Nick Mann
09-09-2005, 10:25 PM
Since I have had PJ's car I have had a slow rear diff oil leak.
I am doing a fluids service at the moment, so have had the chance to investigate further.
It appears that the leak is gear oil. It is plastered all over the rear diff, leaking from the seal around the drive shaft to the offside rear wheel. I looked at the amount of oil there and though 'oh dear'. I fully expected to find a dry rear diff.
Imagine my surprise when I undid the fill nut and gear oil came out! Especially as my car is jacked slightly higher at the back than the front. Nothing should have come out of the fill plug! I am guessing that well over 1 litre came out of the fill plug. I then removed the drain and got almost another litre. For a system that is supposed to take 500ml of gear oil, that is a tad surprising!
I now think that the reason the rear diff has been leaking is due to the massive overfilling of the oil in it. Hopefully the right amount of oil will solve the problem. What I can't understand is how did someone manage to get the oil filled to 1 litre above the fill plug and then put the plug in without the oil coming out? They must have removed the rear diff to fill it with oil?!?!? Or stood the car on its nose!!
I am doing a fluids service at the moment, so have had the chance to investigate further.
It appears that the leak is gear oil. It is plastered all over the rear diff, leaking from the seal around the drive shaft to the offside rear wheel. I looked at the amount of oil there and though 'oh dear'. I fully expected to find a dry rear diff.
Imagine my surprise when I undid the fill nut and gear oil came out! Especially as my car is jacked slightly higher at the back than the front. Nothing should have come out of the fill plug! I am guessing that well over 1 litre came out of the fill plug. I then removed the drain and got almost another litre. For a system that is supposed to take 500ml of gear oil, that is a tad surprising!
I now think that the reason the rear diff has been leaking is due to the massive overfilling of the oil in it. Hopefully the right amount of oil will solve the problem. What I can't understand is how did someone manage to get the oil filled to 1 litre above the fill plug and then put the plug in without the oil coming out? They must have removed the rear diff to fill it with oil?!?!? Or stood the car on its nose!!