Corey Rineer

So today I thought I could drive my Porsche 98 boxster in the snow with now problem, I didn't even make it off my road finding myself sliding into a bank, I'm going to have to get a new front fender, but I noticed light brown syrupy liquid dripping right behind where the radiator sits. It stopped and only leaked a little but I have no clue what to do. I'm not sure to drive it or not or what the fluid was for or how to replace it please helpppp.

Macster

Probably a busted radiator or perhaps a busted A/C condenser (or both), and much less likely to be power steering fluid.

(Years ago hit some road debris -- tire carcass (Detroit Alligator) -- and busted a radiator (down low where the return hose fitting is). Can't recall now if the condenser on that side was also damaged. I think not.)

Thus the light brown syrupy liquid then is either (yucky) coolant or A/C compressor oil.

If coolant it should be water soluble. Get some on your fingers and see if the stuff dissolves in water. If it does it is probably coolant. If not it is probably compressor oil.

I don't think you could have damaged the power steering system which would be Pentosin which I think is water soluble too. But the fluid is probably black by now.

Until you get the car fixed you should not drive the car.

You need to remove the front bumper cover and determine what is damaged.

Removing the bumper cover is tricky in that there are a lot of fasteners and where these go is important.

The A/C condenser or radiator can be replaced. The work -- just a few bolts -- is not that difficult but if the condenser is intact you want to avoid disconnecting its A/C lines unless you have the means to evacuate the A/C system of its refrigerant and compressor oil before hand.

Before removing the radiator you probably want to drain the coolant and capture it. You probably should replace the old coolant with fresh. Be sure to dispose of the old stuff correctly.

Once you have the new radiator installed and you are sure the hardware and radiator fan are undamaged then refilling the cooling system is a bit of work.

Porsche techs use a vacuum lift system which pulls a real low pressure on the cooling system -- the rubber radiator hoses collapse -- and then switch off the vacuum and switch to a reservoir of fresh coolant vented to atmosphere. With the extremely low pressure in the cooling the atmospheric air pressure pushes the fluid from the reservoir into the engine cooling system just like magic and with some care with no air pockets.

However it is my opinion this repair is beyond your capabilities -- no shame in that (I've had a shop replace radiators in both my Boxster and Turbo) -- and you should arrange to get the car to a place that has a good rep repairing these cars.