Help, what the hell is my truck leaking?

I was at work this evening, and went to move my truck to a different parking spot. When I got out after moving it, I looked at the spot where it had been previously parked, and noticed a large amount of what appeared to be fluid on the ground. I went to touch it, but it most of it was shiny and dry. I found an area where the liquid had pooled, but it was incredibly thick and the surface was dry, almost like the consistancy of tree sap.

I dug my finger in, and this stuff was gooey - incredibly viscous, it got really stringy when I pulled my finger away. It had a golden hue to it, almost like new oil, but when I smelled the stuff on my finger, it smelled like gasoline. I looked under the truck, and it appears to be coming from the area between the transfer case and front of the gas tank.

The way this stuff pooled leads me to believe that it was very fluid when hot, but as it cooled from being on the ground, it thickened into the shiny gelled form that I found it in. What the hell?? Could this be fluid from the transfer case? I've never smelled or seen that stuff so I don't know the consistancy or smell, but does it smell like gasonline?

I just put half a can of seafoam in my gas tank, so is it possible that it loosened up some kind of residue? If so, how the hell did it leak out?

I need help asap guys, this is a little disconcerting since we are supposed to be taking a 1100 mile round trip this weekend from Denver to SLC and back. I most definitely do NOT want to get stuck in the middle of Utah with NOTHING for 100 miles in either direction. If you have any idea what this crap could be, let me know. Time to see the dealership I guess....I'll see if I can take some pics and post them later.

Did you try putting something under your vehicle to see if it happens again. Are you sure it wasnt already there???

x2....

X3

No, it's coming from my truck. I ran part of the stuff over with my rear tires when I moved it, but it wasn't on the front tires at all (it's an open space, I pulled straight in and drove straight out, I didn't reverse at all to move the truck). There is the same crap all over the place around the rear seal for my T-case, where the tailshaft comes out. Front diff is leaking too.

As for the smell of gasoline and the gelling effect that I saw last night, I'm wondering of some existing crap like gasonline residue or something was already on the ground in that spot, and mixed with the fluid when it leaked, causing it to solidify like that. I have no idea if thats possible, but who knows, chemicals do all sorts of wierd $h*t when you mix 'em.

I guess I'm kinda glad I bought that warranty now...I'm only out the $100 deductible at the dealership. I have pics, I'll post them in a few minutes. Gotta go grab the camera.

OK, here are the pics:

This is what I found when I moved the truck:


Close up of the goo:


Very sticky, viscous and stringy:


It smells like gasoline....?


And lo and behold, it's under my truck, right under where all of this crap has been flung around my tailshaft:


Looks like a bad seal. It's the gas smell thats throwing me off...

It kinda looks like bearing grease, the kind that you squirt into zert fittings to grease u-joints, or wondering if it's a wierd kind of gear oil with maybe a thick additive that someone put into the trans case.

Well, thank god for VehicleOne and a pretty decent warranty. Dealership said the source of the main leak was the slip yolk and U-joint. Front differential vent tube and seals were replaced, too. All told it would have been close to $600, but I'll only have to pay the $100 deductible on the warranty plus $37 for the vent tube since it wasn't covered. I'm ok with that.

Truck is still at the dealership for the weekend - we took the wife's explorer to SLC.

As for the thickness of the fluid, it remains a mystery to me. Maybe it wasn't from my truck, I don't know for sure...all I do know is that because of the crap I saw on the ground, it helped me find a potentially bad problem and get it solved for a decent out of pocket cost. I'm ok with that, too.:cheers:

I would also like to compliment Medved Chevy/GMC in Castle Rock. Those guys got right to my truck at 7:00am when I dropped it off, and I had a voicemail with a diagnosis on my cell phone by 11:00. The work was done and my truck ready for pick up by 4:00pm. Thats pretty awesome, especially for a Friday. Those guys are BUSY, too. Two thumbs up.

Glad you got that figured out, Yuke! It would suck to have it pop up on your trip and leave you stranded. Yeah, that extended warranty is nice! I've never had to use mine, but I've got it just in case! Oh, and have fun in SLC!