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Rearend leaking, anyone experience this lately?

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Old Jun 21, 2002 | 03:51 PM
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Default Rearend leaking, anyone experience this lately?

I noticed a couple of oil spots under my car on the garage floor last night. Appears to be coming from my rearend, although I can't tell where. Wherever it came from it traveled down to the bottom most bolt on the rear end and then to the ground. It also got on my rear cross member and some of the wiring harness. Washed it off, and will watch it, but I hate to have to bring it in to service if I really don't have to. It is tough to get this monster on the racks, and those guys always getting grease on something. I only have 9,000 miles on my car, and I am real, real easy on it, so i don't quite know why it is having a problem.

Major bummer.
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Old Jun 21, 2002 | 06:55 PM
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Default Re: Rearend leaking, anyone experience this lately? (bwhitmore)

Do a search but I think this is a common problem with a rough (un-finished) surface on one of the differential parts.
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Old Jun 21, 2002 | 07:33 PM
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Default Re: Rearend leaking, anyone experience this lately? (bwhitmore)

Yeah, this problem has been around since 1997! GM just ignores most C5 problems like this.

The C5 diff assembly is a German (Getrag) made piece and I guess GM figures that it's NOT their problem to find a better way to seal these units.

If yours is like most, the left side (drivers side) diff cover is leaking. Your dealer will have to install a new o-ring on the diiff to side cover connection. It took my dealer about 6 hours to fix the leak.

Tom
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Old Jun 21, 2002 | 09:47 PM
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Default Re: Rearend leaking, anyone experience this lately? (bwhitmore)

Just got mine back last week. They replaced all the seals in the differential. No leaks so far. :D
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Old Jun 22, 2002 | 09:02 AM
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Default Re: Rearend leaking, anyone experience this lately? (JQUEST)

Have you serviced (oil change) the car recently? If so, and they checked and filled differential, they often overfill it and extra blows out. If so, it will stop.
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Old Jun 22, 2002 | 09:15 AM
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Default Re: Rearend leaking, anyone experience this lately? (bwhitmore)

My 99 had the leaky left axle seal at around 9,000 miles.
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Old Jun 22, 2002 | 05:03 PM
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Default Re: Rearend leaking, anyone experience this lately? (Tom/99)

Sure enough, it is leaking from the driver's side of the diff. I have not had it serviced recently, and since I tend to do it myself anyway, I haven't topped off the rear diff fluid, so I don;t believe it is overflow.

For those that do add their own diff fluid, and it looks like I should now soon before getting it into the dealer, where do you fill it, and what type of fluid are you using?
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Old Jun 22, 2002 | 06:51 PM
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Default Re: Rearend leaking, anyone experience this lately? (bwhitmore)

Mine was dry before my last dealer service. I called the dealer after noticing the left side looked wet. The tech mentioned that during a GM Goodwrench Plus Oil change they check and top off all the fluids. Seems the diff was over filled. At least he was honest. he said to monitor it for a few weeks and it should stop, if not bring it back for major warranty work.

No drops on the floor so it can't be "LEAKING" too bad. I wiped it clean while it was up on a lift and will monitor.

Tom
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[Modified by AFVETTE, 4:52 PM 6/22/2002]
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Old Jun 22, 2002 | 07:59 PM
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Default Re: Rearend leaking, anyone experience this lately? (AFVETTE)

Very common. Left/Driver side normally. Mine went out at 10k and looks like I need to do it again now at 32k miles. Big O-Ring. Guess I'll change my fluid again too.
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Old Jun 22, 2002 | 11:28 PM
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Default Re: Rearend leaking, anyone experience this lately? (MelloYellow)

Very common. Left/Driver side normally. Mine went out at 10k and looks like I need to do it again now at 32k miles. Big O-Ring. Guess I'll change my fluid again too.
Same here. Took it to the dealer around 15K to get fixed and now I have to take it in again at 26K...and it's been leaking slowly for awhile.
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