Oil and fluid leaks on a used car · what to check

What it usually means

• Wet film around the rocker cover · usually a gasket, and one of the cheaper jobs.
• Oil at the back of the engine · could be the rear main seal, which means gearbox out.
• Pink or orange staining · coolant, not oil.
• Red or brown fluid under the gearbox · automatic transmission fluid, and rarely cheap.

How to check it on the forecourt

1. 01Look at the ground where the car has been parked, not just at the engine.
2. 02Take a torch and check the underside with the engine warm.
3. 03Check the oil level and colour, then the coolant and gearbox fluid where accessible.
4. 04A suspiciously steam-cleaned engine bay on an older car deserves a second look.