[Updated] Checking my tire pressure today and found a possible break leak?

[Update]

Can confirm diff oil. I did the sniff test and finger test on both. I cleaned the area off and am going to see if it comes back in the morning.

Here's a picture of the drum. The darker area is where it was leaking.



[Original]

I was checking my tire pressure today and smelt something funny around the passenger rear tire. Looked at the inside of the wheel and saw this puddle of liquid. It was a greenish yellow color and smelt. The only other wet spot around was on the bottom of the drum.

 

Could be wheel cylinder, could be axle seal, best pull the drum off and see where its originating from, The smell says gear oil to me

 

Any tube loose? Take off the tire?

 

Looks like the master cylinder is leaking and that is brake fluid....... check the break fluid reservoir.

 

Break fluid reservoir is full.

 

I'll take the tire off sometime this week and check

 

X2.

I bet your axle seal is leaking and you're loosing gear oil. I'd go a step further to guess your wheel bearing is failing causing the damage to the seal...

 

I haven't had any of the symptoms of a bearing going out.

 

I think I'll be able to pull the wheel tomorrow afternoon in between classes and poke around a little. If not its almost time for an oil change so I'll take it to the shop.

 

You can just get that fluid on your fingers and tell if its Brake Fluid or Gear Oil.

 

What's the difference between the two when it's on your fingers haha.

 

I'm assuming gear oil is going to be thicker than the break fluid?

 

If you have ever changed the Diff Oil there is no mistaking the smell.

 

I've never changed the diff oil personally. I would say it was kinda a burntish smell

 

The burntish smell says diff oil, take the cap off the brake res., stick your finger in and smell, thin and not the lubebricity of diff oil, you'll feel difference when you rub the two between your fingers.
Greenish yellow color says diff fluid, I say you have a bad seal on that side allowing diff fluid to leak out, doesn't mean that the bearing is bad but the seal is and the leaking in the drum has wrecked the brake shoes on that side, so they will have to be replaced along with the seal.

 

pop the brake fluid reservoir and give it a sniff. get some on your finger. compare to what you found on the wheel. gear oil (used) is super pungent stuff. I threw a t-shirt into the rag pile yesterday because I couldn't get the stink out of it after doing diff oil change and making a bit of a mess.

 

The very first thing I would do (if I were you) is that I'd jack that princess up and remove the tire to check what the hell was going in on in there.

 

Agree, failed wheel bearing.

 

Alright so in going to try to jack it up later today if the weather holds. The wet spot hasn't gotten any bigger on the bottom of the drum.

 

test it

brake fluid mixes with water

water would rinse that off cleanly



diff oil/gear oil does not mix

water would roll off that and leave it behind

[also... diff oil smells like arse]