A plume of something came out of my '98

[KLUTZ]

OK.. Don't know if I can drive the truck to work in the morning as I have no idea what happened tonight.
'98 EX. 252,000km on it.
Driving on the highway, approx 120kph, I tried to accelerate quickly to change lanes. All of the sudden I see a big plume of what looked like oil flowing from the rear of the truck; I then smelt an oily smell in the interior. I slowed right down and went into the slow lane expecting to have to pull over at any moment. I kept looking out the back and saw no sign of any smoke or whatever it was, even if I accelerated again. All the gauges were normal as well and I felt no loss of power nor funny sounds. I got home, pulled in the driveway and shut off the truck. I turned off the headlights and the bright lights light was still on on the dash and the headlights would not shut off. I then noticed steam or something raising at the rear of the engine bay and saw some water dripping on the driveway under the front passenger footwell, where the water drains when you have the air conditioner on. I then took off the Pos. terminal off the battery to see if it would reset the computer and shut off the lights, but to no avail. I checked what was dripping and it was just clear water with no antifreeze in it at all. The transmission fluid is up, the oil is fine and the resorvoir is where it should be. It was our first warm day here this year and I had the heater control far over on the blue area and the fan off. I am pretty sure that it always seems like the air conditioning is on when I have that dial over to that spot, so I wonder if that might have something to do with anything.
Anyway... I went out for a couple hours and had left the Pos. cable off of the battery. When I got home, I hooked it up and the lights no longer went on.
Anyone have a clue what may have happened? I need to leave for work at 5:30 am and don't want to be stranded.

Please?

Paul

 

[exploded99]

Not really sure what happened but it will be all over the back axle from what you said. So, if you crawl underneath and check it should be easy to figure out.

You should really pull the rad cap and check coolant - if a hose blew the reservoir will stay full if there was a sudden coolant loss. You did say the gauges stayed normal, but......

 

[Bigg_billy]

Sounds like the AC system blew to me, are you making cold air?

 

[KLUTZ]

Took the truck to work again this morning at 5:30 AM, told my wife to be ready for a phone call. The truck made the 70 km run down there just like every day, no problem at all. Even pushed it to see if it would re-occur.
At lunch, myself and a coworker went out to check out the AC. I am getting good cold air, the tubes from the system were cold and there is pressure in the system as well. We looked under the truck and I saw a bit of reddish fluid, which would probably be Transmission fluid, but my Tranny level is exactly where it always is when I check it monthly. Brake fluid is good and I opened the Rad. cap this morning and it is full. I am completely lost on this one. I could still see the splotches of something on the rear hatch and the rear window but there is no other fluids, which look fresh, under the truck or anywhere else. Could a seal on the transmission spit out a quick spurt of fluid when I tramped down the gas to pass, creating a high pressure to do that? Then.... stop leaking........
There is absolutely nothing dripping from the bottom of the truck. Tomorrow I am going to see if the shop across from my work can take a quick look.

Paul

 

[IAmTodd]

Whats the condition of your back window? Any oily residue?

 

[KLUTZ]

Whats the condition of your back window? Any oily residue?

Yes, as I mentioned... there are blotches of something on it and the rear hatch. Doesn't really look oily though, but it is possible.

 

[bam_bam1ca]

Did you check the levels in the transfer case?

 

[chriswells78]

Or power steering fluid?

 

[KLUTZ]

D Post

 

[KLUTZ]

Power steering fluid is good. Where would I check the transfer case level and if there is leakage there?
The truck was completely done with Synthetic fluids early last year if that makes any differance.

 

[bam_bam1ca]

You have to get under the truck and remove the oil fill slug from the back of the transfer case. I think that a 3/8 ratchet with a stubby extension works. If oil dribbles from the hole or you can feel some on your finger if you insert it into the hole, then you are good. If not, the case is low. If it is low, I would fill it and immediately investigate the seepage, because from your description it does not sound like a slow leak.

If al turns out well..... it could have been the car in front of you. I have had an oil shower a couple of times on the highway from the poor guy in front of me that has just lost a tranny line or oil seal.

 

[KLUTZ]

You have to get under the truck and remove the oil fill slug from the back of the transfer case. I think that a 3/8 ratchet with a stubby extension works. If oil dribbles from the hole or you can feel some on your finger if you insert it into the hole, then you are good. If not, the case is low. If it is low, I would fill it and immediately investigate the seepage, because from your description it does not sound like a slow leak.

If al turns out well..... it could have been the car in front of you. I have had an oil shower a couple of times on the highway from the poor guy in front of me that has just lost a tranny line or oil seal.

Thanks, I will go out and do that this afternoon, and hope for the best. Is there a pressure relief valve on the air conditioning system that might have opened up?
I hope it was the truck in front of me as it was a brand new Porsche Cayenne.

Thanks

Paul

 

[KLW]

I wonder if your trans was overfull when it was serviced and it was running fairly warm and when you pushed the rpm's up it some fluid came out of vent hole?

 

[bam_bam1ca]

Whenever I have heard an airconditioning unit go, there was usually a pretty substantial bang, and the engine compartment was a real mess.

As KLW mentioned, I have seen some over-filled transmissions puke back up the tube, but try to remember what the smell was like. Hot or burning tranny fluid smells a lot different than oil or gear fluids.