Phantom Drops....should I be concerned?

Bogie · 11-08-2007, 11:16 AM

Yesterday I parked my car in driveway after returning from store. About 15 minutes later I put my cover on the car. This morning, when I took cover off, I noticed about 10 drops of "fluid" on the part of the cover that wraps around the front right bumper/fender. Purple tint (I think it has the smell of brake fluid, but could be trans as well...I don't sniff 'em on a regular basis). [Aside: I know it's not headlight fluid or permagrin fluid, so no need to bring that stuff up].

So I pop the hood and inspect all around. Nothing. Dry as a whistle. Then I check ground. Nothing. I didn't climb underneath, so I may have missed any spots that require looking up. And I didn't giver 'er the feeler up either. But a thourough top down visual inspection showed nothing.

Basically I get about 10 drops of something on the cover that wasn't dripping sufficiently after sitting for 15 minutes (before putting cover on) to make it to ground, and has left no visible sign on the car or on the ground. If it were not for my cover, I would be in ignorant bliss that anything was amiss at all.

Comments? Suggestions?

Darkwing · 11-08-2007, 11:31 AM

Hmmmm Mysterious fluid, purple tint ? All I can think of is maybe Barney has a thing for your car.

TulsaSky · 11-08-2007, 11:45 AM

Is the cover stored in the car or do you throw it over some junk in the garage like I do? Maybe the fluid came from something you laid the cover on?

TulsaSky

bamanick · 11-08-2007, 11:56 AM

man I'm gonnna hate the response to this but here goes: Could it be bird crap?

**Skip** · 11-08-2007, 12:26 PM

I too think bird dookey because now all the poke salat has berries and the birds are eating it up and dookey heaven in oddball colors....Skip...

Bogie · 11-08-2007, 12:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TulsaSky

Is the cover stored in the car or do you throw it over some junk in the garage like I do? Maybe the fluid came from something you laid the cover on?

Nope. Clean when it went on.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bamanick

man I'm gonnna hate the response to this but here goes: Could it be bird crap?

It's definitely fluid from a car.

**Skip** · 11-08-2007, 12:51 PM

Purple tint , could be power steering fluid. Check connections between pump and the rack and pinion steering.....Skip...

Rick Tinley Park · 11-08-2007, 04:15 PM

Just a guess - but I have found mine in places that I did not expect to find it...
What color is your windshield washing fluid??

Bogie · 11-08-2007, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip

Purple tint , could be power steering fluid. Check connections between pump and the rack and pinion steering.....Skip...

Will do. Thanks.

marlboromike · 11-08-2007, 10:15 PM

I believe this is CSI material...take some DNA and test it.

jayman · 11-09-2007, 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by marlboromike

I believe this is CSI material...take some DNA and test it.

Could it be the same droplets found on Monica's dress?

**Skip** · 11-09-2007, 03:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jayman

Could it be the same droplets found on Monica's dress?

Naw that was white drops on a blue dress. You would think she would have learned how not to spill a drop....Skip...Named my vacuum cleaner after her....Yeppers call it Monica....

bamanick · 11-09-2007, 04:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip

Naw that was white drops on a blue dress. You would think she would have learned how not to spill a drop....Skip...Named my vacuum cleaner after her....Yeppers call it Monica....

OK - now how the heck do I clean the coke I just spewed all over my screen off? Funniest thing I've read in a long while Skip!!!

**Skip** · 11-09-2007, 06:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bogie

Will do. Thanks.

Bogie we are still awaiting results....Skip...I still think it was PS fluid because someone else on here had theirs leak and it was a purple color. And the leak if I remember was the high pressure hose to the rack and pinion steering...

**Skip** · 11-09-2007, 06:19 PM

[quote=bamanick;260321]OK - now how the heck do I clean the coke I just spewed all over my screen off? Funniest thing I've read in a long while Skip!!!

[/quote ] Of course use Little Monica. It gets into all the cracks and raised buttons...Skip...

Bogie · 11-09-2007, 07:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip

Bogie we are still awaiting results....

As soon as I find a dry day with daylight, I'll let you know.

Edit: OK, I got a look this morning. No joy. Everything looks fine. I even checked the PS fluid and it is fine.

I did notice the fenders have a spot that can collect and pool fluids. It rained yesterday and I see some water collected. I think the discharge path is a slit at the bottom of the fender, but the pool line is below the slit. The slit itself can be disturbed by simply touching or bumping the fender where it meets bumper underneath. My car cover wraps past the discharge slit. So anything that collects and decides to discharge while the cover is on will drip on the cover. Bottom Line: This stuff could have either been there for a while (how long does it take oil-based fluids to evaporate?), or could have even found its way there from an external source, and only now decided it was time to go, perhaps when I bumped the point during placement or removal of the cover.

Add a maintenance activity on my "car wash" list. Check for pooling in bumper well: dry out or blow out.

Just in case, I'll keep an eye out. When I take her in for the first oil change, I'll mention this find and ask 'em to check all the connections and hoses to be sure.

StarlightSky · 11-17-2007, 12:16 PM

OPTIONS of Cause:
Purple Rain
Nexium Caplet Dispersion (The Purple pill)
Small Purple People Eater Residue (You might have hit one while driving you know!)
Simply "The Color Purple"
A "PurP" perpatrator It's police slang
Purple haze
Was it "Deep Purple"?
Purple Heart?
Purple Passion?

