hello all, My x has been leaking very minimal drops of some type of fluid over the past few weeks. It is dripping right onto the exhaust so you can smell it. After a long trip the other day, there started to be a metal grinding noise every few minutes. Its not coming from the engine but something connected to the right front wheel i think?? You can feel it when my foot resting on the pedal. It is going into the shop next week. Any ideas what it could be and what i should expect?
Thanks for your help

 

What color is the fluid? Is it thick or watery?

 

a common drip is at the oil filter. If the filter is not tight it can slowly drip onto the exhaust below it. You will be able to smell it inside the car. Look at your oil filter, is it clean?

 

The oil and filter were both just changed last week and it is not engine oil. It is a little orangish reddish brownish. The coolant level is unchanged.

 

I know sometimes after I drive my car harder than usual I get a few drops of gear oil from the transfer case overflow, but I don't know if that can get onto the exhaust.

 

I changed the transfer case about a year ago with royal purple. Its not that either. I am thinking it is something connected to the axle

 

Resting on the brake pedal?

If so, check you haven't lost the friction material off a pad and are making metal to metal contact between the pad back plate and the disc.

Graham

 

spooky, if you are getting an orangish/red fluid on the ground and it is not the gear lube (which is more grey anyways), what you are describing is a tranny fluid leak.

As for your rubbing issue, I would venture to guess you have a wheel bearing starting to go. Granted, I can not rule out a transfer case either.

 

Thanks thermo, I have been driving it lightly around town and haven't heard it since. It goes into surgery Wednesday so we will see what the damage is.

 

Well it went to the shop today and i left with only 65 bucks out of pocket.
They couldnt find anything that could cause the noise so they said it might have just been a rock stuck somewhere making the grinding noise. And the leak was the oilpan gasket of course. They couldnt even do that if i wanted them too. They dont have the tools at their shop for that job. Plus i dont want to spend 9.2 hours of labor plus parts. So i will just have to deal with the burning smell and the tiny leak

 

spooky, what part of VA are you in? If you wouldn't mind a little bit of a drive and a few hours of getting to know your car, that might be something we could do on a weekend. Granted, I would do the "cut the head off of the bolt and replace with a shorter bolt" method, but that is something that I think I could get done. Let me look at my car and see what all is involved. I will teach you all sorts of things. I have a minor leak from my car, but with it being under 1 quart in 4,000 miles (more like 1/4 of a quart), I do not worry about it.

 

I am in the upper valley for the next few months. Is it something you think I should fix or just leave it alone and keep the oil level updated?

 

I was having a grinding noise on passenger side front. Thought it might be a wheel bearing or transfer box going bad. It turned out the high snowfall over the winter jarred loose the heat shield and it was making contact with the drive shaft.....cheap repair !!!

 

I have a 2005 xtype. Recently parked it because of its horrible grinding noise. Motor is good but ac compressor is shot. It makes the worst sound possible! Just a thought....