Hi all - I'm looking for some advice on two recent issues with our wagon. First, we have a slow leak of some sort, toward the center of the engine. When the car sits overnight, in the morning we've noticed a small spot on the cement beneath the car. It doesn't look like oil - doesn't seem to have a color or strong odor, and it gradually fades after a couple of days. It reminds me of what the power steering fluid leak on my '82 245 wagon looked like in its early stages, years ago - do these wagons have common leak problems? Any suggestions on what to check/look for?
Additionally, we seem to have a weak defrost. The blower vents facing the passenger seating and foot area give plenty of volume - the defrost vents, for some reason, give no volume of air passing through at all. I've used the AC on muggy days to some avail in drying off the fog, but now that colder NE mornings are upon us I'd like to find a solution. Any ideas readers could offer would be much appreciated!! Many thanks...

Alll the previous responses are correct..The leak on the driveway might be the water condensation from the use ot eh air cond or the deforster as it also uses the a/c unit to defrost.. The run off is piped under the car around the center or slightly tothe right passengers side..The weak defrost is a vacuum leak..These leaks are sometimes a peta to locate as there are a lot of hose to examine.. I recommend replacing all the 3.5mm and 8.00 mm vacuum hose with the braided type of hose found in better parts stores or online from IPD or the sorts..Thsi line takes the heat a lot better and lasts many times longer.. Get a good manuel, Bradley or one comp to it and trace down each hose.. If you have cruse control, then you will have to check it also,, most of it in under the drivers bolster near and around the brake and clutch pedels.. Also remember to check the Power Booster for the brake system as it too will effect the vacuum..Sometimes the check valve needs cleaning or replacing..Good Luck ... Max
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Max..1989 244 DL 5 Spd., Bilstein HD, Turbo Swaybars, Poly Bushings all round, Turbo Wheels, Black leather interior, Electric mirrors, LED dash and gauge lights.

90-93 cruise on a 240 runs off a separate vacuum pump and would not affect the manifold vacuum lines.

While all of the comments about vacuum leaks may be true, it might be a lot simpler.

On my 91_240, all the vacuum motors do what they are supposed to, there are no leaks. I still have to close, or partially close the dash vents to get a significant air blast on the windshield.



91_240

Buck,

Regarding your weak defroster air flow ... look under the hood for the rubber vacuum line that connects to the intake and runs in to the firewall. Check it for cracks,splits or loose connections. This line feeds the vacuum motors that open various vent doors on the heating/cooling ducts inside the passenger compartment. If that line has a leak or a split there will not be enough vacuum to open or at least fully open the defroster duct door. If there's a leak on this line ... either under the hood or inside under the passenger side center console ... the defrost air flow will be weak , while the dash vents are strong. The most common place for a leak is under the hood where the rubber vacuum line gets baked and dried by engine heat and splits at the end connection. If you find a split end just cut it back with a ulitity knife and hook it back up. It's a two minute fix that will almost certainly restore proper air flow to the defroster vents. Hope this helps.

If you have a leak that creates a spot on the driveway that fades away afer a few days I would suspect a coolant leak. Get a bit on your finger tip and touch your finger to your tongue. If it is strongly sweet, the fluid is antifreeze.
As to you lack of defrost, your problem is likely a plugged, or more likely disconnected, vacuum line. There are a series of vacuum operated flaps that direct the forced air to your floor, defrost or dash. If a line is off, the vacuum can't close the flap to redirect the air.
Check under your dash and behind the main console behind teh radio. There is a series of black rubber lines leading to the vacuum reserve (a large white plastic bubbly looking thingy), and to the various vacuum servos. Ensure that each line is connected at either end.
Cheers
JD
92 960 GLE
89 760 GLE
84 240 GLE
65 1800S
74 Jensen Healey

As for your leak, since you say it dries up quickly it's quite possible that it is nothing more than water condensation. All of the fluids that would leak out of your vehicle will leave a stain of some sort. But just to make sure you can put a folded up white paper towel under where the leak is from, and leave it there overnight to see what drips down onto it. Gas is obvious because of the smell, and ATF is obvious because of the red color. Same with the coolant, which will probably be green. If it's brown with only a light oil smell it is probably engine oil. If it's clear with no odor it's just water, and it's not a leak.

I assume you are talking about a weak defrost for the windshield and not the rear window. And you are pushing in the defrost button on the 3-way switch, correct? If so, and you still aren't getting defrost, then your vacuum actuators are not working somehow. You should be able to hear them work underneath the dashboard when you press that defrost button. Most likely you are not getting vacuum to the actuators due to a leak, probably in the hose coming off of the intake manifold. It's the line with the little white valve in it just above the manifold. Check that this valve is working correctly by taking it off and making sure that you can blow air through it in one direction and not the other. If it fails this test you can try to clean it up with some carb cleaner, but you might need to replace it. Keep following the vacuum line over to the firewall and then into the passenger compartment. Eventually it goes to the 3-way switch and then to the blower system's actuators. Check the whole length of the hoses for signs of age, cracks, etc., but especially at the ends and connections. Replace what you need to. In a pinch you can cut off a bad end and put it back on, but make a note that you'll need to replace it soon. The hoses go bad all the time, but the vacuum actuators themselves are very durable. Every so often you might see a bad 3-way switch, but again it's way more common that the lines have leaks in them.