So I decided to self rotate my tires this morning after work (it's loooong over due), and glad I had a breaker bar as the impact wrench only removed 5 lugnuts.
Anyway, the pass side has this part that appears to be leaking, looks to wet to be joint grease, but I didn't touch it as I have more non-car work in a few hours. I don't think it the lower control arm, it's to far to the rear for that, but it looks connected to the arm.

so here's the pics, sorry if they are crappy, I took them with my new LG Rumore Touch (Just found out VIrgin has plans for $25/mo, 300min unlimited data).




While were at it, what's the verticle 'bone' looking part here that looks like it's connected to the strut & lower arm:


And seriously?! Cardboard!

 

looks like a control arm bushing
the dogbone is a stabilizer bar link
Cardbord? that was the lightweght performance
package!

 

are the tears water? probably just from a puddle or car wash

 

Thanks, It looked more water consististy than grease, but so does brake fluid (Tranny fluid on the eCVT??).
It's definantly NOT rain water or car wash, it hasn't rained here since like June!
Just checked again (5 hrs later) and it's not crying anymore, just looks a little damp on top.
Possibly AC runoff, altho it was only 68ish on my drive home, but I had the Climate control set to AC & 70, so could have been dehumidifing.

Glad to know it's nothing serious, just rolled over 36k this week.

I think the brake fluid is driver side, we don't have PS fluid now do we? Didn't check the coolant tanks, need to do that.
Thanks!

Lightweight performance package, I like that!
Oddly I found more carboard a few months after I bought it near the radiators, can't remember exactly where now. Maybe it's like that car commercial that everyoned driving around in cardboard boxes!

 

Up north here we have been known to put cardboard on front of the radiator
in the winter the lower the cold air across the radiator

 

Did you get this solved? I think you've been given some not-so-good advice. I take it you're not the original owner of this vehicle?

 

Well I didn't do anythimg to it, and it's dry now.
It's been mine since mile #7.
Why, whats your opnion

I did notice the sprinklers are on at work before I leave, but I don't park next to them.

 

I believe that is a ball joint. You can see the tapered stud that goes up into the frame. You need to be sure that it is very tight in there. There is a rubber grommet missing. That grommet prevents water from getting in there. That grommet should also be packed with grease. Did you check the other side? If it's intact it should give you a good frame of reference. Don't know what the "crying" is to which you refer unless it is some of the left over grease.

This needs to be addressed as it relates to steering geometries. If water can get into that ball joint, it'll wear out really quickly. Your alignment will be off and you'll get a "clunk" when you turn the the wheels.

 

The "dog bone" you mention I think has to do with the links that go to the sway bar. Not 100% on that one. Mine is an '06. I'll have to see if it has something similar.

Don't really know why the cardboard is there. Best I can figure is that someone put it int there to protect the boot around the C/V joint. If they get torn by road debris or whatever, that joint will go south in a hurry. Just a guess.

 

Ok, just crawled under my car. I was wrong. It isn't a ball joint and there isn't supposed to be a seal there. That does do a similar function to a ball joint I guess. It is a sort of eyelet and stud that goes through that. It has a rubber bushing in there to allow for flexibility. Since that is on the left side, I'm thinking that the fluid you saw was A/C condensate. On our '06 MMH the condensation leaks out just forward of that point.

I think I was right about the other two points: the dog bone and the cardboard.