Strange Leak

[tmark]

Hi all,

I was under the drivers side of the dashboard on my 850 T (US spec car) and removed the kick panel to gain access to the brake light switch to diagnose if that was the reason my brake lights weren't working (another issue).

Anyway, after I removed the kick panel I noticed a damp spot on the insulation, about 3 inches by 3 inches, at the front left on the kick panel.

Looking up and to the left of the steering column, I felt the large cluster of wires and noticed they had some sort of "stuff" on them. It felt oily/slippery but did not have an odor like coolant would.

I went ahead and pulled the carpet back and removed the cover to the heater core to verify if I had a leak or not. Nothing evident there. The insulation and carpet is dry with no evidence of any coolant leak.

Could it be brake fluid somehow leaking back into the car? The level is a bit below the full mark but since the brakes are over half worn I would say it is good for now.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

[yangotang]

Hi all,

I was under the drivers side of the dashboard on my 850 T (US spec car) and removed the kick panel to gain access to the brake light switch to diagnose if that was the reason my brake lights weren't working (another issue).

Anyway, after I removed the kick panel I noticed a damp spot on the insulation, about 3 inches by 3 inches, at the front left on the kick panel.

Looking up and to the left of the steering column, I felt the large cluster of wires and noticed they had some sort of "stuff" on them. It felt oily/slippery but did not have an odor like coolant would.

I went ahead and pulled the carpet back and removed the cover to the heater core to verify if I had a leak or not. Nothing evident there. The insulation and carpet is dry with no evidence of any coolant leak.

Could it be brake fluid somehow leaking back into the car? The level is a bit below the full mark but since the brakes are over half worn I would say it is good for now.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Are you from Oakland, CA?

Do you suppose you could wipe the damp spot down with a white cloth to see what color it is? If it's orange/brown it's probably brake fluid; green usually indicates that it's coolant.

[icelandic]

Sometime ago I took my dash out to replace the A/C evap. I found that some of the electrical harnesses were covered by something partially splipery, partially sticky. Upon closerr inspection, I found out that in some of these parts there were pieces of foam that was degraded, dark brown in color. What happens is that in order to keep noise down, parts of the wiring harness was originally wrapped in a flexible foam material. The environmentally friendly glue that Volvo used, just like the one on the headliner, reacts with the plastic foam over time and softens it to an sticky or oily consistance.

Most probably that is what you encountered.

Hope that helps you.

Luis

[tmark]

Are you from Oakland, CA?

Do you suppose you could wipe the damp spot down with a white cloth to see what color it is? If it's orange/brown it's probably brake fluid; green usually indicates that it's coolant.

Sorry, not from Oakland, CA, but the another place, where the wind goes whipping across the plains etc (OK).

Anyway. I took a white paper towel and gently wiped the wiring and the area. While there wasn't a great deal of it, it appeared to be more orangy/brown than green. I also tried to soak some of the "stuff" out of the insulation. The texture appears more "oily" than anything else. Would old antifreeze be oily or would it be sticky?

Thanks,

[Zappo]

Sorry, not from Oakland, CA, but the another place, where the wind goes whipping across the plains etc (OK).

Anyway. I took a white paper towel and gently wiped the wiring and the area. While there wasn't a great deal of it, it appeared to be more orangy/brown than green. I also tried to soak some of the "stuff" out of the insulation. The texture appears more "oily" than anything else. Would old antifreeze be oily or would it be sticky?

Thanks,

You should be able to smell the difference between the anti-freeze and brake fluid, although, I can't easily describe it right now.

[Trunks850R]

do you think maybe your ac is leaking or clogged, and that the water mixing with the glue is causing the oily stuff your getting?

just a thought

[tmark]

Sometime ago I took my dash out to replace the A/C evap. I found that some of the electrical harnesses were covered by something partially splipery, partially sticky. Upon closerr inspection, I found out that in some of these parts there were pieces of foam that was degraded, dark brown in color. What happens is that in order to keep noise down, parts of the wiring harness was originally wrapped in a flexible foam material. The environmentally friendly glue that Volvo used, just like the one on the headliner, reacts with the plastic foam over time and softens it to an sticky or oily consistance.

Most probably that is what you encountered.

Hope that helps you.

Luis

Thanks Luis,

The foam that was around one of the openings was discolored and I did notice the electrical tape seemed like it was starting to degrade, not look new (hey, it's almost 10 years old). That could be it but I want to make sure it isn't something more serious. Not trying to be paranoid or anything.

Thanks again.

[tmark]

You should be able to smell the difference between the anti-freeze and brake fluid, although, I can't easily describe it right now.

Thanks, I did do the old smell test and even took the cap off the expansion tank for a small sample of coolant and then dropped a bit of brake fluid on my finger for a sample experience. Anyway, what is under the dash doesn't have an odor to it. Also, after rubbing my fingers together to see if the properties change, antifreeze goes somewhat sticky while the brake fluid didn't seem to change properties as much. Stayed slippier feeling longer.

The previous owner already had the evaporator, condenser, A/C compressor, accumulator and various hoses replaced about three years ago (main line Volvo dealer did the work). I will have to contact the dealer to see if the heater core was done since I forgot to ask if it had been replaced. I just replaced the radiator, hoses, t-stat and ECT three weeks ago and hope to be done with the cooling system for a while.

I have marked the expansion tank with tape and will monitor the coolant level for a while to see what happens. I also marked the master cylinder to see if there is any change in brake fluid level.

Thanks again.

do you think maybe your ac is leaking or clogged, and that the water mixing with the glue is causing the oily stuff your getting?

just a thought

That thought did occur to me, especially since when I bought the car about two months ago one of the first things I checked was all the drain areas and found most of them clogged with small leaves, dust dirt etc. Since you mention it, it is possible that could be/had been a problem and what I discovered was just "leftover" gunk that worked its way in. I will continue to monitor the area and see if there are changes.

Thanks for the info.

[Zappo]

Well, the next question would be, after you cleaned it, does it come back? It could be a one time thing.

[tmark]

Well, the next question would be, after you cleaned it, does it come back? It could be a one time thing.

I'll see if it comes back. Prior to putting it back together last night I put a small white cloth on the corner of the panel and I'll check it periodically to see if it is getting damp.

Thanks,

[Zappo]

I'll see if it comes back. Prior to putting it back together last night I put a small white cloth on the corner of the panel and I'll check it periodically to see if it is getting damp.

Thanks,

Cool. I could be some leftover grease the dropped off the steering joints. They would be located just above that panel.