# 07 Honda Civic EX right frontal leak **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [March 7, 2019, 2:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-honda-civic-ex-right-frontal-leak/135956 "2019-03-07T02:12:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Michaeldickerson68\_149116](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Michaeldickerson68\_149116](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Michaeldickerson68_149116)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 2:12am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-honda-civic-ex-right-frontal-leak/135956/1 "2019-03-07T02:12:13Z")
On the underside of the front right of the car, there is a leak of brown liquid that is creating puddles wherever I park the car for more than a few hours. I am wondering if it’s an oil leak or transmission fluid, or possibly something else. If I am not being precise enough in my description, please tell me what specifically would give a better idea. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 2:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-honda-civic-ex-right-frontal-leak/135956/2 "2019-03-07T02:14:01Z")
Have you been using the air conditioning? Tester ---
**Author:** ![Michaeldickerson68\_149116](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Michaeldickerson68\_149116](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Michaeldickerson68_149116)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 2:14am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-honda-civic-ex-right-frontal-leak/135956/3 "2019-03-07T02:14:59Z")
Normally I will run the heater on low at some point through the day, but not today, and the puddle was there today at work. ---
**Author:** ![VOLVO-V70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/8e8cbc/32.png) [@VOLVO-V70](https://community.cartalk.com/u/VOLVO-V70)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 2:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-honda-civic-ex-right-frontal-leak/135956/4 "2019-03-07T02:18:22Z")
Your air conditioner will run even while the heater is on to keep your windows from fogging up . You should be able to touch the puddle and tell if it is just water or a lubricant. Have you checked your oil level ? ---
**Author:** ![Michaeldickerson68\_149116](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Michaeldickerson68\_149116](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Michaeldickerson68_149116)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 2:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-honda-civic-ex-right-frontal-leak/135956/5 "2019-03-07T02:21:32Z")
I checked my oil an hour ago and it seems to be at a high level, but I also got an oil change exactly one month ago. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 2:53am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-honda-civic-ex-right-frontal-leak/135956/6 "2019-03-07T02:53:18Z")
I’d guess that’s either power steering fluid or coolant. Check all the fluid levels, especially those two. If something’s leaking one of those will be low. Coolant level has to be checked in both the overflow bottle and the radiator itself for most vehicles. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 3:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-honda-civic-ex-right-frontal-leak/135956/7 "2019-03-07T03:04:48Z")
It could still be oil, it does not take much oil to make a big spot. Happy guess a valve cover gasket, are you looking to fix it yourself or just getting ready to visit a shop? ---
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 3:05am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-honda-civic-ex-right-frontal-leak/135956/8 "2019-03-07T03:05:16Z")
Soak up some of this liquid with a white paper towel. Then pull your dipstick and wipe it off with another section of the same white paper towel… see if they match. They probably will… The most common substance that will make a brown drip mark is the engine oil. Transmission is dyed Red and that dye is effective at coloration of that fluid…it only turns brown after severe abuse and or neglect so I doubt it will be ATF from your car, also your transmission is on the drivers side or left side of the vehicle. Your engine and power steering pump favors the right side (passenger) of the car. Do the paper towel test and let us know what you come up with. Methinks you will get a match. ---
**Author:** ![Michaeldickerson68\_149116](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7bcc69/32.png) [@Michaeldickerson68\_149116](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Michaeldickerson68_149116)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 10:24pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-honda-civic-ex-right-frontal-leak/135956/9 "2019-03-07T22:24:46Z")
Turned out the last person to do an oil change did not secure the oil filter good enough. Easy fix. ---
**Author:** ![lion9car](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/59ef9b/32.png) [@lion9car](https://community.cartalk.com/u/lion9car)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2019, 10:48pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-honda-civic-ex-right-frontal-leak/135956/10 "2019-03-07T22:48:58Z")
> [@Michaeldickerson68\_149116](#): > > Turned out the last person to do an oil change did not secure the oil filter good enough. Who did this oil change? You could have lost your whole engine if the filter came off completely. ---
**Author:** ![Honda-Blackbird](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/honda-blackbird/32/3159_2.png) [@Honda-Blackbird](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Honda-Blackbird)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2019, 2:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-honda-civic-ex-right-frontal-leak/135956/11 "2019-03-08T02:20:45Z")
So it was indeed engine oil… I’m so glad I work on my own equipment… An oil change is so, so easy to perform, there are very few places where it can go awry and yet…people still manage to royally screw even this procedure up… ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2019, 3:13am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/07-honda-civic-ex-right-frontal-leak/135956/12 "2019-03-08T03:13:15Z")
Good on the OP for noticing the unexplained leak and doing the detective work to figure out why. A major repair expense was likely averted by OP’s diligence.