Q: Rear axle question

asked by

Andrew C

on May 11, 2016

My vehicle has about 55K miles on it. About a month ago, I noticed it was leaking gear oil from underneath the rear differential. The leak is small. I went to change the rear differential fluid, but noticed something while I was underneath: The seal around the axle on the right side is leaking a little, then dripping down onto the differential's lowest point. I'm going on vacation next week, and we know a mechanic close to where we're staying, so we made an appointment.

My question: Assuming the fluid is leaking from the axle seal, is it gear oil from the rear differential? Because I just replaced it, I know my vehicle only holds 3.5 pints of synthetic gear oil. If I just top it off, do you think it's safe to drive about 2.5 hours? FYI, when I changed the differential fluid, it didn't look low, and I don't hear any whining noise from the rear end, and I don't notice any problems while driving.

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Q: Rear axle question

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