My 2010 1.6tdi Octavia has a very slight drip from the under-engine tray. The liquid is slightly pink, and slightly viscous when rubbed between finger and thumb. My engine coolant is also pinkish with antifreeze but doesn't feel quite so viscous. I don't know what colour brake fluid would be - and frustratingly cannot see where the level is in the BF reservoir.  I had a major water leak a couple of years ago and water pump and cambelt kit was all done at once.

 

Can anyone advise what this drip is likely to be please? Thanks

Red fluid is typically gearbox oil or power steering fluid.

 

As the Octavia has electric power steering that's ruled out pretty quickly. What gearbox do you have? My DSG oil is golden like engine oil, not sure what sort of oil other types of gearbox use on Skoda's?

Could it be coolant that's dried out a bit and thickened up? Think mine was like that when there was a leak in the radiator. There was also dry crystallised substance.

 

When I took the engine tray off, the liquid was mostly at the front of the tray and further inspection showed more along the bottom of the radiator.

 

Anti-freeze tends to have something of an 'anti-freezy' kind of smell, so that's a clue. Oils and brake fluid are not (much) water miscible, so that's another clue.

 

Based on the evidence so far, I'm betting anti-freeze, but I could be wrong.

Get it on a finger and run it under water, if it washes off it's coolant or brake fluid, if it doesn't it's oil and since you have a diseasel it's not going to be engine oil as that will be black as a gorilla's goolies.

 

So that only leaves the gearbox.

 

Rather than pay a garage, have a lookeesee.  It's possible on slight weeps to retorque the appropriate fasteners as necessary, thoroughly clean/degrease the area and apply a generous smear of silicone seal to make things good.

 

Do check gearbox oil level while you're there.

Thanks for your replies.  So it's sounding like either coolant or gear oil.

 

Would there not be some level of dirtiness in gear oil - it hasn't been changed recently, and this drip is pretty clear with a pale pink colour? 

 

Will investigate further

Gear oil is usually a deep red kind of colour, if it's pink I'd lean more towards coolant.

 

Look around for "fluffy" crystal deposits, that's what coolant tends to look like when it's dry.

Thanks all.  Having had a couple of expensive repairs recently, I was relieved to find this was a split hose dripping coolant.

Glad you got it sorted relatively easily.