Liquid Leak Diagnosis

Hey there. Anyone good at liquid leak diagnosis? Took my 987.2 (2009) for about an hour drive today. Had fun but all roads were clean, no rocks. An hour after getting home I see liquid running out of my garage. It is viscous and just slightly pink. I can trace the trail under the car to where I see it dripping through a seam in the under body. And that spot would be vertically about under the radio. Question: Can I drive it to my preferred Porsche mechanic or should I trailer it? My buddy said if it’s coolant, and my engine overheats, I could ruin my engine. I don’t have a jack so DIY isn’t an option. I would appreciate advice from more experienced Porsche peeps on here. A little background: this car two weeks ago had an oil change and fluid/filter check by dealership. Two weeks before that it had a new underbody put on by auto body shop. I was just getting it ready to enjoy my Spring driving. Then this. You think it’s serious?

Sounds like DIY is not an option, so you're taking it to a shop. I guess the only question is flatbed vs drive? I guess it depends on how far it is? The safe bet is flatbed/tow. Check your coolant type (dip a paper towel into the reservoir) - I don't believe it's pink, but it could be. Is the car a PDK ? I think that fluid is pink?

Probably coolant. Porsche fluid is pink . Let the engine cool down (maybe overnight) then check the level at the fill cap . You could just get a couple gallons of distilled water and top it up. The entire cooling system holds about 6 gal. What caused the need for the new panel? Possibly damaged one of the coolant pipes or hoses when that happened.

Yes PSK

PDK Thank you. Will do. Under body panel replaced just cuz it was looking too scratched up under bumper. Nothing caused that but my car being lowered. Maybe it’s just lose hose or cracked hose. I’ll see.

Porsche coolant is pink. The location of the fluid leak (vertically under the radio) as well as the color make it likely to be coolant. The big question is how much coolant was lost. And how much would be lost while driving it to a shop. I would open your coolant cap and add a mix of 50/50 coolant and water. Zerex makes a premixed 50/50 Porsche compatible coolant. You want G40. By adding this coolant you will get an idea of how bad the leak is. If you needed to add more than a gallon to get it to the right level, then I would suggest getting it towed to a shop. If a gallon or less, then it might be ok to drive to the shop while carefully monitoring the temp and perhaps having someone follow you. One note about filling it. Because of the long coolant pipe runs from the mid-engine to the front of the car where the radiators are, the coolant system will likely have air pockets if any has leaked. So your process for topping off at this point will be a top off followed by running the car a little to circulate the coolant. Then add more if it needs it. My guess is that a coolant pipe or perhaps the water pump is the cause. As long as it's not pouring out, a few mile trip to a shop will probably be fine.

I was thinking the same (i.e., probably the coolant, maybe the hose is lose, if not pouring out then can be drive to a shop, etc.) I would also check the "basics" as you try to fill more coolant (I also use Pink Zerex) - your engine temp (175?), your coolant cap is good and no residues around (I think .2's are in the engine bay??), the current coolant level (per PorscheGreg suggestion / if above min before the fill, can be driven to the shop??), etc.

Thank you, everyone! Started car and after a minute of running, I got the coolant warning and temp went to max 250. Poured the coolant in and no warning. Then dripping started below. Now I have a flat bed tow on the way. Clearly loose, cracked, disconnected tube, or perhaps in the casing. Only pressure test will tell so I have that scheduled. Your replies on here were great. Let's all pray to the patron saint of porsches that it's not crazy expensive. lol.

Good move. The 250 and red light just indicate coolant is low. It doesn't mean you overheated. Hope it's not crazy expensive!

And the winner is......... Cracked coolant tube and seal. Radiator Hose Coupling, fluid, labor, diagnostics = 712.67 USD. It's a Porsche so could be worse. For those of you in Los Angeles, the Eurozone in Burbank is pretty professional so far.

Good to hear and really good that you made it home initially. A tow truck charge beats a seized engine any day!

Sweet. Thanks. I don't use Facebook. But I'll keep my eye out for HOUSE. And if your "club" has any other social medial accounts, besides FB, let me know or DM me.

Not my club, I'm just a member. You can find them on Instagram at @pclubusa. Fun guys, hope to see you out there on some drives or at an event. We don't have too many 987s (yet!).