here's the deal. i came home today and, while pulling into my regular parking spot in our driveway noticed that there were a few spots where something had obviously puddled up. the largest spot was about a foot in diameter with a couple 4 to 6 inch spots around it. i hadn't noticed it before, but it looks like it's happened over several times my 2002 explorer 4x4 has been parked and it's in the same place that my front end always ends up. unfortunately, i couldn't tell the color of the leak because our driveway is such a dark color. i could tell that it was oily, though. just to be safe, i took it into the dealership to have an oil change and look around to see if they could find anything. they said they couldn't find any leaks except a very, very small one on the transmission that they almost didn't notice. i'm almost certain the leak is coming from my explorer though. it looked like the puddle had been there a while and it was consistently right where my explorer is always parked. it looked to be quite a bit of fluid so i'm kind of nervous that something in my engine or drivetrain isn't getting the lubrication it should. all of the spots were near the center of the front end of my 02 4x4. i've read that axle seals can be an issue. they said the differential looked fine. any thoughts? there is a piece of cardboard under the front end already. if i get more info on the color or type of fluid i'll let you know. thanks.

 

Have you checked to see which of your fluid levels have dropped?

Power Steering Fluid
Engine Oil
Transmission Oil
Master Cylinder for Brakes
Front Differential
Overfill for Radiator - low level when cold could indicate a leak
Does AC work, if had a seal blow at connector, could have oil leak from that system, though a slim chance of producing that size puddle.

 

First, oil spreads out - a little bit looks like a lot more. Viking is right about checking your fluids. Start with your power steering pump. Is it singing when you turn? The p/s hose connections and pump are well hidden and a leak will drip down the frame and front end creating a somewhat random drip pattern.
If you're able, take a crawl underneath, visually inspect, wipe everything down, then do it again in a week. Good luck.

 

Spray the underside with brake cleaner, and check it in a few days. Don't forget about the transfer case. You have to check the level from underneath.

 

You can also take a white cloth or paper towel and dab up some of the fluid. That at least should tell you what color, if any, it is.

Also, give it the sniff test. If you still can't ID it, pull out dipsticks and smell the fluid on them. Oil and transmission fluid smell different. Coolant smells sweet, and so on.

Good luck!