[brettl]

Hi all-
Picked up my brand new (25 miles) ix this passed weekend, this morning in my garage I noted some oil looking drops on the ground just inside of the rear wheels. I’m guessing this is lubrication inside the rear drive shaft or ? Anyone else seen this? Normal on a new electric car? I think this car sat on the dealer lot for a month, maybe two and I’ve put a couple hundred miles on it this week. Could this be the car breaking in? If it was a defect, would it have leaked from just one side where the defect would be as opposed to both sides?

[exxxviii]

Standard BMW fluid leak identifying questions...

1. What color is the liquid?
2. What does it feel like?
3. What does it smell like?
4. Exactly where is it located? (fore/aft of the axle, distance from the tire's contact point, etc.)

Your general options in that location are things like:

• Brake fluid
• Drive unit transmission oil
• Liquid-filled drive unit mount fluid

[thebishman]

Straight back to the dealership is my recommendation as whichever is the cause, it obviously needs to be looked at as it’s not normal.

[NomoTesla]

I also recommend contacting the dealer. Nothing should be dripping like that.

[brettl]

Originally Posted by exxxviii

Standard BMW fluid leak identifying questions...

What color is the liquid?
What does it feel like?
What does it smell like?
Exactly where is it located? (fore/aft of the axle, distance from the tire's contact point, etc.)


Your general options in that location are things like:

Brake fluid
Drive unit transmission oil
Liquid-filled drive unit mount fluid

It’s brown, like used motor oil color, tacky texture, no smell. Looked under car, visual inspection
Showed nothing and ran hands around where I couldn’t see, nothing on my hands.
Wiped up fluid on floor, will watch for it again over next couple days.
Checked parking spots today after the car was parked for a while, no trace there.
Will keep an eye on it.

[Kennethjk]

Originally Posted by brettl

It’s brown, like used motor oil color, tacky texture, no smell. Looked under car, visual inspection
Showed nothing and ran hands around where I couldn’t see, nothing on my hands.
Wiped up fluid on floor, will watch for it again over next couple days.
Checked parking spots today after the car was parked for a while, no trace there.
Will keep an eye on it.

Curious if it was raining outside before parking in the garage

[brettl]

Originally Posted by Kennethjk

Curious if it was raining outside before parking in the garage

Yes! Drove the car in the rain Monday, light rain Tuesday. Full disclosure, I do t know exactly what day the drops showed up. Got the Saturday, no rain Sunday and the car sat most the day.
Oh, and the car has ants around the tailgate, not inside though. Working though that one on my own….

[Kennethjk]

Originally Posted by brettl

Yes! Drove the car in the rain Monday, light rain Tuesday. Full disclosure, I do t know exactly what day the drops showed up. Got the Saturday, no rain Sunday and the car sat most the day.
Oh, and the car has ants around the tailgate, not inside though. Working though that one on my own….

With my Mach E and IX, every time it rains I get this rust looking stuff on my garage floor. I forget the reason as someone on the Mach E forum mentioned why.
In any event if it only happens when it rains, I wouldn’t worry about it.

Can’t help with the ants, sorry

[exxxviii]

Originally Posted by brettl

It’s brown, like used motor oil color, tacky texture, no smell. Looked under car, visual inspection
Showed nothing and ran hands around where I couldn’t see, nothing on my hands.

That does not match the usual fluids in a car. My guess it is a silicate fluid, like in a vibration-absorbing mount. Another person posted bad, leaking mounts in his car.

[Kennethjk]

Also, do you have a garage floor that is epoxy sealed?

[brettl]

Originally Posted by exxxviii

That does not match the usual fluids in a car. My guess it is a silicate fluid, like in a vibration-absorbing mount. Another person posted bad, leaking mounts in his car.

Thanks Guys-
I’ll keep an eye on the garage floor, which is good old fashion cement.
The silicon fluid makes sense. Brand new car, took an a 100 mile ride on a not so smooth stretch of road, could be a rough “break-in”, as a wet road and water being kicked up. Could be a combination or perfect storm causing the drops.

[thebishman]

Do any of you remember the generic term ‘cosmoline’, which I believe was the term used for a protectant/sealant used during shipping on the underside areas of a vehicle?

I wonder if what the OP is seeing is a shipping sealer/protectant that the dealership didn’t adequately remove during the PDI process, and the rain the car was exposed to caused some of it to drip off the undercarriage of the car?

Brown not a colour normally associated with any ‘vital fluids’ that I’m aware of, and as others have mentioned.

[Pictor]

Yeah but cosmoline was/is more white in color, if I remember correctly. It wasn't uncommon to see weeping from the drain holes under the doors.

[brettl]

Originally Posted by thebishman

Do any of you remember the generic term ‘cosmoline’, which I believe was the term used for a protectant/sealant used during shipping on the underside areas of a vehicle?

I wonder if what the OP is seeing is a shipping sealer/protectant that the dealership didn’t adequately remove during the PDI process, and the rain the car was exposed to caused some of it to drip off the undercarriage of the car?

Brown not a colour normally associated with any ‘vital fluids’ that I’m aware of, and as others have mentioned.

The drips were in two very specific spots, both right inside of where the rear tires were, almost like they dripped off the same component on either side of the car. I’d imagine a general underbody coating drip would have left more of a random drip pattern.

[exxxviii]

Originally Posted by brettl

The drips were in two very specific spots, both right inside of where the rear tires were, almost like they dripped off the same component on either side of the car.

Oh wait... I missed this detail. You had spots on both sides of the car, 6' apart from one another?

That is bizarre, and I have no clue what that would be. Usually leaks come from specific points on a car, not distributed.

[brettl]

Originally Posted by exxxviii

Oh wait... I missed this detail. You had spots on both sides of the car, 6' apart from one another?

That is bizarre, and I have no clue what that would be. Usually leaks come from specific points on a car, not distributed.

Yep, that why I thought it was odd,if it was a manufacturing defect I would think it would be in 1 place, what are the chances of the defect being in two places on the same car?

[drexplode]

Picture would help to identify. There should be oil in the gearbox area, and someone correct me but I believe the machine (stator) is liquid cooled (not oil cooled)

https://www.press.bmwgroup.com/canad...rd?language=en

[freshxdough]

Photos help a lot..