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Can someone confirm that the z51 is just as easy to drain or fill?
There are some metal lines right in front of the hole, then the large sway bar is there as well. I honestly don't see (on Z51 anyway) how someone can get under there w/out lifting it up. I used a 3" socket extension plus a pivoting piece to get over and around the bar and lines and into the fill plug. Not hard, just not a lot of room. Not sure if these pieces are there on the non Z51 or not. Either way its a 5 min job to check it including jacking the car up, not a big deal.
I just read my owners manual and it states that the fill level is 13mm below the threads of the fill plug and that no oil needs to be added unless it is below that level. Maybe we create more problems than we actually solve ?
Funny, my owners manual says
"If the level is below the bottom of the full plug hole, some lubricant will need to be added..Add enough lubricant to raise the level to the bottom of the fill plug hole"
I contemplated Texhawk's idea of using compressed air, but decided to try the Hopkins spout since I was passing by an AutoZone earlier in the day and the cost was practically nothing. This device worked, but the standard plastic hose kinked easily and in tight quarters made the job a PITA. I would advise that you try Texhawk's procedure, especially if you already have the raw materials to implement it like I did. When I eventually change the fluid I'll go that route instead.
Using the air compressor allows you to set the bottle on the ground instead of wrestling with it under the car, and it also lets you watch the level in the bottle to see how much fluid has been transferred.
I just read my owners manual and it states that the fill level is 13mm below the threads of the fill plug and that no oil needs to be added unless it is below that level. Maybe we create more problems than we actually solve ?
I just read my owners manual and it states that the fill level is 13mm below the threads of the fill plug and that no oil needs to be added unless it is below that level. Maybe we create more problems than we actually solve ?
The 2014 manual states that if the fluid level is not at the bottom of the fill hole, add fluid until it is. Feel better?
The 2014 Service Manual states on page 7-79, Check the differential fluid level. It should be even with the bottom of the fill plug hole to no lower than 13 mm (0.50 in) below the opening. Does not say to fill to the bottom of the hole if below. FWIW. Obviously it's not super critical as one might expect with gears churning and flinging oil all over inside the case!
The 2014 Service Manual states on page 7-79, Check the differential fluid level. It should be even with the bottom of the fill plug hole to no lower than 13 mm (0.50 in) below the opening. Does not say to fill to the bottom of the hole if below. FWIW. Obviously it's not super critical as one might expect with gears churning and flinging oil all over inside the case!
So the 2014 Service Manual and the 2014 Owners Manual have different criteria for adequate fill level.
See post #24 for 2014 Owners Manual recommendation.
So the 2014 Service Manual and the 2014 Owners Manual have different criteria for adequate fill level.
See post #24 for 2014 Owners Manual recommendation.
Not surprising. The Service Manual came out 1 1/2 years later but that by itself does not make it right! However as you note in post 24 it is the same statement as in the 2016 manual.
I'm reminded of the 2014 Owner's Manual conflicting statements about jump starting the car from the engine compartment! The front general section said you could but where it said how to, only referred to at the battery. I had questioned the size of the wire where posters said was the proper place. The Chevy folks who monitor the forum were told by their "sources" when I asked in a PM, that the manual was right. When I asked where you should jump from under the hood, their "sources" would not say! In the 2016 manual it's clear! They eliminated any reference to jump starting in the engine compartment!
Can someone confirm that the z51 is just as easy to drain or fill?
Ben Casey, It is easy to drain but a pain in the a-- to get the fill plug in or out. The anti-sway bar runs right in front of the fill plug making it more than a little difficult to remove and install the fill plug. Just so you know it is doable just not simple.
Another created solution, for a problem that doesn't exist for most.
GM may have realized that with the fluid level 1/2" below the fill hole, there is less chance that fluid will leak past the half shaft seals like the C5s had a problem with.
Every differential and manual transmission I have ever had was supposed to be filled until it came up to the bottom of the hole.
The GM service manual says the level SHOULD be at the bottom of the fill hole, and no more than 1/2" below the hole. This wording tells me that you can run the differential fluid a little lower, but the normal level is to the bottom of the hole..
By the way, we did not make this problem up... GM issued Service Bulletin 13384 for 2014 models because there were some differentials that were low enough they had to be replaced. bulletin_13384.pdf
Last edited by TEXHAWK0; Sep 10, 2015 at 04:34 PM.
There is another thread going around some of us have been posting in about changing out the diff oil and I had mentioned when I took the magnetic fill plug out to check my fluid at 4k miles (earlier this week) there was a ton of shavings attached to it. So I just drained out the fluid and added Amsoil synthetic to it. Here are pics of the drain plug and the oil I drained out was black. Glad I checked and I will keep an eye on it to see how it looks in a few months.
After I wiped the gunk and shavings off
What did the end of your drain plug look like after you cleaned it off? Was it hollow in the end or flat?
I wiped all the soft deposits off the plug, but then the plug still had gray solids flush with the end, that I was not sure should be removed..(or if it was a material to make the plug magnetic?)
