Can a Car Leak Fluids After Rear-End Collision – Consequences And Fixes

If you drive a car, it is common to have a collision with another vehicle or some massive object. Here is a serious call to you! This is not a big deal, just a tiny scratch. Unlike your thoughts, there can be a severe issue: fluid leakage. It might not be visible immediately because jerk is only sometimes that strong.  

Fluid leakage does not seem a big problem, but if you know its consequences, you will come across that it can cause significant trouble. So, you must address the issue of Rear-End Collision with the automotive expert. 

In this article, we will discuss these fluid leaks that can happen after a rear-end collision. We’ll talk about the diagnosis and solution of this problem.

Consequences of a Rear-End Collision:

Your car collides with any vehicle or some tree or hill from the back end, and your car gets a scratch or a dent – not a big deal, right? The external or visible damage is minor; we agree it is easily repairable. The jerk that a car gets from an intense collision can lead to serious internal issues. 

 How Does a Fluid Leak Occur After Rear End Collision?

The question can arise in your mind,” How can a simple collision result in fluid leakage?” 

The force that is exerted on the car during collision results in fluid leakage. Not every jerk needs to cause this leakage. But when your car bumper gets a forceful jerk, it results in leakage. The stronger the jerk is, the higher the chance of causing leakage problems.

Jerk results in shockwaves through your vehicle. These shockwaves are not visible, but they can create havoc on your car’s internal system.

1. Engine Oil Leakage After Rear End Collision:

First of all, let us discuss the most essential oil of the vehicle, Engine oil. This golden liquid helps the engine to move the car smoothly. When your vehicle collides from the rear end, it does not seem like a big problem. The exerted force can even damage the engine internally by leaking this fluid.

Detection:

How can you diagnose this issue? First, you should keep checking whether any dark liquid is dripping out of the car. When you move your car from its place, you must notice if there’s a liquid present over there.

Interestingly, you can detect engine oil leakage immediately using your sense of smell. If there is an odor of oil in the car or near the vehicle, do not ignore it. Do sort it out by calling your mechanic.

How to fix it?

First, you have to check which part of the engine is causing the leakage. It can be a defective seal, faulty oil filter, damaged oil pan, or broken valve cover gasket. Normally, you can fix the engine oil leakage issue by the replacement of these parts, or adding a reliable lubricant can prevent your engine from further damage. 

 2. Transmission Fluid Leakage After Rear End Collision:

Transmission fluid works for the smooth switching of the gears of your car. If your vehicle collides from the rear end, the strong jerk can mess up this beneficial fluid by leaking out. As a result, the shifting of gears becomes challenging. And when you are unable to switch the gear on time, you can imagine how harmful it can be.

Diagnosis:

Here, I will tell you a little trick to detect the leakage of transmission fluid. Put a hard paper or a piece of cardboard under your car for a few hours, or you can do it overnight. After the said time, if there are some spots on the piece, it means that an issue has occurred.

If the gears automatically shift, it is a sign of a red flag. It directly indicates the leakage of the transmission fluid.

 Just let the mechanic examine your car and fix the leakage so that your gears can work smoothly again.

Quick Solution:

First of all, check if the bolts of the pan are tightened enough. If they are not, tight them properly with the help of a wrench. If there is a misalignment in the parts of the transmission system, correct it.  A rear collision can also affect the gasket and seal. Resealing and changing gaskets can also fix this problem. You just have to check the origin of the problem.

3. Coolant/Antifreeze leakage After Rear End Collision :

When the car is constantly functional, its engine gets very hot. At this point, coolant comes into action to prevent the engine from heat and cooling it down. If the coolant is not available, the car cannot travel for long routes. When a car gets rear-ended in a collision, the exerted force can also affect this coolant system by its leakage. Ultimately, the engine is not able to get enough cooling to function smoothly, and its performance is retarded.

Diagnosis:

Cars have a temperature gauge to keep a check on the engine. When this gauge gives a higher reading than usual, it means that your engine is overheated. This is all because of the coolant deficiency caused by its leakage after the collision.

Quick Fix:

If your car engine heats up, it means that there is a deficiency in the coolant. You can fix this issue by adding water to the coolant reservoir but this solution will not protect the engine, unlike coolant. Ultimately, you have to add coolant as a long-term fix.

 4. Brake Fluid leaks After Rear End Collision:

The brakes cannot perform its function without the brake fluid. After the collision with some massive object, your brakes may fail due to the leakage of this fluid. The availability of this fluid is essential for your safety. If the car brakes fail, you can imagine how dangerous it could be. The leakage of this fluid can even lead to death.

Diagnosis:

How to detect the leakage of the brake fluid? If you use the brakes and they make a weird noise or feel spongy, take it seriously. It is an alert that your car’s brake fluid is leaking out or is decreased.

Quick Fix:

Again you have to find the defective part or the part that is causing leakage. Removing the defective component ( calipers or master cylinder) can solve the problem easily. 

5. Power Steering Fluid leaks After Rear End Collision:

Here comes another very crucial fluid for the smooth running of a car. Power Steering fluid shows its magic while taking turns. It helps your car tires to turn smoothly. But when the car gets a strong jerk from the rear, it can affect wheel turning by leakage of this fluid.

Diagnosis:

If you feel like you are fighting with the steering to turn the wheels or the steering feels harder to move, that’s the primary sign of steering fluid leakage. Call the mechanic so that he fixes the power steering issue and your car can take turns sharply.

Quick Solution:

The products like power steering stop leak additives can fix the issue for the time being. Purchase the additive bottle from a reliable store and pour it into a fluid reservoir. But this solution does not work for long and you have to consult the mechanic for a permanent solution as there may be a need for a part replacement.

Wrapping Up the Article:

In this article, we have discussed a major issue that can occur after a rear-end collision.

We strongly emphasize that you keep a check on irregular behaviors of your car so that you can fix the issue. A timely solution to the fluid leakage problem is crucial for your safety, as negligence can even lead to death. According to our suggested methods, if you ever suspect any fluid leakage, immediately rush to the expert.