Every day for a month my mother’s 2006 PT Cruiser was leaving a puddle on the pavement underneath the front center of the vehicle. She says it looks like water. It dries up and does not leave a stain. The car seems to run okay.
If it looks and feels like water it probably is water. I imagine it’s just water condensing from the air conditioner. Nothing to worry about. Antifreeze would be reddish.
If you really want to know for sure, have her put something under the car so that the puddle can be easily inspected. As asemaster noted, if if it looks like water and smells like water, etc. then it’s water. If not, then describe it.
Check the levels of all the fluids. Any of them low?
Do you live where it’s hot? Is mom using the A/C?
If the answer is yes, this is simply condensation dripping from the AC system.
In a “thumbnail sketch”, the AC works by chilling a small radiator type heat exchanger with a rapidly expanding refrigerant from which the heat has been removed. The hot cabin air is then passed through the “radiator” (technically called an “evaporator”). The air’s heat is absorbed by the chilled “radiator” coils. Condensation forms on the chilled coils, as the barrier layer loses its ability to hold the moisture and deposits it, and the condensation drips down.
Mom is not using the AC, post back and I’ll posit other ideas.
In any event, be sure to check her fluids regularly. It’s a good habit to get into anyway.
If mom is using the defroster that also uses the A/C to dry the air.
Thank you all. I am grateful for the suggestions and feedback.