Strange oil leak near front engine mount S60 2001

michaelvd1234 · Post by **michaelvd1234** » 23 Aug 2020, 04:35

Hello everyone,

I am having a problem with my Volvo S60 2.4 base model. Last week I noticed a yellow/brown-ish stain on the subframe around the front hydraulic engine mount. After some long drives last week, I noticed that after driving there seem to be some brown/almost black oil drops there. I have no idea where it is coming from, could it be the engine mount leaking fluid? What is the colour of the hydraulic fluid inside of the engine mounts?
I can upload a picture soon to show where it's situated and what it looks like.

Thanks in advance to anyone who replies to this!

Post by **abscate** » 23 Aug 2020, 04:51

Greetings. It is probably engine oil rather than mount oil, it is really rare of them to leak

Send me the pictures on the message system and I can post. I think you need to have ten posts before you are permitted to post pictures

michaelvd1234 · Post by **michaelvd1234** » 23 Aug 2020, 05:47

Thank you for the quick reply, I sent you the pictures in a private message.

Post by **cn90** » 23 Aug 2020, 07:14

Likely has a leak from front CAM seals,trickling down to that subframe/engine mount area...

Post by **abscate** » 23 Aug 2020, 08:28

Well I almost fooled me into thinking it’s a mount leak but the one photo show engine oil in black, which is mixing with water and making the brown emulsion, that’s my idiot option.

michaelvd1234 · Post by **michaelvd1234** » 23 Aug 2020, 09:07

Yep, it looks like engine oil to me. But what I don't get is that I can't find any trace of where its coming from, not even when lying down underneath the car and looking at the part of the engine facing the front of the car.. It's a mystery, I guess I'll have to take it to my mechanic and see if he can find where it's coming from. I don't think it's the cam/crank seal, since there is no oil to be found on either the front or the back of the engine (I also took the timing belt cover off to see if there were any traces of oil in there)

Post by **- Pete -** » 23 Aug 2020, 12:15

I have a spot on my 04 XC70 front subframe that is identical in every aspect aside from location. It’s more of a splatter and continues down my belly pan. It is truly all but impossible to remove also. I’ve tried several solvents. If it was petroleum based it would respond to solvents. I’ve finally concluded that it’s actually blood from an unfortunate animal that crossed the road at the wrong time. I’ve hit a few coons and my best guess is the stain is the result of a scalping/bursting of a blood filled object.

Notice on yours how it appears to emanate from the leading edge of the subframe. To me, this suggests a similar sort of source.

michaelvd1234 · Post by **michaelvd1234** » 24 Aug 2020, 07:06

I'm unable to clean it by spraying it with brakecleaner and wiping it afterwards, haven't really tried anything else yet. But do you really think it comes from an impact with an animal? I don't recall hitting any but it could've been a small one. But the thing is, it seems like new drops of "oil" are forming everytime I drive it.. So I'm not sure if thats it

Post by **abscate** » 24 Aug 2020, 07:11

michaelvd1234 wrote: ↑24 Aug 2020, 07:06 I'm unable to clean it by spraying it with brakecleaner and wiping it afterwards, haven't really tried anything else yet. But do you really think it comes from an impact with an animal? I don't recall hitting any but it could've been a small one. But the thing is, it seems like new drops of "oil" are forming everytime I drive it.. So I'm not sure if thats it

We have a secret program which released porcupines to attack everything Orange in the US, and I’m afraid some of them have swum the Atlantic and ended up in the Netherlands

Post by **- Pete -** » 24 Aug 2020, 23:16

I actually swerve towards the prickly critters.

Anyone know what the difference between a Porsche & a Porcupine is?

It can only be one of so many things. Engine oil, PS oil, blood (maybe that front mount of yours is filled with the such?).

In my case, it's definitely blood/(unintentional) animal splatter. I have no wet spots on/around my nearly identical splatter/stain.

The galvanizing must retain the hue.

Run your finger along the "underside" of that PS hose just above the stain.