Warning! Most car oils and fluids are poisonous. Make sure you wash tehm off the skin and change any contaminated clothes as soon as possible.

If you find puddles underneath your car, or obvious wetness under the bonnet, this would suggest a leak that needs investigating. It can sometimes be difficult to identify exactly where the leak is coming from, especialy if the engine area is very dirty aready. Leaking oil or fluid can also be bown backwards by the flow of air under the car, giving you a false idea of where the problem is.

The smell of a fluid leaking from somewhere in the car could give you an indication as to what's leaking. Some liquids are distinctively coloured. It may help to clean the car carefully and to park it over some cean paper overnight as an aid to locating the source of the leak. Please note, some leaks may only happen whilst the engine is running.

Possible leaks

• Sump oil - Engine oil could leak from the drain plug.
• Oil from filter - Engine oil could leak from the oil filter.
• Gearbox oil - Gearbox oil can leak from the seals at the inboard ends of the driveshaft.
• Antifreeze - Leaking antifreeze often leaves a crystalline deposit.
• Brake fluid - A leak occuring at a wheel is almost certainly brake fluid.
• Power steering fluid - Power steering fluid may leak from the pipe connectors on the steering rack.