I have a fairly strong gear oil smell after driving the car. I do not have any visible leaks. Is this just coming from the vent tube...what do you guys think?

 

Sounds like you need to get underneath the car and have a look around.

 

I actually did that before I posted. I cant find anything...other than a smell.

 

i would check the drivers side axle seal look at the over the axle pipe if its leaking it will throw fluid on that

 

Unless there is something different about your vent tube than most, what you are experiencing is unusual. If there aren't any leaks, and the only gear oil is in the rear differential, something is causing it to outgas more than is otherwise normal. I would try to find out what that is.

I would start by checking the differential level to be sure it was full. If it is low it is possible the remaining oil is getting hot enough to outgas and produce the vapors you're smelling. If the level is good, I would expect you will soon see evidence of a leak. I would also go ahead and change the vent on the differential to see if that gets rid of the smell.

You might also want to check the tires and underside of the car. If you happened to drive through a puddle of someone's spilled gear oil, the smell will stay with the car for a while.

Good luck... GUSTO

 

Sure it's not a Leaky Butt? I get the same smell every now and then, like today in fact. I know my`01 vert has Leaky Butt but it doesn't leak onto the floor. It blows back onto the mufflers and burns off. Take a real close look at your left hand muffler where the outlet is. It may have cooked on oil on it?

 

I will put it up on the jacks tomorrow. I almost think I drove through someone else's gear oil. I cant smell it when I am under the car, I just smell it in the presence of the car if that makes sense. Thank you for all the responses. I will check out each suggestion.

 

Problem fixed. Previous owner/shop overfilled.

 

just drove home my new 04 c5 and had this simlar smell and remebered seeing this thread. simple rear diff overfill huh?

 

 

If you're lucky. Check the rear end side cover on the driver's side as well as the axle bearing seal on the driver's side. I just repaired my 02 coupe with only 9,000 miles on it. Look for the tell-tale pattern of leakage blowing back onto the driver's side exhaust and up onto the rear underneath.

Can't believe GM didn't put any sealer on the rear end side cover.

 

just recieved service records from last owner and he reported the smell to the gm dealer back in 05 when the car had 8000 miles on it and they said they found nothing. I got it from a dealer and had no talk with the owner. the car now only has 16000 miles. I'll diffinently will check all things mentioned

 

I have to bump this. The rear diff in my car showed no signs of any of the aforementioned. So I got a level out to measure my garage. It is 95% level. So I pulled the fill plug and immediately oil came out, not just a little, a lot. I shoved the plug back into the diff. Jacked the car up where the rear end was higher than the front, then proceeded to take the fill plug out again. Oil still came out. I let it drain to the proper level. Besides what I spilled I have not smelled anything from the car. The garage floor however is another story. The previous owner took it to the dealership to have it flushed and refilled, obviously they were a little over zealous.