This leak is odd, it is not the oil plug, head gasket or anything I can spot. The liwuid is clear,sometimes feels like water and smells of It too. Other times it has a chemical scent either window cleaner or radiator fluid, but again, is clear. One time it felt just like new oil. Odd...it comes from the right rear area of the motor. Right side when in the car looking out. No engine lights, noise, or problems. But now when I park, there is always a puddle. It is day 5 of this.


My wife's 2003 Ecotec 2.2 liter Sunfire:
* 2 1/4 inch in and dual 2 inch out muffler Trans Am muffler
* 2 1/4 piping to a very long 2 1/4 inch resonator
* 2 1/4 inch catalytic converter
* an AEM true cold air intake NOPI edition
* 8 gauge ground wire kit
* Toyz front strut brace
* Russell stainless steel brake lines all around.

Have you been running the A/C or heat? It could be condensation draining(which is completely normal).


Pics would really help.




219whp - I <3 whine

if you are somewhere where it snows (which is just about everywhere now), you can get a chunk of ice wedged somewhere, where it will eventually melt and fall out... sometimes a few days after it snows!

Not saying this is the same thing... But it had me wondering the same thing, always had a puddle under my car that was freaking me out until i man'ed up and tasted it.. lol.. salt water...

I wish it was water every time. No ice either. I have run the heater though. It is just odd that the water goes from pure to oily. I will try to make a short video and post it.


My wife's 2003 Ecotec 2.2 liter Sunfire:
* 2 1/4 inch in and dual 2 inch out muffler Trans Am muffler
* 2 1/4 piping to a very long 2 1/4 inch resonator
* 2 1/4 inch catalytic converter
* an AEM true cold air intake NOPI edition
* 8 gauge ground wire kit
* Toyz front strut brace
* Russell stainless steel brake lines all around.

brake fluid been changed recently?


"big boom big boom"-Adam Savage. "quack damn you"-Jamie Hyneman "mythbusters"

I had stainless steel brake lines installed a couple months ago.
New fluid was put in.

It has been bone dry for months, but I realize all that can change quick with a line forming a crack.

This worries me, I will check the brake fluid levels and take it to the shop asap.

The brake booster is on the opposite/ driver side correct?

The leak is on the passenger side.

I am "guessing" the stainless brake line are creating more pressure and thus caused some line to leak and needs replaced asap.

8-(




My wife's 2003 Ecotec 2.2 liter Sunfire:
* 2 1/4 inch in and dual 2 inch out muffler Trans Am muffler
* 2 1/4 piping to a very long 2 1/4 inch resonator
* 2 1/4 inch catalytic converter
* an AEM true cold air intake NOPI edition
* 8 gauge ground wire kit
* Toyz front strut brace
* Russell stainless steel brake lines all around.

Quick question, where is the brake booster located?


My wife's 2003 Ecotec 2.2 liter Sunfire:
* 2 1/4 inch in and dual 2 inch out muffler Trans Am muffler
* 2 1/4 piping to a very long 2 1/4 inch resonator
* 2 1/4 inch catalytic converter
* an AEM true cold air intake NOPI edition
* 8 gauge ground wire kit
* Toyz front strut brace
* Russell stainless steel brake lines all around.

Brake Boost is the cylindrical black thing in front of where the driver sits in the engine bay. There's a big rubber hose going to it.

Excellent, thank you.


My wife's 2003 Ecotec 2.2 liter Sunfire:
* 2 1/4 inch in and dual 2 inch out muffler Trans Am muffler
* 2 1/4 piping to a very long 2 1/4 inch resonator
* 2 1/4 inch catalytic converter
* an AEM true cold air intake NOPI edition
* 8 gauge ground wire kit
* Toyz front strut brace
* Russell stainless steel brake lines all around.

wait so when you say right side do you mean passenger side or drivers side? If you're using the defroster it would just be condensation since the defroster turns on the ac compressor and uses the condenser to make the air dryer.


1994 Saturn SL2 Home Coming Edition: backup car
2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport Coupe: In a Junk Yard
1995 Mazda Miata R-package Class=STR
Sponsored by: Kronos Performance

WPI Class of '12 Mechanical Engineering
WPI SAE Risk and Sustainability Management Officer

Is there fluid throughout your engine bay? or just on the ground when it sits?

When I blew out my front main seal, it wouldn't leak while idle or shut off, only at 3000 RPM or higher. But, I also had engine oil sprayed throughout the engine bay. Just a thought.

The engine bay is dry, and I tried peeking around under and over as best I could without it being on a lift.

It looks like the leak is somewhere around the rear passenger side of the motor.

It justs leaves a small puddle when parked for a while.

