Thank you for the reply Triggs.

I only took delivery late last night, i'll check the colour today, but from what the previous owner told me, it looks like it will be hydraulic fluid.

I **think** i read somewhere that some models of forklift use hydraulic oil to power their drivetrains, I always assumed it was "auto transmission fluid", do you know if thats a possibility ?

Thanks for the confirmation that it shouldnt slip that much when cold, my train of thought was that it could either be short of fluid or have a badly adjusted inching brake or maybe a faulty valve in the inching system, please let me know if you think that's not likely.

Thanks again.

"I don't have much experience with that exact model, maybe a caterpillar tech might chime in with specific engine info. As far as trans dipstick/fill port, check under the floorboard. I would check color and odor of the oil leaking to identify which system its leaking from. Its possible the wrong ATF was used because it shouldn't slip that much even when cold."