I know we're not a car forum here, but I also know there's a few enthusiasts and I could do with knowing what's probably going on. Bit of a heavy description, I've copied it over form the mini forum, but I've not had any views there yet. Was just out doing a little check over on the car and noticed that the paint on the inner half of the passenger side brake caliper was all crinkly and wet looking. My first thought was, oh god it's leaking. But upon smelling it, it doesn't smell like brake fluid, but there's not actually a whole lot of wetness on the area, just soft paint and slightly dampish. There was a small amount of fluid in the bleed nipple, but I couldn't tell if this was brake fluid or not. The brakes haven't been bled recently, so it can't have been left over from a bleeding session. The brake pedal still feels like normal, and the pedal doesn't depress if you hold your foot on. Also, no visible fluid escaped from the caliper while pressing the pedal. There are also no marks/stains on the inside of the wheel either. The overflow for my radiator does come down on this side, and is zip tied onto the tie rod right at the front, so it could be possible that any overflow could make it's way onto the caliper when the car is moving, but the water level hasn't changed noticeably since the last time I checked it. The brake fluid level may have gone down a touch, it's hard to tell. The car was last used on Saturday afternoon, and has been sat in the garage since then. Could antifreeze cause the paint the bubble and go soft like this? Or is it likely to be brake fluid? Picture of the caliper:
Just went back out to hold the pedal on for a while longer after getting a reply from my Dad, and I've confirmed it is the bleed nipple leaking. My Dad thought it might just have been a bit of fluid left over from a previous bleeding session, but it would appear not. Bugger, Cheers guys.
