Where does this water come from?

[OsoMoore]

I was bleeding my brakes, and jacked up all four wheels after 4 months of sitting in the garage. I jacked up back first, then front. Just enough to put all four tires off the ground.

To my dismay, liquid started dripping rapidly out the front driver's fender. I scrambled underneath, and was relieved to find it looked like water coming out of a drain hose. But what is it draining? Should I worry that water sat somewhere all winter? In all, about a half cup's worth of puddle formed.

Here's the hose it was dripping from.

[Cairo94507]

Windshield washer reservoir overflow?

[OsoMoore]

Originally Posted by Cairo94507

Windshield washer reservoir overflow?

Probably not. The windshield washer hasn't worked since before I bought the car 4 years ago, and I've never filled it.

[jlex]

Almost looks like a drain hose from the battery. Careful... that liquid may be acid I just hooked up a new AGM battery to my '88 yesterday & connected a hose which looks like a similar diameter to yours. Tug on the hose a bit and look in the vicinity of the battery to see it it's connected.

[Taxi!]

I was thinking maybe from the headlight washers as I have hoses running on the driver's side in the front but I think they use the same reservoir as the windshield washers. Then I looked at the Bentley manual and saw "A separate washer fluid tank, pump, and nozzles are used for the intensive washer system." But I couldn't find any further reference to what an "intensive washer system" is.

[Lake Guy]

Looks like the overflow line from break reservoir. Comes of the back of the reservoir and heads out to fended then down between trunk and fender our of sight then eventually day lights out bottom in front to the DS tire on my 84.

Mark

[kent olsen]

The gas tank filler has a drain like that. Condensation build up could be a possiblity if that's the hose.

[juanbenae]

Originally Posted by OsoMoore

Probably not. The windshield washer hasn't worked since before I bought the car 4 years ago, and I've never filled it.

mine never worked either so I went to remove the tank & it was 3/4 full! usually the tank is topped off when it 1st stops working, maybe fuller than you are giving it credit for...

[gazzerr]

You have to clamp off the brake reservoir overflow pipe when you are bleeding the brakes otherwise the pressure will force brake fluid through that hose from the reservoir.

[OsoMoore]

Originally Posted by gazzerr

You have to clamp off the brake reservoir overflow pipe when you are bleeding the brakes otherwise the pressure will force brake fluid through that hose from the reservoir.

Oh yuck! So I have brake fluid all over my garage floor. I'll have to clean that up right away.

That makes sense, as I was doing lots of brake fluid work all morning, and was surprised that I could force the calipers open so easily.

[onboost]

Originally Posted by jlex

Almost looks like a drain hose from the battery. Careful... that liquid may be acid I just hooked up a new AGM battery to my '88 yesterday & connected a hose which looks like a similar diameter to yours. Tug on the hose a bit and look in the vicinity of the battery to see it it's connected.

That's what it is, the vent hose for the battery.

[OsoMoore]

Originally Posted by onboost

That's what it is, the vent hose for the battery.

That would be odd, I have a sealed battery and have had it in the house on a battery tender until a couple weeks ago. How would a sealed battery drain into a tube?

[onboost]

Originally Posted by OsoMoore

That would be odd, I have a sealed battery and have had it in the house on a battery tender until a couple weeks ago. How would a sealed battery drain into a tube?

No idea what your car has. However, based on the picture and the number of cars I
have either torn apart or restored, I'm just telling you what's typically in that area. Guess you'll have to figure-out the rest.

[gazzerr]

There's a hose that comes right off the top of the brake fluid reservoir. If you didn't clamp that off before the brake bleed job I'd suspect that's culprit.

[Brian 162]

^^^^^^^ What he said. I'd guess it's brake fluid.

[pors1968]

Brake fluid over fill

[jlex]

I wasn't thinking it was brake fluid, because it's so darn obvious when you smell it. You can identify any kind of fluid used in your car just by smelling it.

[onboost]

Originally Posted by onboost

That's what it is, the vent hose for the battery.

Duh, my bad..

Originally Posted by gazzerr

There's a hose that comes right off the top of the brake fluid reservoir. If you didn't clamp that off before the brake bleed job I'd suspect that's culprit.

Originally Posted by pors1968

Brake fluid over fill

yes, it is from the brake fluid overflow.. the end of the tube should fit into loop on the rub.

[911 Rod]

I guess you are not using a pressure bleeder when bleeding your brakes as it really doesn't work very well if you don't pinch off this line. Ask me how I know ......

[OsoMoore]

I was using the "loving wife" method - no vacuum or pressure bleeder.

The liquid was still there two days later, so it is definitely not water. I put some cat litter on it to soak it up, and everything should be fine.