Warning...............
Thread Starter
Pro
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 631
Likes: 3
From: Joppa AL
Warning...............
Don't get over confidant in your wrenching ability. I recently changed the diff fluid in my C5 and found a spot on the garage floor afterwards. When I put it back on the lift I found the leak to be coming from the fill plug.
I didn't see anything wrong with this fill plug gasket but it certainly did leak. :o If I did it again I would get a new gasket before I started. Since my small town dealer would never stock a part like that, I went to Autozone and got an assortment of drain plug gaskets. Seems to have done the trick. So I guess the moral to this story is you're never too old to learn.
I didn't see anything wrong with this fill plug gasket but it certainly did leak. :o If I did it again I would get a new gasket before I started. Since my small town dealer would never stock a part like that, I went to Autozone and got an assortment of drain plug gaskets. Seems to have done the trick. So I guess the moral to this story is you're never too old to learn.
Tech Contributor
Joined: Dec 1999
Posts: 32,910
Likes: 2,402
From: Anthony TX
CI 6,7,8,9,11 Vet
St. Jude Donor '08
Yep. It happens to the best of us.
How do you think I felt when I recently changed the rear end fluid. When I was all done and was draining the old fluid out of the drain catch pan into a funnel and found sealing ring in there?????
The ring sticks to the differential case and falls off sometime during the draining process.
Had to remove the plug, retain the NEW fluid in the rear, slip the ring on the plug, reinstall the plug back in the drain hole without loosing any fluid!
The rear end is maintained under a slight vacuum when cold and when you first remove the plug, not much leaks out.
Only lost an Oz or so of fluid!
BC
How do you think I felt when I recently changed the rear end fluid. When I was all done and was draining the old fluid out of the drain catch pan into a funnel and found sealing ring in there????? The ring sticks to the differential case and falls off sometime during the draining process.
Had to remove the plug, retain the NEW fluid in the rear, slip the ring on the plug, reinstall the plug back in the drain hole without loosing any fluid!
The rear end is maintained under a slight vacuum when cold and when you first remove the plug, not much leaks out.
Only lost an Oz or so of fluid! BC
Racer
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 420
Likes: 0
From: Orange Park (Jacksonville) FL
Don't feel bad.
I pay a mechanic to do my mods and other repairs to my cars.
Somehow, everytime I try to do something to my car, I always screw it up and it winds up costing me more than if I had just had the mechanic fix it. :o
Fortunately, my mechanic is a friend of mine and loves working on my cars, so I can trust the work he does....
I pay a mechanic to do my mods and other repairs to my cars.
Somehow, everytime I try to do something to my car, I always screw it up and it winds up costing me more than if I had just had the mechanic fix it. :o
Fortunately, my mechanic is a friend of mine and loves working on my cars, so I can trust the work he does....
Burning Brakes
Joined: Apr 2007
Posts: 763
Likes: 1
From: Oceanside Ca
Fluid Change?
Yep. It happens to the best of us. How do you think I felt when I recently changed the rear end fluid. When I was all done and was draining the old fluid out of the drain catch pan into a funnel and found sealing ring in there?????
The ring sticks to the differential case and falls off sometime during the draining process.
Had to remove the plug, retain the NEW fluid in the rear, slip the ring on the plug, reinstall the plug back in the drain hole without loosing any fluid!
The rear end is maintained under a slight vacuum when cold and when you first remove the plug, not much leaks out. Only lost an Oz or so of fluid!
BC
How do you think I felt when I recently changed the rear end fluid. When I was all done and was draining the old fluid out of the drain catch pan into a funnel and found sealing ring in there????? The ring sticks to the differential case and falls off sometime during the draining process.
Had to remove the plug, retain the NEW fluid in the rear, slip the ring on the plug, reinstall the plug back in the drain hole without loosing any fluid!
The rear end is maintained under a slight vacuum when cold and when you first remove the plug, not much leaks out.
Only lost an Oz or so of fluid! BC
I have had the Coolant and Brake Fluid changed at my GM Dealership so far. My next door neighbor works in sales there so I get treated like royalty at the service department. Back to topic, I have an A4 transmission with about 43,000 miles on the odometer. Should I change the differential fluid myself and then have the dealer change the A4 fluid? It sounds like I can do the differential myself just with jack stands at home? Once of course I get a new drainplug washer. I did my own brakes and all of my own oil changes. With all of the threads about how you check your ATF level with the car running, I would rather let the GM service department handle that? Thanks for your input and any of the input from any of the other forum members who have changed their own differential fluid and ATF fluid.
BTW, I know that 43,000 may be premature but the cost of the fluid is so cheap that it seems worth the effort to have new fresh fluid in a 2001.
Melting Slicks
Joined: Jan 2007
Posts: 3,103
Likes: 7
From: Sandy Ego Ca.
Don't feel bad.
I pay a mechanic to do my mods and other repairs to my cars.
Somehow, everytime I try to do something to my car, I always screw it up and it winds up costing me more than if I had just had the mechanic fix it.
Fortunately, my mechanic is a friend of mine and loves working on my cars, so I can trust the work he does....
I pay a mechanic to do my mods and other repairs to my cars.
Somehow, everytime I try to do something to my car, I always screw it up and it winds up costing me more than if I had just had the mechanic fix it.
Fortunately, my mechanic is a friend of mine and loves working on my cars, so I can trust the work he does....
Just like dirty harry said...
"A Man's GOT to know his limatations!"
