Leaking unknown fluid

[lrsfawcett]

My bongo is leaking a fluid from under the front passenger side, the drips stain the road about 12-16inches in from the front left wheel - though it isn't a paticularly dark fluid. I took it to my local mechanic but he was unable to see where it was leaking from. He doesn't think it is diesel or coolant because of the smell but thinks perhaps gear oil. Would this be possible in this location? My trusted mechanic has cleaned off the area (as it has dripped everwhere) and is hoping that when he looks again on Wednesday he will see a trickle to show the start point of the leak?

The bongo seems to be running fine, certainly a bumpier ride and the tickover feels a bit lumpy but nothing too out of the ordinary. Oh, and I checked the levels on the ATF oil....and whilst it was very difficult to get a clear result of how much oil it contained it definitely seemed to have a lot of oil in the tank.

Here's hoping you can offer some much needed advice!

[francophile1947]

Is yours a 4WD? - if so, it's probably gear oil from the front axle.

[dandywarhol]

Been using the air con recently? It'll drop evaporated fluid onto the deck................

[patnben]

You could also check the power steering oil level under the drivers seat.
If it's fairly low it could be leaking from the steering rack or pump.

[lrsfawcett]

Thanks for your replies. Really appreciate the input. It is 4WD and we have used the air con recently...but it's making marks even when we've not used it. The power steering fluid level is fine so I guess it probably is the gear oil. Do you think it's likely to be a big problem to repair?

Thanks