So I come back from the quickie mart on a work break and go to park in the same spot I was in 10 minutes earlier and notice a basketball sized fluid puddle. It had a little greenish tint and we were unsure if it was engine coolant, MECS coolant (I think they are the same, just different reservoirs and systems) or brake fluid. After a bit of troubleshooting we think it was break fluid because it is about 1/2 an in low.

I've read some of the break threads to include "the brakes broke the bank" and others. The car is just over 5.5 yrs old and has 67K miles. This is the first time there has been any type of fluid leak from the car.

However, we can't get the leak to be recreated. That is what strikes me as odd. We have read about the HCU basically un-pressurizing the brake system and returning fluid to the brake fluid reservoir and after multiple attempts to recreate the issue there is no issue.

Any thoughts on this? Is this is start of the $4k HCU replacement issue? I have read to buy a salvage/junk yard one if we have to go that route.

Thanks for the thoughts. Another question that might be asked. We have never seen a "wrench" or any other icon on the dash light up or the "stop safely now message".

 

If you're not seeing it again the fluid was probably already there. Brake fluid will go down as you put miles on since the calipers have to be pushed out farther to hit the rotors when they wear down. A half inch low is normal for the miles you have.

 

Thanks I'd like to hope this is true. It is good to know that 1/2 an inch low on fluid with ~70K miles is normal. Should I be topping it off? Should the brake fluid every be flushed and replaced?

When we pulled back into the spot we did see some fluid seepage from the tailpipe area and off the middle of the exhaust pipe that runs from front to back. I assume that was actually just condensation. I dunno - I guess we'll just monitor it in the future. It was just a really odd afternoon...

 

Unless it's really low you probably shouldn't. Otherwise when the pads are changed you'll have to drain out some. With most cars it is recommended to do a brake fluid change periodically. With the complexity of the brake system and the limited number of people who can service it I just avoid it. Others can comment on that one.

 

Yesterday afternoon the puddle was still out there. It seems that with the cold here and the fact that it is not water, it is not really evaporating. I'm going to go with that it was there well before my car parked there and hope that's the case at this point.

Thanks for the inputs!