I have a 2007 Honda Fit. It is leaking under the hood. I have checked all the fluid levels and they are all within recommended levels. The air conditioning works fine and cools quickly. The problem is when the ac is running and I come to a stop the engine bogs. It almost feels like the automatic trans is slipping and causing the engine to jerk. However the tach doesn’t move, so it leads me to believe it is not in the engine. On a fluke chance we turned the ac off at stops and the problem stopped. The car is also leaving “oil” stains on the drive way. It is not engine oil because that is full. So my question is this…could it be the compressor that is leaking? And if not, what else could it be?
What do the “oil” stains smell like? Do they actually feel oily? Air conditioners drip water as part of their normal operation and a lot of people see that and think it’s a leak.
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AND . . what COLOR is the dripped fluid ?
If you don’t want to stick your finger in it, use a white paper towel.
When the car is parked on a clean surface . . WHERE under the car is the drip ?
That’s an investigative clue in itself.
With the hood open and with the car up on a hoist, do you see any particular area that clues you in ?
If it’s too messy from a leak to tell where it’s coming from . . .
CLEAN
Everything in there … . then, just when it begins again, you’ll be able to tell.
You could have a failing motor mount. If the engine shifts forward when you brake hard, all sorts of strange things can happen. Is the fluid like a watery, dirty oil?
With the hood up there is no indication. The motor doesn’t shift at all. The color is a brownish with no water, however it looks like water after it has sat a while and doesn’t evaporate. It is on the passenger side almost under the tie rod.
Sounds like the CV boot is torn and the grease is leaking away.
If I’m right, this WILL manifest itself as a failed joint. How long is anybody’s guess, based primarily on driving environment, driving habits, and mileage.
I am pretty sure it is not the compressor as long as you have cool air. R-432a fluid is yellow/greenish. I suspect your engine idles a little low when stopped and the a/c is on. Turning the a/c off removes a load from the engine and it returns to “normal” idle speed.
Did you check your water, including the overflow reservoir?
Maybe R134a? R432a is a proposed R22 drop-in replacement.
oops…typo. Yes R134a