I checked the brake and power steering fluid and it looked fine.

I would be baffled if the engine this early is leaking.

The head gasket looks dry all around.

The smell is usually of water, and sometimes has the consistency of DOT 3, but the level on the brake fluid is still at the top.


My wife's 2003 Ecotec 2.2 liter Sunfire:
* 2 1/4 inch in and dual 2 inch out muffler Trans Am muffler
* 2 1/4 piping to a very long 2 1/4 inch resonator
* 2 1/4 inch catalytic converter
* an AEM true cold air intake NOPI edition
* 8 gauge ground wire kit
* Toyz front strut brace
* Russell stainless steel brake lines all around.

that would be about where the a/c drip would be.


1994 Saturn SL2 Home Coming Edition: backup car
2002 Chevy Cavalier LS Sport Coupe: In a Junk Yard
1995 Mazda Miata R-package Class=STR
Sponsored by: Kronos Performance

WPI Class of '12 Mechanical Engineering
WPI SAE Risk and Sustainability Management Officer

I was looking at that faucet shaped nozzle coming from the firewall and it is, unfortunately, not coming from there.




My wife's 2003 Ecotec 2.2 liter Sunfire:
* 2 1/4 inch in and dual 2 inch out muffler Trans Am muffler
* 2 1/4 piping to a very long 2 1/4 inch resonator
* 2 1/4 inch catalytic converter
* an AEM true cold air intake NOPI edition
* 8 gauge ground wire kit
* Toyz front strut brace
* Russell stainless steel brake lines all around.

Check the steering rack then? That is the only other thing i can think of.




219whp - I <3 whine

Ok, now I am officially upset...

The skinny:
I took the car to get an oil change.
The car started leaking.
I thought the leak was from the washer fluid as my battery ate a hole into the washer lines.
I told him the 4 times not to fill the washer fluid, but I am not upset he did because I know he deals with a lot of people and remembering one thing such as not filling the washer fluid is no biggie.

Anyways, here is the deal:
I took the car back on Friday and asked if I could go look under the car, and the guy allowed me.
The guy being helpful was topside, doing the filter and oil.
The other guy when the oil was done was under the car.
I don't think the guy topside knew about the screwjob he pulled on me.
Guess where the leak was coming from? The bolt that is about an inch or two from the oil plug.
The guy drained my oil, and decided to loosed one of my oil pan bolts!!!!!!!!!!!!!

When I pointed this out, the guy that was helpful said, I will top this car off with oil free.
He also tightened the bolt, and now the car no longer leaks.

I will say this, when I first said the car was leaking, I was offered to go to the shop right behind the lube shop...
I am banking that the guy that worked under the car was trying to help his buddy get $500 into his shop.
I called, and doing the pan gasket is around $500!

I was told if the car starts to leak again, I should remove the one bolt and clean it off with carb spray.
Then put a little amount of silicone at the base.
Then tighten it back in, but not to do it too hard.

Him just tightening the screw and me doing the Engine Brite wash down has kept the ground dry since Friday.

The reality of this is, people who sabotage your car to get his buddy's shop some coin is a thief.
I am just glad the guy working topside was there to help and not the guy working under the car that day.


My wife's 2003 Ecotec 2.2 liter Sunfire:
* 2 1/4 inch in and dual 2 inch out muffler Trans Am muffler
* 2 1/4 piping to a very long 2 1/4 inch resonator
* 2 1/4 inch catalytic converter
* an AEM true cold air intake NOPI edition
* 8 gauge ground wire kit
* Toyz front strut brace
* Russell stainless steel brake lines all around.

Just a thought. I had a mystery leak for a while myself... It turned out to be the gasket around the oil filter cap. The ecotec has a different way of filtering oil. It's not a traditional Oil Filter that we all picture. Ours looks like a cylindrical air filter, but it literally "drops" into the top of the engine in the front right of the engine if you are looking towards teh windshield. I guess what happens is that the mechanic is lazy and just changes teh filter without using the new gasket that comes in the box. I did my own oil change and then pressure washed my engine bay. No more mystery leak! I hope this helps, as thsi took me 6 months and many bags of oil absorb to figure out

Yeah, I had that too last year. I had to get a new oil filter tower gasket.
This leak was definitely the oil pan bolt.


My wife's 2003 Ecotec 2.2 liter Sunfire:
* 2 1/4 inch in and dual 2 inch out muffler Trans Am muffler
* 2 1/4 piping to a very long 2 1/4 inch resonator
* 2 1/4 inch catalytic converter
* an AEM true cold air intake NOPI edition
* 8 gauge ground wire kit
* Toyz front strut brace
* Russell stainless steel brake lines all around.