e46 leak

[El Presidente]

Just got an email with this pic. My stepmothers 2000 328 has been leaking something red. It appears to be coming from the passenger side. Any insights?

[Stephen330ci]

looks like water out of the radiator to me, as the car gets older the water changes colour because of the metal corroding inside the pipes and radiator. Could be one of the rubber pipe clips leaking or a pipe split, worse still a radiator leak ££££. look around under the bonnet to see a water stained pipe or any sign of a leak.

good luck

[trojp]

URGGHHH looks like a murder scene

Anyway dunno, but where is the AC unit?? Passenger side??, that discharges water, but dunno why its that color??

[El Presidente]

I can't take take a look personally (don't live there), but its not near the radiator at all.

[007ben]

power stearing or trany fluid?

[El Presidente]

Nieither of those are it either. Too far away from the PS res. and Tranny fluid doesn't turn orange, does it? You can see the AC condensation in other spots near it...

[Sk1d]

Just a thought, but if the car was left running in that spot 4 a while, it could just be water from the inside of the exhaust dripping out of 1 of the exhaust joints. I dont think its a coolant leak because theres no way the inside of the cooling system or the engine could be that corroded on a car thats only 4 years old... And being tha colour it certainly aint any of the oils...

Might be worth a look...

[Relevart]

I bet it is not any of the automotive fluids.
It is flow out of stagnant water, that has been in steel cavity.
It could be condensate from air conditioner or exaust system. If it is from exaust, and not at the tail pipe, then exust is about to be corroded through and held together by the rust; can happaned on 4 year old car in locations with four seasons climat.
Another opportunity is from the drainage around sunroof.
I would be concearn with the fact that there is a rust in the water: that means there is bare metal expoused to moisture: bad...