Pink frozen fluid dropped from Volvo

[dlundblad]

Here’s an odd one. I noticed a spot on the garage floor this morning where the wife’s Volvo normally sits.
When the car was parked, I put cardboard under the car to try to pinpoint the leak.

It’s on the driver side just behind the transmission. Looks like pink RV antifreeze and as it’s dripping onto the sub frame, it’s freezing.

The ATF is red. Coolant is Volvo greenish- blue. PSF is green. Washer fluid is blue. I wonder what it could be? AC perhaps, but the compressor is on the passenger side.

Here it is just below the steering rack boot.

 

[RhondaHonda]

Washer fluid somehow leaking between the pump and nozzles?

 

[dlundblad]

Washer fluid somehow leaking between the pump and nozzles?

Literally just edited my post. Lol

Washer fluid Is blue.

 

[Trav]

When ATF comes in contact with water it turns pink, possibly a small atf leak came in contact with splash water? Possibly hydraulic fluid from a engine mount? I cant think of anything else unless you drove over some sort of fluid and it splashed up.

 

[dlundblad]

When ATF comes in contact with water it turns pink, possibly a small atf leak came in contact with splash water? Possibly hydraulic fluid from a engine mount? I cant think of anything else unless you drove over some sort of fluid and it splashed up.

I thought about that, but would it freeze if mixed with water?

 

[atikovi]

I thought about that, but would it freeze if mixed with water?

Water in the gas tank freezes, no? Why not in oil?

 

[Astro14]

Intimately familiar with that chassis. Here’s a shot of work being done on my wife’s XC this week. Same area, after new strut, control arm, and tie rods went in, but before the steering knuckle and brakes went back on.

So, your drip is right behind the rear control arm bushing, under the tie rod boot.

Here’s the head scratcher: there’s nothing there that would cause that.

Engine mounts are far away, and don’t leak. They just get soft and collapse.

Brake reservoir could drip down to there, but it’s the wrong color.

Steering rack failure could put PS fluid there, but it should be green in your car.

Transmission fluid lines route from front of transmission forward. The seal for the drivers side driveshaft is several inches inboard of that spot, and would drip onto the splash pan, not the subframe rail where this spot is.

Washer fluid could, perhaps, leak and drip down to there, from the driver side nozzle (reservoir and tubing route from the opposite side), but you would have to have pink fluid.

My best guess: chunk of pink gunk (perhaps RV antifreeze) picked up by tire, hit fender liner, ended up there.

But that’s a guess...

*You do have CHF-202 in your reservoir, right? Volvo made a mistake in the owners manual for that year, and listed “ATF” for the power steering fluid, while service information listed CHF-202 hydraulic fluid. The use of ATF in the steering system can cause a rack seal failure, and that is a real pain since the subframe has to be lowered to get the rack out. If someone mistakenly put ATF in the system, that red stuff could be a rack leak...but since you said PSF is green, I don’t think it’s a rack leak...

 

[dlundblad]

Intimately familiar with that chassis. Here’s a shot of work being done on my wife’s XC this week. Same area, after new strut, control arm, and tie rods went in, but before the steering knuckle and brakes went back on.

So, your drip is right behind the rear control arm bushing, under the tie rod boot.

Here’s the head scratcher: there’s nothing there that would cause that.

Engine mounts are far away, and don’t leak. They just get soft and collapse.

Brake reservoir could drip down to there, but it’s the wrong color.

Steering rack failure could put PS fluid there, but it should be green in your car.

Transmission fluid lines route from front of transmission forward. The seal for the drivers side driveshaft is several inches inboard of that spot, and would drip onto the splash pan, not the subframe rail where this spot is.

Washer fluid could, perhaps, leak and drip down to there, from the driver side nozzle (reservoir and tubing route from the opposite side), but you would have to have pink fluid.

My best guess: chunk of pink gunk (perhaps RV antifreeze) picked up by tire, hit fender liner, ended up there.

But that’s a guess...

*You do have CHF-202 in your reservoir, right? Volvo made a mistake in the owners manual for that year, and listed “ATF” for the power steering fluid, while service information listed CHF-202 hydraulic fluid. The use of ATF in the steering system can cause a rack seal failure, and that is a real pain since the subframe has to be lowered to get the rack out. If someone mistakenly put ATF in the system, that red stuff could be a rack leak...but since you said PSF is green, I don’t think it’s a rack leak...

View attachment 44444

CHF-11s in the PS reservoir.


It’s a relief to see nothing transmission wise could be leaking there. It looks too far back but you never know. Fluids can meander strange ways.

 

[dlundblad]

The only thing I can think of is her work used some nasty nasty salt ice melt stuff. A lot of it too. Maybe some of that kicked up there?

 

[Astro14]

The only thing I can think of is her work used some nasty nasty salt ice melt stuff. A lot of it too. Maybe some of that kicked up there?

That’s my working hypothesis.

She’s backing up, with wheels turned, and chunks end up on the subframe right there. Melts when it gets in your warmer garage.

 

[Blinker]

ATF start off red then lightens up a little bit before turning brown. Any chance it’s ATF that just looks pink?

 

[dlundblad]

I’ve had that sheet of cardboard under it all day. There’s nothing.