Coolant on top of engine

[TheColonel]

Looking for a bit of advice please. I have recently bought a 2001 3.0 V6 SE and have noticed some water/coolant? on top of the engine in a couple of recesses where cables are anchored and a coolant pipe passes over as well – Photos attached. Have felt along the pipe and cannot feel any wetness along it. Will monitor it but wondered if anyone else has had the same scenario.
Any advice gratefully received.
Michael

[mike020150]

if you've just bought the car, obviously it will be difficult to know if the water is coolant (is it the same colour as the coolant?) or simply the result of over-enthusiastic cleaning/standing in the rain. Dry it completely and then see if it returns and/or the coolant level drops. Apart from ageing hoses, coolant leaks from split coolant header tanks on S-Types are far from unknown. Mike.

[TheColonel]

if you've just bought the car, obviously it will be difficult to know if the water is coolant (is it the same colour as the coolant?) or simply the result of over-enthusiastic cleaning/standing in the rain. Dry it completely and then see if it returns and/or the coolant level drops. Apart from ageing hoses, coolant leaks from split coolant header tanks on S-Types are far from unknown. Mike.

Hello Mike,

Thanks for the reply. It looks like a case of ageing hoses/joints. The car hasn’t been used much in the last 6 months since the owner passed away and I’ve done 1k in a month so it’s had a bit of a shock. I’ve attached a photos of where its leaking from – it’s the T joint with the paper towel under it. I did dry it and check after the next run and it reappeared. I did move the jubilee clip but it still leaked. Thanks for the warning about header tanks splitting.
Regards,
Michael

[TheColonel]

T joint where leak is.