or similar.. Helps prevent/slow down rust. Somewhat common in areas with road salt. I fluid film my truck at least once a year...
It's hard to tell from your pic... but if its just on that skid plate/ splash guard area... it could be refrigerant oil and dye leaking from your AC condenser as well.
It's hard to tell from your pic... but if its just on that skid plate/ splash guard area... it could be refrigerant oil and dye leaking from your AC condenser as well.
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Should be able to resize the photo to see it bigger, but it was on the tow hooks, the cross member, the radiator support, and the skid plate. It was black when I touched it with my finger, but the radiator looked clean and everything looked dry above it so idk if it was leaking on it or what.
Also, the rest of the frame wasn't like this, it was just normal like frames normally are, but this was definitely slick almost like oil was leaking all over it, but idk where oil would leak on it from where the support is
Warwicke36
New member
Won't let me resize... Radiator support area points towards my AC condensor leak theory... You AC system has oil in it. The oil iself is clear. But if it has had dye added its florescent green/yellow
Your radiator also has a transmission cooler in it.. So if the fluid is red it could be that.
Would you be worried about seeing this when purchasing a car?
Warwicke36
New member
Hard to say... I am a tech so I'd probably be able to figure it out pretty quickly and make my judgment based on what's actual wrong or not.
I don't really know much, but I know it was very oily, and when I rubbed it off, it was brown/black and sandy on my finger. Do you think it could be from maybe doing an oil change and oil running down from the filter? I don't know if that's possible cause it was on the tow hooks, but just a theory
Warwicke36
New member
It is possible. Esp with that color. The oil filter location drain can be a mess if someone doesn't use a hose on it.
y=mx+b
New member
Not from an oil change, on the v6 it wouldn't reach up to that crossmember, nor spread to the passenger side. on the v8, the filter is much lower on the driver side, so also wouldn't spread over there.
Like warwicke said, start looking for anything above that looking wet. The radiator/integrated trans cooler is a good place to start.
Smell the fluid too, ATF is kinda sweet. Fluid film I hear smells pretty raunchy
The sandy is from rust, road debris, and crap sticking to the wet fluid
Ok, I will have to stop by tomorrow, and take a better look. I got to the dealer after they had closed, so I just looked under it for rust, and saw that was all wet, looked around a little, took a photo and left kinda defeated.
Would you be concerned about the oil and condition on the crossmember?
Warwicke36
New member
Not really, get it diagnosed and go fron there
thank you for the advice!