Something leaking???

[MSM_M3LR]

So on my way home today, the guy in the lane next to me smashed into a wooden pallet in his lane sending shrapnel flying at the front of my car. I immediately heard dragging and had to pull over. Pieces of the pallet had broken the plastic under tray and were lodged. I removed them and drove home to the sound of scraping plastic. I put the car up on ramps when I got home and cut off the broken part of the under tray and noticed something had been leaking. I took a peak and it looked like it was leaking from above the axle? See pics below. Any ideas???

 

[rrolsbe]

I believe that is a picture of the electric differential oil pump and the leak appears to be oil not coolant. If I remember correctly, that oil flows through a heat exchanger that is located on the top side of the motor(s). The other side of that heat exchanger has coolant flowing though. There is two O-rings on the oil pump that can sometimes develop a slow leak that you might not notice until you remove the aero-shield (or have a pallet remove it for you). You may not have damaged anything other than the aero shield and had an existing leak prior to the incidence; however, I would inspect thing very closely. On my 2018 Model 3, I installed an aftermarket metal aero-shield because it was even more flimsy than the hard plastic ones on the newer vehicles.

 

[MSM_M3LR]

I believe that is a picture of the electric differential oil pump and the leak appears to be oil not coolant. If I remember correctly, that oil flows through a heat exchanger that is located on the top side of the motor(s). The other side of that heat exchanger has coolant flowing though. There is two O-rings on the oil pump that can sometimes develop a slow leak that you might not notice until you remove the aero-shield (or have a pallet remove it for you). You may not have damaged anything other than the aero shield and had an existing leak prior to the incidence; however, I would inspect thing very closely. On my 2018 Model 3, I installed an aftermarket metal aero-shield because it was even more flimsy than the hard plastic ones on the newer vehicles.

Thanks for the reply!

I have a service scheduled next Friday to drop the car off and have them take a look. I also purchased a metal aero shield. I haven't put it on yet as I don't want them to give me a hard time for aftermarket parts, and the existing heat shield has oil all over it so perhaps it will help them trace the leak. I am going to ask them to throw what is left of the aero shield away but make sure I get the bolts back so I can install the metal aero shield after I pick up the car.