I noticed when changing out my sending unit that there is a huge puddle of brown sludge in the spare tire well. It'* like nothing I've seen before. I thought maybe it was from a water leak, but it'* not rust down there, it'* just a thick sludge. I tried to clean it up but it'* extremely sticky and didn't want to really come up. Any ideas what it could be from? It'* not from anything spilled because I never have anything in my trunk, and it wasn't there when I bought the car two years ago. :?:

Old pop

Slime mold

Chewing tobacco spit from your spare tire gnome


Does it smell?

oddly enough, the smell reminds me of old supercharger fluid.

Does it smell like coffee? I had a goop like that in my fiero behind the dash, and it smelled like coffee.

that supports my spare tire gnome theory...

It came from outer space!!

Or, whoever you bought it from would haul bodies in the trunk... Or you?


Or, someone had a can of Fix-A-Flat discharge on them, and they failed to clean it up.

I don't believe its a mechanical issue so I'll move this to gen chat for you.


is there any of this on the spare tire?

I wonder if the spare was filled with something and then it leaked out....

I have seen rust proofing that looks kind of like that. It does stink too. Did you take the car to get rust-proofed ever?

The smell of old supercharger oil is the acrid odor of rancid fat. Could be food-residue. How about the remains of a spilled double mochachino vente latte? Lottsa fat in those. If it is fat-based, or waxy; to dissolve it, use a light oil and a roll of paper towels. PAM cooking spray works great for this. WD-40 will work also. (About the only thing it'* good for.) When the gunk is gone, finish with a soap or detergent-based cleaner like Tuff-Stuff.