Need help identifying this leak
 

Need help in identifying this leak that I noticed today. I've had this Ranger for about a year now, with minial issues. Still learning the ins-and-outs of this truck, which part is this liquid coming from? Like the picture caption says, the fluid has no odor and seems watery. Any advice and tips would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.ran...2b7b264ebc.jpg

Welcome to the forum

Its the muffler and it is water

When you burn gasoline(H) with air(O) you get a by-product of H2O(water) along with other more nasty stuff, lol

So the exhaust has water vapor in it, this is why exhaust systems rust, usually from the inside out, and why water drips from the tail pipe on all cars
This water vapor will condense on cooler parts of the exhaust system, so if you drive on short trips the muffler never warms up and so water condenses inside it, and will eventually rust thru and start to leak out.
On longer trips the muffler gets heated up enough to turn that liquid water back into a vapor and send most of it out the tail pipe
This also depends on outside air temps, in the winter the colder outside air cools exhaust system more so more internal condensation
Cat converters are self heated, they "burn" unused fuel to self heat, but they can still suffer from condensation on short trips

Not much you can do about it if trips are short, it is what it is

Some mufflers come with a drain hole already in place to prevent this type of build up of water inside, yours may, it is just clogged up
Never done it myself but you can drill a hole yourself for a drain, just in muffler NOT Cats
Google: drill hole in muffler to drain water

@RonD

That makes lots of sense, thanks! I drive about 50 miles a day for work. Do you recommend me drilling a hole in the back, rear or to just replace the muffler entirely?

Thanks.

Sure I would drill a hole, muffler is already rusting inside so can't really hurt anything

Liquid water runs downhill so lowest point is where it would collect, and that's where hole would go, may have to check it every month or so, push a wire thru the hole to make sure it isn't clogged

50miles should be enough to heat up the muffler.
Is the engine temp gauge going up to just under 1/2 way after 5 to 8 minutes of drive time?
So 190deg thermostat is working as it should

Cooler running engine means more water vapor in exhaust system, also lowers MPG, so costs you $$

@RonD

That's weird because the leak is coming from the front of the muffler, when I would think the lowest point is the lower rear of the muffler. Yes, engine temp gauge is halfway after about 5 minutes of drive time, thermostat and thermostat housing were recently changed. Ok, I'll drill a small hole and drain it all out. Thanks!

Rusting needs water AND air, so most rusting would occur at the place where BOTH were present, so at the "water line" not "under water"