I have a 2002 V6 LSE with around 81k miles. On the way home from work tday, I noticed a slight tapping noise from under the hood that was rpm related. The noise went away within half a mile, and then came back on when I pulled in my driveway. i got out and noticed what I thought was oil sprayed around under the hood. It was also dripping from under the car. Upon further examination, it looks like it was the ATF for the hydraulic fan. The reservoir was close to the bottom. The noise is intermittent. I started the car back up, and it is not running hot at all according to the gauge (it goes to half way but does not pass). I am trying to find where the leak is coming from but am not having much luck. In addition, my ac has been hit or miss lately and I didnt know if this was related. It will blow cold for a while, and then only cool. It also takes a while for the ac to cool down initially. It sounds like the fan is spinning, and it turns freely by hand. Do the leak and the ac sound related? Do you think it is a hose or the fan or pump going out:? The tapping noise sounded almost like a bad bearing. THanks

has anyone had this noise before?

update to the situation- the fan does kick on but still cant find the leak. I checked the refrigerant level on the air and it was in the red. Could the lack of good ac be fan related? The compressor isnt kicking on right away when the ac is on.

anyone have any ideas? im thinking of converting to electric to get rid of this hydraulic situation. I read about using the flex a lite 3300 cfm fan, but there are some bad reviews of it online. Anyone using a different fan?