Small Leak?
 

Hello,

I've been experiencing a potential small leak in my 13 brz with 180K kms and was wondering if anyone has any advice. Its not large enough to the point where it pours under my car and only happens when the car is warmed up and after driving for 10-15 mins.

It smells like a mixture of gasoline and something sweet and I can smell it through my vents only when I have the A/C turned on. When in re-circulation mode, I don't smell anything at all. I can sometimes smell it outside the car but the smell fades away very quickly.

Now, I recently got my tranny and coolant changed. I was thinking maybe it was tranny leaking somewhere since most people online have said a leaking tranny smells sweet. No gear slipping or overheating issues that I can tell from from the tranny.

Sadly, most the shops around my area are flooded with winter season tire changes so next available appointment won't be until end of January. Friend said to pour some stop leak in the transmission and hope it stops. Apparently that worked for his old civic.

Has anyone tried using stop leak products(lucas, bars, etc) in the 86 platform and recommend using it?

What does the fluid look like? That's your answer. Your coolant is blue and will have a water like consistency and smell kinda like maple syrup. Transmission fluid is an oil and will feel like oil. I don't remember the color but it won't be blue. A previous owner could have used Royal purple, which will be purple, but usually transmission fluids are red or brown. Should smell bitter or acrid

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where is it leaking from?

my experience is that stopleak products delay and sometimes inhibit the proper repair procedures later.

they usually end up costing more money than less, because a full flush/fill is now required once you go for the proper repair.

fix it right, fix it once.

I havent been able to go under to see where its leaking from but from checking the engine bay, i dont see any leaks coming from there. No pool of oil under the car after driving for long too. The rare time i smelt it from outside the car, the smell was strongest around the wiper blade vent area. Weirdest part of this leak is that it doesnt matter how hard I drive it. The smell will appear randomly and disappear for minutes before coming back again. Not a constant smell.

If there is no fluid on the ground then it seems incredibly unlikely that is the transmission. Most likely would be coolant dripping onto the exhaust and evaporating. Only leaks while the system is pressurized(car is running) so there is no puddle. Get some UV dye and a blacklight kit from the auto parts store to try to track it down

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