[MDXinATL]

I posted this a while back, but no solution was found, so I'll try again...

At the rear of the MDX, a small amount of oil drips from the bolt that hangs at the center of the spare tire. Just enough oil for a drop the size of a dime. Doesn't happen all the time, but quite frequently.

Dealer said it was from lubricant used on the spare tire cable. They cleaned it off, but the leak is still there.

Anyone have the same or similar problem?

Thanks,

Mike

 

[rvehock]

Oil Leak

I have the same problem with my MDX. I get a little oil leak under my spare tire about once every two weeks.

 

[tdnone]

Not in mine.

 

[msu79gt82]

Not a problem either ...

... and I have had the cable up and down a couple of times because we got a full size spare now.

 

[donsev]

Hey, we've had the MDX for 4 months and I *just* noticed the spare tire cable oil drip (or so I think, it is frankly so small it could have been from that pizza box that was under the car )

 

[msu79gt82]

Actually at second glance ...

... there are a few dried oil drops under the spare tire! They are not fresh and could have occured when I mounted the spare (twice!). I do not believe that it is an on-going drip, but I will watch it.

 

[acurachen]

Just found out my X has the same problem - built Fed 02'.

MDXinATL - Did you find out anything regarding this? just lubricant or something else?

Thanks

 

[DaleB]

Noticed all those posts were in August. June has been a warm month too.
There is nothing else there but the spare cable. Have not seen it yet myself.

 

[MARFONG]

Just notice a drop of oil directly under the spare tire. I could feel some oil on the center stem holding the spare tire. The drop of oil is directly below this stem.

I wonder if it's because of the record heat that we have had in the Bay Area that this is occuring now. I don't think I had this problem before this week.

 

[renov8r]

Makes sense...something to check

Just notice a drop of oil directly under the spare tire. I could feel some oil on the center stem holding the spare tire. The drop of oil is directly below this stem.

I wonder if it's because of the record heat that we have had in the Bay Area that this is occuring now. I don't think I had this problem before this week.

Lube will "wick" along the cable. In high temps the oil flows more easliy and this could explain it.

THis should not be much of problem, BUT if you get alot of fine dry dust attrached to the cable AND later in the rain/winter that dust becomes water soaked... rusty cable.

I'd put "clean & re-lube spare tire cable" on my list of semi-annual manitence checks

There are "dry" type lubes that may be better suited to this type of application than a light motor-oil/ WD-40 type 'wet' lube. A dry lube won't drip or run, nor will it attract dust BUT they also don't do as good a job of 'displacing" moisture & must be reapplied much more frequently than "wet", so you want the cable to be as clean & dry as possible. Having worked in a bike shop, I would recommend investigating the Finish Line "chain cleaners" to get the old lube off and then using a quality dry lube like ProLink or Pedro's Ice Wax.

 

[srpbep]

Got the Leak Too

My problem started AFTER I lowered the spare to replace the donut with the new full size spare.

Sooooo, for the others who HAVE the problem:

Did you ever lower your spare?

If yes, did the problem start before OR after the spare was lowered?


Note: Seems to me that we have failed to identify the cause, that is what I am trying to sort through.

 

[acurachen]

In my case, I never do anything on the spare...and it leaks.

 

[DaleB]

I've got about 5 very small drops inside the tire cover on mine. I will keep track of the number, I don't know what else to do at this point.

 

[JTM]

Guess I should go home and check. Just replaced the donut with the full size last Sunday.

 

[fvince]

Ditto...

This happened before and after I replaced the donut with a full size spare. It now leaks onto the tire cover.

I think that the lub type in the cable housing is solid while the outside temp is cool or cold. Once it gets hot , like now, the lub liquifies and drips down the cable and onto the garage floor or in my and
DaleB's case, the spare tire cover.

I think that the only way to stop this is to change the type of grease in the cable housing. For long hot summers, I would think that nearly all of the standard grease will liquidy and run out. Maybe the dealer has a different lub than is being used by the factory. Any good graphite lub should stay solid and not run and keep the cable nice and slick. However, it is not obvious how you would get the new lub where it is needed. Perhaps a dealer problem.

 

[srpbep]

Not Sure It's Simply Heat

My problem did NOT start until I swapped the spare [went to full size].

I live in So. California and we have had 100 degree [F] days prior to the changeout and no dripping. Now we have dripping.

Sooooo, I am not sure that it is simply heat. Might have something to do with "winding down" which put lubed cable "outside the gearcase". Maybe when it was rewound, the lube stayed outside [sort of scraped off as it went back into the crank mechanism] = picture a "gob of grease" now at the point where the cable enters the winding mechanism.

This is TOTAL SPECULATION -- haven't dropped the spare to inspect.

 

[Robyjo]

So is everyone satisfied with the answer? High temps seems to cause the oil on the s.t. cable to run?

I have 4 dime-sized drops on my garage floor, and was worried til I read this post (have I told you all that I love you lately? ).

Anyone have any updates?

Thanks,
Rob :31:

 

[srpbep]

Has anyone addressed this with a dealer yet? I know it is silly, but I didn't buy a $40,000 vehicle to drip oil. My 2001 Accord cost about 1/2 as much, has 3x the miles and doesn't drip oil.

Some may say I'm being crazy, but we have 3 4-footed kids and white carpet. The oil on the floor isn't a good mix.

 

[PsychoKnight]

I think its not so much the temperature

Some have the drip when its warm, but most seem to get it when they've lowered the spare once or more. My theory is that the steel cable is greased from the manufacturer, as are most sheathed steel cables. When the cable is coiled up on a spool, the oil is pooled in the spool casing. As you lower the cable you, in effect, re-oil the cable by running it through the pool of oil collected at the bottom of the casing. When my cable was fully extended, I noticed the abundance of oil on the cable and simply but gently wiped off the excess with a rag. I didn't use any kind of solvent or cleaner because I figured the oil was applied to the cable for an obvious purpose. Because of previous extractions of the cable, a barely noticeable amount has spread into the plastic retainer area, but not enough to drip. I figure that wiping up the excess will prevent a continued dripping problem.

Hey, if a typical problem that MDX owners need to complain about is 2 drops of oil from a spare tire cable, we've actually got it pretty good. I came from the Explorer forum, and wow, what a mess they (and previously I) have had to deal with!

 

[xyzzy]

Just a note to let you know that some of the Pilot owners are complaining about this same issue. Yet another shared chromasome...

Chris