Possible Coolant Leak???

I just got back from a drive and noticed green coolant all over on the engine side of my grille. Right now it is too hot to open, but the overflow for the radiator is red. Where did the green come from? It is not washer fluid or p.s. fluid. Does the MT6 tranny cooler have coolant instead of oil running through the tranny radiator? Yes, I am sure it is not from another car, it is only between the grille and radiator, not on the outside of the body at all, also, I can see where previously it have dripped down onto my skid. Help? Thanks!

 

As far as I'm aware - the tranny cooler cycles the tranny oil through the cooler (no coolant). But...I could be wrong.

Are you sure it's 'watery' in nature/coolant? Versus being oily?

What's it smell like?

My only other thought.... Where is the differential breather for the front diff? Could it be coming out of the diff breather? (I've heard this happen in first gens)

 

Condenser leak, the refrigerant oil in My '07 has a bright fluorescent lime green dye; or at least mine was when I checked my high side pressure last year. Hope it is an O ring at joint, or a defective manufacture, so warranty will cover it, and hope it is not a rock hit, which will be you and your ins co. The open grilles do allow rock damage to occur.

 

Mystery solved, it is a tracer dye (they say). I just had it looked at for no a.c. (turned out to be electrical though). Why did they not clean it up better though???
(or it is leaking from somewhere).

 

I would think they would have cleaned the area better, but it could have sprayed upward and dripped over some time. Clean it up, or take back to dealer if you want, but after cleaning up, keep an eye on it.

 

When I first wiped the area down, I also noticed my grille had a hairline crack in it, so I took it in anyways. There is no obvious sign of impact so I think maybe the tech may have cracked it while looking at the original problem plus I want them to double check that this is not an actual leak versus spillage.

 

Not really spillage, when you hook up a A/C hose to the high side fitting, it is pressurized up to the gauge set, and if not equipped with an anti-blowback fitting will blow out ~1/8th ounce of refrigerant oil when the hose is disconnected sometimes. If they took time to shut compressor off and let system stabilise for 1-2 minuets it would not be so bad. Just like an oil leak on the floor; a little oil sprayed out of the A/C looks like a lot more once it is spread out. As for the grille, I have leaned against mine and heard it creak, and just the other day I decided to clean the throttle body with spray carb cleaner on a rag, and with some of the medical style Q-Tips with the wooden handles and the huge heads, and was to lazy to reach over for the step ladder and used a plastic milk crate instead which ended slipping out from under me and flying across the floor like a hockey puck. To see some of the items at the back of the engine from the front, one just about has to lay on top of the fan shroud, but has to keep weight off the grille. I thought mine was cracked in half but no damage at all except a greasy stomach print. So if you are reasonably sure no one had hit it and you did not notice, I would think the shop might have did it while it was covered with a fender cover and did not hear it crack, or hoped no one would notice for awhile.

 

You sure are knowledgable, thanks for all of your help. Happy 4th!