European Auto Repair

European Automobile Fluid Color Guide

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It’s important to know the colors of the automotive fluids in your European automobile whether you drive an Aston Martin, Volvo, or any brand in between. Lucas Auto Care is going to list the common colors of automotive fluids below for your knowledge. This helps you identify leaking fluids.

Blue

The reason why it’s important that you identify leaking fluids is that it can harm your automobile if it is leaking certain fluids. For example, although unusual, blue could be coolant leaking out of your European beauty. You shouldn’t drive your automobile if it’s leaking coolant. Blue is also the color of the windshield’s washing solution and it’s okay to drive your vehicle when it’s leaking this fluid.

Brown

Brown is a common color of automotive fluids. Motor oil is brown and so is differential oil. Old transmission fluid is brown and brake fluid is brown. It’s not a good idea to drive your European automobile if it is leaking brown automotive fluid onto your garage floor.

Clear

Clear could be fuel, so smell the fluid to confirm whether it is fuel or water. If it doesn’t smell like fuel, it is water either dripping from the air conditioning unit or out of the tailpipe. If it smells like fuel, it’s important that you avoid driving your European automobile to prevent the danger of fire.

Green

Green is a more common color of coolant/antifreeze than blue is. Another common color is a combo of the two; either green-blue or blue-green. Driving your European beauty when it is leaking coolant/antifreeze opens you up to overheating the engine unnecessarily.

Orange

Orange is another color in which coolant/antifreeze comes but there’s a caveat: Your coolant could turn orange from another color because it is filled with rust. You can check the original color of your engine’s coolant/antifreeze by checking the hue in the radiator overflow reservoir.

Red

Like brown, you might have a few fluids under the hood that are red. Powering steering fluid is red and so is the transmission fluid. Engine coolant/antifreeze can also be red, as can brake fluid. When the engine is cold, you can check all the fluids to identify their specific colors.

Yellow

Finally, another common coolant/antifreeze color is yellow. It might be yellow-green or neon yellow but the hue is definitely yellow-based. In some cases, the brake fluid might also look yellowish when it is brand new. Usually, it’s a light brown or amber color.

Lucas Auto Care in Cypress, TX, is here to help you with all of your European automobile’s service and repair needs, including fluid leaks. Call us today to set up an appointment.

Photo by welcomia via Canva Pro
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