This Is Your Automotive Fluid Color Guide

An automotive fluid color guide is very helpful if your vehicle springs a leak. We here at Righteous Auto Care can help prevent your vehicle from springing leaks with regular maintenance. Let’s talk about the different colors that automotive fluids come in to help you determine the fluid leaking from your automobile if you see spots on your garage floor.

You know the fluid that sprays all over your windshield when you wash them while you are driving? This fluid is windshield washer, and its color is blue. If you have blue spots on your garage floor, it’s likely the cleaning solution. Double-check your coolant to make sure it isn’t blue, as well, however.

You already know that motor oil is brown. Other brown fluids include your brake fluid and differential oil. When transmission oil gets old, it turns brown, as well. It’s not a good idea to drive your automobile if it is leaking brown fluid. It doesn’t matter if the fluid is light brown or dark brown.

Your air conditioning system drips condensation when it is running, so if the spots on your garage floor don’t have any color at all, it could just be AC condensation. If you see spots underneath your tailpipe, don’t panic. This, too, is condensation. The only time you should panic when your vehicle is dripping clear fluid is if it smells like gasoline.

Engine coolant/antifreeze is green. If your automobile is leaking this fluid, it’s crucial that you don’t drive it. Driving an automobile with low coolant will cause the engine to overheat, and this will damage it.

If you see orange spots on your garage floor, this is likely coolant that has been mixed with rust particles. This happens in older automobiles. The radiator bottom is corroded and the rust eats through it. As with green fluid, don’t drive your automobile if it’s leaking orange fluid.

Definitely don’t drive your automobile if it’s leaking pink fluid. Pink fluid that is frothy and looks like a strawberry milkshake is a combination of coolant and transmission fluid. If you continue to drive your automobile, you will kill your transmission.

Brake fluid is usually brown, but some brands are red. Power steering fluid is red, and transmission fluid is red. Sometimes, engine coolant is red. As with brake fluid, it depends on the brand you have in your automobile.

Finally, brake fluid looks yellow when it is brand new. The only other yellow fluid you would have in your automobile is your coolant/antifreeze.

Call Righteous Auto Care in Racine, WI , if your automobile is leaking fluid. We will find the leak and fix it.