Mystery fluid--help?

Neognosis · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 17617 City: Webster

Ok, this is weird, but bear with me.

After my boat, a dd Wakesetter, 2003, has been sitting for a few days, a small amount of fluit accumulates to the bow side of the engine, right so that half of it is pooled in the bilge, but the pool, which is only a few inches and not very deep, also extends under the floor in the direction of the ski locker, where the balast bag is.

At first I thought it was oil. But it does not appear to be coming from the engine. It is not red like Tran. fluid, nor brown like oil, in fact, it's nearly clear, and (this is weird, but I was desperate) it tastes very sweet, like anti-freeze. But it's got the texture and viscosity of oil.

What the hell is this stuff, and where is it coming from? Any ideas? We are completely stumped.

WakeBoarder44 · Wakeboarder.Commie Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Posts: 1107

Maybe check all the fluid levels you can find.
I check them every time I before I start the engine...
Hope this helps...

Confused

Neognosis · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 17617 City: Webster

Fluid levels all normal. And the leak, whatever the heck it is, is not a large amount.

WakeBoarder44 · Wakeboarder.Commie Joined: 21 Apr 2004 Posts: 1107

Strange things going on then...
Rolling Eyes

Leggester · Posted: Apr 30, 2004 5:48 am Post subject:

How odd! What kind of lake do you board in?? :0

Do you have seom crap in the ballast sack that may be leaking?

Have you tried to light the fluid? ( take a small bit on the cement and stand back with a torch )

Ruune · Posted: Apr 30, 2004 6:06 am Post subject:

hmm... if it was an X-80, it coulda been the crapper leaking. Twisted Evil

Neognosis · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 17617 City: Webster

I am starting to suspect that it may be an anti-freeze type solution that is leaking from the balast bag. I know there is a very slow leak in the bag or one of the fittings at the bag, and I am starting to suspect that the dealer put something in those lines for winterizing. Sound plausable?

Leggester · Posted: Apr 30, 2004 6:10 am Post subject:

yep, that sounds like it. can you flush the system?

I ask mainly because iut may not be a good idea to pump that stuff out into a lake from the bilge.

prestige · Outlaw Joined: 20 Jul 2003 Posts: 133 City: Kelowna

...it tastes very sweet, like anti-freeze...

Hehe - ok, not only was it strange that you tasted this stuff, but you know what antifreeze tastes like?

Neognosis · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 17617 City: Webster

Not enough pools in the bilge to even come close to pumping it out. I have had the boat out twice in the past week, for a few hours at a time, and not enough water ever accumulated to even get anything to pump out. I'm talking maybe a half a cup of water the whole time.

Both times we filled the bag, then emptied it. There doesn't seem to be any type of slick floating on the water we pump out. It really is a very small amount of mystery fluid that shows up in the bilge after the boat has sat for a few days, maybe a tablespoon. It's just weirding me out, not knowing what it is or where it is coming from.

Before we go out, I just quickly wipe it up with a rag. Then no more leaks until a few days of sitting in the driveway. Then, sure enough, a tablespoon of clear, slimy mystery fluid again. I hope and suspect that it is coming from the pumps or bag, and will decrease with time.

I'm bringing the boat in because my spedo isn't working, and I can't get my nav lights to work either, so I'll mention it to them then. Weird, man. It's like it just appears magically from another planet or something. Sure tastes like anti-freeze, though. I probably should stop tasting it, though, as I'm starting to forget routine things like where I am and how to drive. Laughing

Brit Rider · Posted: Apr 30, 2004 6:35 am Post subject:

we get a little bit of strange liquid every now and again... I'm not sure if its the same as you but it tends to be a small amount when we come to the boat after leaving it for a few weeks... its sounds the same as what you have - we worked out it was just a mixture of water that had seaped from the floor through holes (such as the ski locker) into the hold, and taken with it a load of the crap in the carpet and the sides of the boat that it trickled down.

I never tasted it... but tit sounds like a similar thing... just stagnent water with sum random stuff in it that its picked up on its way down!

Leggester · Posted: Apr 30, 2004 6:42 am Post subject:

You may also want to pick up a "bilge buddy" to keep it soaked up.

Neognosis · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 17617 City: Webster

Legge, it's such a small amount, that it wouldn't even make it to the "bilge buddy."

Plus, it only appears after the boat has just sat, and the rest of the bilge is totally dry, so I just wipe it up with a rag. I wonder what the dealer will say. Bringing it in next Wednesday.

wesgardner · Posted: Apr 30, 2004 9:32 am Post subject:

Hey cameraboy,

I would bet it's anti-freeze...it wouldn't take much to flavor the water...you did the right thing by tasting, that's a fairly common test when working in boat yards...

Wes

snyper1d · Outlaw Joined: 28 Aug 2003 Posts: 117

Do you have a closed cooling system on your boat?

If so, it could very well be anti-freeze

Neognosis · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 17617 City: Webster

No. It's open, cooled from the lake with no closed cooling.

forwaken · Addict Joined: 28 Jan 2003 Posts: 635 City: Turlock, CA

was soda or some other sweet beverage spilled, near the center locker. Maybe it is sugar crystalizing giving the viscosity and the sweet taste. Just throwing out a dumb idea.

jflock2 · Outlaw Joined: 25 Nov 2003 Posts: 234 City: Atlanta

cameraboy, is the boat stored outside - i.e. no overhead roof?

Neognosis · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 17617 City: Webster

Yea, for the summer, meaning right now, Rolling Eyes

it's outside with the cover on it and no overhead roof. It's never left without the cover unless I'm around.

wesgardner · Posted: May 03, 2004 5:08 am Post subject:

Hey cameraboy,

I was thinking it was anti-freeze left over from when you winterized?

Wes

Neognosis · Ladies Man Joined: 13 Jan 2003 Posts: 17617 City: Webster

I'm taking the boat in to the dealer on Wednesday for some minor stuff, and I'll bring up the mystery fluid then. I'm betting it's old antifreeze leaking from the ski locker and the ballast bag.