Hi I've just changed my breaks for the first time (ever), was feeling very proud of myself and about to go for a test drive when I saw a white liquid dripping from behind the drivers side wheel arch. Help!

 

What does it taste like?

I'm sure it's something that's not as sinister, but a quick google search of "white liquid dripping from car" shows that in some cases, this can be an oil/water mixture or a sign of head gasket failure.

Is this your 2007 XK? It seems pretty unlikely to me that it would be a head gasket failure unless it overheated or something! I would just keep driving it and checking all your fluids. It has to be something!

 

Isn't that the exit point for the "drainage" from rainwater etc?
As you had the car jacked up, and then released, it allowed the water to flow.
I could be wrong, but if not, then it's nothing to worry about.

Only way to check that is to pour a jug of water over the windscreen and go underneath to check where it flows away.
HTH

 

Directly above that area is your brake master cylinder and power brake booster. If you are lucky, all that has happened is that the brake fluid reservoir over flowed when you compressed the brake piston in the calipers whilst installing new pads.

If you ain't so lucky you have aireated (milky) brake fluid leaking from a defective power brake booster/master cylinder.

Do keep us posted on how this shakes out.

 

Does the liquid look white on all surfaces? Or just on that surface there? Maybe it is just rainwater mixing with something on the pavement.

 

Thanks, after some extensive taste testing of both the car and my own fluids I think I've come to a conclusion.

I think its break fluid coming from the reservoir as a result of me pushing the break cylinder back into place. i.e. break fluid got pushed all the way back though the system to the reservoir and overflowed there. The reservoir is right above the point that was leaking, the reservoir is full to the cap and the leak seems to have stopped itself.

 

Ah, I think you are right. Glad it's not something more than that!

 

What an image that is! LOL!
Vector

 

lol... I totally missed that!