Help! Strange fluid is blowing out of my 986!

[aclark133]

Ok so I just got in my car, about 2 hours from home.. Turn the key and a huge mist blew out from the engine area, it looks too thin to be motor oil, and not watery like coolant! Ahh what am I gonna do?!

[bar10dah]

Originally Posted by aclark133

Ahh what am I gonna do?!

Pull the engine cover and see what it was?

[Steve Tinker]

If a mist "blew out" then it sounds like it was under pressure - I would check your oil and coolant levels after its cooled down a while.
Make sure there is no intermix of coolant in oil or oil in coolant.
If its just the coolant level down, you must identify the leak before driving it again - it could be something simple like a hose clamp, a split hose or the water pump. The rads are at the front so that kind of isolates them from the conundrum.....
Keep us informed of the outcome.

[aclark133]

I think I narrowed it down to power steering. The fluid didn't look like intermix and the oil dip stick looked normal. However the wheels were turned when I started it, but I shut it off immediately after.. The steering res. was empty and the pump whines when I turn the wheel

[bar10dah]

Sucks to be away from home (and tools) and have a problem. Hope you got it figured out. Especially if it's just the power steering reservoir overflow tube blowing fluid all over the top of your block. Which, is a crummy place for that tube to terminate. I'm looking to buy a longer tube and run it down to the bottom of the engine bay. Just, got to be motivated to get into the engine compartment, take the hose off, to go the parts store, come back and install.

[ChrisZang]

power steering fluid has a very characteristic "oily" smell, think WD40 on steroids

[md10835]

what to do in that situation? is it possible to remove the hose / disconnect the power steering and continue home or should one pull over and find a shop (or tools and parts...)

[aclark133]

Originally Posted by ChrisZang

power steering fluid has a very characteristic "oily" smell, think WD40 on steroids

Whatever this was didn't smell like that. Anyway, the car and I made it home safe. Sunday nights aren't very good to go somewhere for parts or tools.. I'll have to get the car up on stands this week and start looking for the problem. Thank goodness I still have the ol' VW to get me to work

[ChrisZang]

Originally Posted by md10835

what to do in that situation? is it possible to remove the hose / disconnect the power steering and continue home or should one pull over and find a shop (or tools and parts...)

I think the only thing (if it's the power steering) you can do is to top the PS fluid back up and see if it holds. However, most auto stores don't carry Pentosin CHF-11...

But if that doesn't help it's the tow truck.
No way that you can jerry-rig high-pressure hydraulics

[aclark133]

I didn't want to start a new thread so I am posting here. I just got a brand new hose from Porsche. Can't remove the old one, it's stuck under the A/C compressor. Took the two compressor bolts out, but the comp. won't come out. Does anyone have any ideas to help? I'm just following the steps in the "101 boxster projects" book

[aclark133]

Got the last bolt free from the AC compressor. Can't pull it out, able to wiggle it a bit.. Just enough to get the old line out, but not enough to get the new one in

[healthservices]

Originally Posted by aclark133

I didn't want to start a new thread so I am posting here. I just got a brand new hose from Porsche. Can't remove the old one, it's stuck under the A/C compressor. Took the two compressor bolts out, but the comp. won't come out. Does anyone have any ideas to help? I'm just following the steps in the "101 boxster projects" book

there is another compressor bolt under the intake.

[aclark133]

Originally Posted by healthservices

there is another compressor bolt under the intake.

I found that one and removed it. Got the new line half way in, I'm having an extra set of hands help tonight