We got a lot of snow on Wednesday and when I parked my car there was about 3 inches of fresh snow on the ground.

The next day after I shoveled out (a foot of snow), and backed my car out of the space I noticed several spots of very bright yellow 'pee' under the rear of the car, center. It melted the snow that was there.

Now before you say "Animal!"... there was no footprints around it! Just the yellow marks, and footprints would have definitely showed up (and not filled in by the falling snow since it was under my car)

So... what was it?

 

Could be a coolant leak.

Dave

 

I should have mentioned that it was definitely yellow, not green (antifreeze) or orange (my wiper fluid)

 

I havn't checked the color of the factory antifreeze in my MINI, but the factory antifreeze in my Volvo is yellow.

Synthetic oil might look yellow too, also some power steering fluids are yellow.

Dave

 

Maybe a squirrel took shelter under your MINI & marked his territory. MINI antifreeze is blue/green in color & it leaks from the front.

 

ummmm .... he says it is "in the rear" so any engine fluid seems to be out of the question doesn't it?

How about some rusty water run off due to melting slush & exhaust heat?

 

 

I'm sticking with my varmint pee diagnosis.

 

I would bet it was melted water that dripped from the exhaust system. I would see this on several cars I had owned, from what I noticed the water gets trapped in the rubber boots of exhaust hangers, wrinkles for catalytic converters, flexible couplings, and any overlapping joint that isn't fully welded (like many exhaust tips) it commonly runs down from all of these to the lowest point of the system and drips there.

I have also seen oil from dirt roads accumulate here as well as the salt brine that is all over the roads here in Michigan during the winter.

but I have never owned a mini (still shopping) so I could be way off.
YMMV

 

Does it look like pee?
Does it smell like pee?
Does it taste like pee?
Must be Pee.

 

As the late great Frank Zappa said "watch out where the huskies go, don't you eat that yellow snow".

 

I grew up in the frozen north and now own MiNis .... I'm betting on this one.

Last time I checked a Husky couldn't get under my MINI to pee nor would they want too . . .

 

I want to agree that it's probably condensation coming from the drain holes in the exhaust system. My MINI left the same yellow stains in the snow, almost yellow-green. My wife's SUV left the same stains in the snow and I do know for sure that her's will typically leave small puddles (2 - 3" in diameter) when warming up after a cold night.

 

I guess u could get a sample of it and bring to some lab to get the answer...

 

 

I saw an old post mentioning Cosmoline coating on exhaust and other parts...waxy rust preventer that tends to drip neon yellow after driving in snow/salted roads...Ive seen it under my R53 this year and in recent winters here in NY

 

Thanks for confirming!

 

If your 06 is still dripping cos' then give MINI their due

altho many have bashed them because of drips after purchase ... if it is STILL dripping from an 06 you can NOT fault them for poor coverage now can you? Remember this IS a coating to prefent rust.

 

Had the same thing happen to me when we had the first snow storm here

Just rechecked all your fluid levels and if they are all ok then it probably is rusty water.
I never actually spotted where it came from put all my fluids were ok and still are.

Isn't the radiator coolant yellow ???

 

Definitely not from the front of the car, rather from the exact centre, down towards the back. Bright neon yellow. The car was stuck floating on deep snow, when we managed to move it, that yellow (not golden) snow appeared. I'm not smelling it, I'm not tasting it, I'm not touching it. I was going to ask the mechanic, but maybe I won't rush after reading the above.

Thanks!

 

Are there any other Minis around? It may just be marking it's territory!

 

Sounds like a varmint with an enlarged prostate! Tell em to lay off the spicy foods.