Hope this helps

**Skip** · 11-17-2007, 02:07 PM

It might have been a combination of two colors that made purple...Skip...

Lil GTO · 11-22-2007, 10:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Skip

Naw that was white drops on a blue dress. You would think she would have learned how not to spill a drop....Skip...Named my vacuum cleaner after her....Yeppers call it Monica....

Give her a break, would ya, she was only an intern.

Superchevy427 · 11-25-2007, 04:15 PM

The car wash I go to has some sort of wax called tri-color gloss that looks purple.I got that gunk on my cabin filter in the winter and it froze. thought there was something wrong with my defrost fan not getting any fan action.It plugged the cabin filter

11-08-2007, 11:16 AM	#1 (permalink)
Bogie Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2007 Location: Northern, VA Posts: 2,578 My Photos: (0)	Phantom Drops....should I be concerned? Yesterday I parked my car in driveway after returning from store. About 15 minutes later I put my cover on the car. This morning, when I took cover off, I noticed about 10 drops of "fluid" on the part of the cover that wraps around the front right bumper/fender. Purple tint (I think it has the smell of brake fluid, but could be trans as well...I don't sniff 'em on a regular basis). [Aside: I know it's not headlight fluid or permagrin fluid, so no need to bring that stuff up]. So I pop the hood and inspect all around. Nothing. Dry as a whistle. Then I check ground. Nothing. I didn't climb underneath, so I may have missed any spots that require looking up. And I didn't giver 'er the feeler up either. But a thourough top down visual inspection showed nothing. Basically I get about 10 drops of something on the cover that wasn't dripping sufficiently after sitting for 15 minutes (before putting cover on) to make it to ground, and has left no visible sign on the car or on the ground. If it were not for my cover, I would be in ignorant bliss that anything was amiss at all. Comments? Suggestions? __________________ 2008 Redline Black Onyx Black/Red Leather Monsoon 6 Disc Spoiler French Transmission Born July 2007 Snagged 8/31/07 Belle? That's my car Alizée? That's my avatar Me? Forty something male skydriver

11-08-2007, 11:31 AM	#2 (permalink)
Darkwing Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2007 Posts: 569 My Photos: (0)	Hmmmm Mysterious fluid, purple tint ? All I can think of is maybe Barney has a thing for your car. __________________ Got it: 2008 Sky Redline Black Onyx Red/Black Leather Single Disc Monsoon Spoiler Chrome Wheels 3 Pedals Picked up 9/04/07

11-08-2007, 11:45 AM	#3 (permalink)
TulsaSky First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Skiatook, OK Posts: 1,018 My Photos: (2)	Were do you store the cover? Is the cover stored in the car or do you throw it over some junk in the garage like I do? Maybe the fluid came from something you laid the cover on? TulsaSky __________________ 06 Daytona Sunset Orange Corvette Coupe 06 White Impala FlexFuel LS2-Daily Driver 00 White Silverado Pickup-Daily Driver 64 Sapphire Blue Sunbeam Alpine – restored 07 Midnight Blue Red Line Sky Born 10/9-13 Delivered 11/14/2006

11-08-2007, 11:56 AM	#4 (permalink)
bamanick Member Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Alabama Posts: 60 My Photos: (0)	man I'm gonnna hate the response to this but here goes: Could it be bird crap? __________________ 08 2.4 Silver/Black/Red Black 5 Speed Single CD Monsoon Opel Antenna Vin #118396 SGS - 12/12/07

11-08-2007, 04:15 PM	#8 (permalink)
Rick Tinley Park Moderator Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: SW Suburbs of Chicago Posts: 4,819 My Photos: (11)	Just a guess - but I have found mine in places that I did not expect to find it... What color is your windshield washing fluid?? __________________ Find out about my radio show http://www.anj.westpm.net Founder: www.chicagolandroadsters.com Rick Tinley Park Delivered June 15, 2006 VIN - 3099 Sunburst Yellow Name - Sunni1 IL License # - YLO SKY 1

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11-08-2007, 10:15 PM	#10 (permalink)
marlboromike First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Marlboro, NJ Posts: 7,240 My Photos: (6)	I believe this is CSI material...take some DNA and test it.

11-17-2007, 12:16 PM	#17 (permalink)
StarlightSky First 2000 Sr. Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Tracy, Ca Posts: 691 My Photos: (0)	OPTIONS of Cause: Purple Rain Nexium Caplet Dispersion (The Purple pill) Small Purple People Eater Residue (You might have hit one while driving you know!) Simply "The Color Purple" A "PurP" perpatrator It's police slang Purple haze Was it "Deep Purple"? Purple Heart? Purple Passion? Hope this helps __________________ In My garage!! 8/31/06 VIN#8059/Midnight Blue/Tan Leather/Tan Top/Manual/LSD/6 Disc/Chromed Wheels/Windscreen/Wheel Locks/Cold Air Intake/Splash Guards/Stubbie "B" "Here's wishing you all, Open Sky's" Member: WCKCC

11-25-2007, 04:15 PM	#20 (permalink)
Superchevy427 Member Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Champaign, IL Posts: 39 My Photos: (0)	The car wash I go to has some sort of wax called tri-color gloss that looks purple.I got that gunk on my cabin filter in the winter and it froze. thought there was something wrong with my defrost fan not getting any fan action.It plugged the cabin filter