Engine Compartment Light/Cutch Slave Cylinder

[88Ngone]

Hi all,

Had a few questions about my Delorean. Before I start, I just want to state that I do have the Delorean workshop manuals and a very basic understanding of cars, but I cant state enough that its a very basic knowledge....i.e. dont work on the cars electrics without disconnecting the battery first, oil changes, spark plugs, etc. I do enjoy getting my hands dirty and working on the car, I just dont have a lot of mechanical knowledge. So please forgive me in advance as I ask many questions. Also I take no offense if you literally break things down for me in baby terms!

Here goes:
1. Im working to replace the engine compartment light as it never worked. I have the new setup from DMC to include the bracket and lightbulb, but am having a difficult time understanding what activates the light? Is it when I open the compartment using the T-handle behind the drivers seat? I pulled out the old setup, and the old lightbulb tested good for continuity, and the connections look good.....what obvious thing am I missing?

2. Recently I have noticed a small drop or 2 of brake fluid under the engine compartment on my garage floor right where the transmission connects to the engine. Im no expert, but looking at diagrams and researching it seems like the only logical component that would carry brake fluid in that area would be the clutch, specifically the slave cylinder.......however, again, im no expert. Is there anything else in that location that could be leaking brake fluid? Any usual suspects? I checked the clutch resevoir and it still seems pretty full. Additionally the car operates and shifts fine, so if it is the slave cylinder leaking, how concerned should I be with only a few drops here or there? Truth be told id check the slave cylinder, but I cant figure out where to see it from the engine compartment or underneath the car......told you I lacked basic knowledge.

Trust me I know I didnt explain everything the best, so if you need clarification, let me know and ill do my best to make sense!! Thanks in advance for your help and advice.

Very respectfully,
Jared

[Jonathan]

Hi all,

Had a few questions about my Delorean. Before I start, I just want to state that I do have the Delorean workshop manuals and a very basic understanding of cars, but I cant state enough that its a very basic knowledge....i.e. dont work on the cars electrics without disconnecting the battery first, oil changes, spark plugs, etc. I do enjoy getting my hands dirty and working on the car, I just dont have a lot of mechanical knowledge. So please forgive me in advance as I ask many questions. Also I take no offense if you literally break things down for me in baby terms!

No need to apologize. Not for being new and certainly not for asking questions. That's why the forum is here, so fire away!


Here goes:
1. Im working to replace the engine compartment light as it never worked. I have the new setup from DMC to include the bracket and lightbulb, but am having a difficult time understanding what activates the light? Is it when I open the compartment using the T-handle behind the drivers seat? I pulled out the old setup, and the old lightbulb tested good for continuity, and the connections look good.....what obvious thing am I missing?


Switch for the engine bay light is described here:

http://dmctalk.org/showthread.php?10336-Assorted-helpful-technical-photos&p=205863&viewfull=1#post205863

Have a look at what yours is doing and report back. It is not uncommon for one or both of the connectors to have been unplugged from the bottom of the switch if a previous owner had trouble getting it to shut off and wasn't sure how to sort it out. Plug them back in and see what happens. Give the light fixture a love tap or two if needed as well. Mine still needs a little convincing to come on at times no matter how well I try and snug up the connections inside it.

Someone else will have to give you advice on your manual trans issues. Auto transmission kinda guy myself :)

[eight8toy]

2. Recently I have noticed a small drop or 2 of brake fluid under the engine compartment on my garage floor right where the transmission connects to the engine. Im no expert, but looking at diagrams and researching it seems like the only logical component that would carry brake fluid in that area would be the clutch, specifically the slave cylinder.......however, again, im no expert. Is there anything else in that location that could be leaking brake fluid? Any usual suspects? I checked the clutch resevoir and it still seems pretty full. Additionally the car operates and shifts fine, so if it is the slave cylinder leaking, how concerned should I be with only a few drops here or there? Truth be told id check the slave cylinder, but I cant figure out where to see it from the engine compartment or underneath the car......told you I lacked basic knowledge.

Trust me I know I didnt explain everything the best, so if you need clarification, let me know and ill do my best to make sense!! Thanks in advance for your help and advice.

Very respectfully,
Jared

Are you sure it's not the rear main seal? If it truly is brake fluid then I'd say get it fixed sooner rather than later since that stuff eats away the frame's epoxy coat. I just pulled my gas tank pan off last week and you can see how bad it is to the paint!
49875

[DavidProehl]

Are you sure it's not the rear main seal? If it truly is brake fluid then I'd say get it fixed sooner rather than later since that stuff eats away the frame's epoxy coat. I just pulled my gas tank pan off last week and you can see how bad it is to the paint!


Because the OP asked to break things down, I'm going to break this post down further.

The rear main seal is between the engine and the transmission (exactly where you say your drip is). This is a VERY common location for minor oil leaks. In fact, my car has had a minor leak here the entirety of my ownership. If it is oil, you may want to live with it as you'll have to drop the transmission to replace the seal.

If you know with 100% certainty what you are seeing isn't oil, then you are likely looking at a leaky slave cylinder. You should replace both the master and the slave at the same time. If one goes, the other will follow soon. Also, if you still have the nylon clutch line that connects them, replace that as well with a braided stainless version.

[David T]

Check the level of brake fluid in the clutch reservoir. It is next to the fuel filler. If it is going down your slave cylinder is leaking. If the slave cylinder is leaking you should replace both the master and slave and if you still have the plastic clutch line it should also be replaced with the S/S one. Look at the brake master cylinder reservoir. If the fluid looks dark and thick you should flush and bleed the brakes. Use Castrol DOT 4 brake fluid.

[SS Spoiler]

HA! the other Dave beat you to it....

[88Ngone]

Thanks for the advisement guys! So here's an update, its definitley brake fluid and not oil. I actually found the slave cylinder and had my family operate the clutch while I watched it engage and disengage numerous times. I didnt see any obvious leaking, but I did notice the rubber boot and seal around the cylinder wasnt seating properly (attached pictures). I got the seals back on properly and am currently monitoring it. Additionally, I did check the resevoir and it still had plenty of fluid. To be safe though I did top it off with Dot 4. Not sure if the seals were the problem......but one can hope.

In regards to the light, I pulled apart the switch and the connections were all gunked up. I tried to clean them, however, the switch was so brittle it just started to fall apart. My guess is that the switch was the problem, but ill have to order a new one to be sure.

Ill keep yall posted on the leak and light switch to see if that fixes the problem.

Thanks again!

[Jonathan]

In regards to the light, I pulled apart the switch and the connections were all gunked up. I tried to clean them, however, the switch was so brittle it just started to fall apart. My guess is that the switch was the problem, but ill have to order a new one to be sure.

If you want to test your theory, you can just jumper those two wire ends together. Use a short piece of wire if they still have those female connectors on, or just touch the bare wires together if they don't.

I don't recommend this because it'd be more of a hassle than for what it's worth, but you could take out the switch from the glovebox that controls the light in there and see if it works on the engine bay light. It is the same switch (and part number).

[David T]

I would not waste much time on the light in the engine bay. Most owners leave it disconnected. If it stays on for too long the plastic softens and the brass contacts touch, blowing the fuse. The light doesn't provide much useful light anyway. Most often the problem is the switch, it falls apart.