puddle on ground under engine bay near right front tire and brake issue

[Hoot]

hi folks i have a problem. I have had this happen to me a couple of times now and i thought it was a leaking washer fluid reservoir. I do not think that is what it is. any one knnnow what this might be?

i have had it happen before i drive the truck in the morning. it seems to be a decent amount of fluid. like 3 or 4 cups.

i also have had a problem with my right front brake. i have not pulled the tire off and checked it yet it just happened this evenig when i was leaving the house so i turned around and took the other car.

the problem with the brakes is that it is making a very loud noice like metal scrapping on metal but it sounds somewhat hallow and it is pretty loud. it seems to go away when i apply the brake and it returns intermittantly.

I do not know if these are interrelated issues or if i have two seperate problems.

any help will be greatly appreciated as i have recently left my job and am starting a freelance business. so money is more then tight.

 

[edthediscoman]

Take a look from underneath at the lower radiator hose. If there are traces of fluid, check the waterpump, specifically under it, for signs of weeping overnight. This may not happen during the day, but overnight when it cools, you may have water leaving the system....hence bad water pump. Are you losing water too...?
Check the reservoir when its cold.

For the brakes, put your hand around the wheel when cold, and grab the rotor. If its not smooth, you need it turning...also sounds like brake pads are gone. Thats a 15 min job, pull the wheel drop in new pads, and ....it took me longer to type this than get it done.
Good luck
Ed

 

[Hoot]

how hard is it to pull the rotors on the front wheels? i had replaced my rear rotors, and the wheel bearings and new pads. Is it much harder then the rears?

how else do i check the water pump? the truck has not bee running hot at all either.

 

[edthediscoman]

I think the fronts are basically the same, as its a solid axle. I have pulled the back too, and the front looks the same.

Is there water loss at all? If its not the weephole under the w/pump, it could be the reservoir is cracked. Apparently this is a common problem for Disco's. If there is no water loss, then its something else. But if there is that much fluid its my guess its water from somewhere....

Doh....you are not running the AC are you? If you are it could be just condesate water.

Put finger in liquid and get the color.....thats a dead giveaway as to what it is. Clear - clear to go!! Your fine. Green, youve got a coolant problem.....Red - power steering or transmission, Black- oil leak. Its like color by numbers under a Disco!!
Ed

 

[Hoot]

also how difficult is it to change the waterpump? on a scael of 1-10 with 10 being very difficult where does this operaton fit in?

 

[edthediscoman]

Not too bad, I did mine in an evening.
There are some things you may need though, such as a rubber mallet and a 1-1/2" (I think) wrench. I got a large adjustable for the fan blade...that works by whacking it with the rubber mallet to get it off.
The rest is just unbolting and removing the gasket - get a razor blade scraper - and keep wetting it...its not too bad.
Get the instructions, as a couple of the bolts need thread sealant - high temp.
You will know which ones as they are longer.
I rate it a 5.
Ed

 

[edthediscoman]

Do you see telltale signs on the waterpump housing?....the oil should have been wiped clean there....LMAO!!

 

[Chris-St Louis]

also how difficult is it to change the waterpump? on a scael of 1-10 with 10 being very difficult where does this operaton fit in?

Review the proceedure in your repair manual and see what you think. I dont know how handy you are so its hard to say for sure.

 

[edthediscoman]

If a chimp with a wrench like myself can do it.....you can do it!!
YOU CAN DO EEEEETTT!!

 

[JustAddMtns]

Hoot, anybody have a follow-up to this thread?

Mine: 2004 DII 56k. I have been noticing the same symptoms under my right front side of the bumper/sometimes closer to the center of the bumper.

Cool, clear liquid
Often I find it in the morning
No odor
Maybe a 1/2 - 1 cup
Engine runs fine (I am always listening carefully full of paranoia)

Only thing that I can think of, that is abnormal, is that on sharp turns at very low speed I get a low noise like the power steering is struggling.

There power steering is a touch low, which I am topping off this weekend.

No other wetness, liquid evident on engine.

Cheers - R
________
Mac games

 

[JustAddMtns]

Any advice, info before I head home today?
________
Medical Marijuana