not much fluid

[Only4U]

i checked diff fluid for the first time since my gears had been changed 10k miles ago.

well, i presume that the man who installed my gears filled the diff housing with oil, but i can't be positive, cause i never checked.

when i checked it a little while ago, there was not much fluid in there; it was not dry by any means, but it wasn't much.

i added about 2 quarts of fluid in there. i have a small whine coming from the rear (i think that's it's origin, and the whine is what led me to check the fluid) but only a first gear whine (which is why i have my doubts about it's origin).

my question is...do ya guys think that i really screwed up my rear end (gears and lsd) cause i drove for (let's just say ever since they've been put in, even though there has probably been a small leak for a while and slowly more and more fluid leaked out, but since i don't know how much fluid was in there from the start, then i can't know how long i've been driving on low fluid) the full 10k miles...?

i am just curious as to what i should expect, or if this really isn't too big of a deal?

thx a lot.

[ January 04, 2003: Message edited by: Only4U ]</p>

[dstrbd1]

there's only supposed to be about two quarts in there. when you pull the plug out of the side of the diff housing, stick your pinkie in. you should just be able to feel the fluid reaching the bottom of the hole.

[Only4U]

hrmmm

i pulled the top drain plug and put in my fluid from there...not the side plug. now i have fluid going all the way to the top of the drain plug...this bad?

[hockeyman]

I didn't know there were two plugs to check on the rear! I just know about the one plug you unscrew with a 3/8" drive on the passenger side. That plug is supposed to have the fluid at the bottom/level (or just dripping out) when it's full. If there is some other plug I haven't checked, please post it! I'm getting that un-easy feeling now.

-Marc

[dstrbd1]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by hockeyman:
I didn't know there were two plugs to check on the rear! I just know about the one plug you unscrew with a 3/8" drive on the passenger side. That plug is supposed to have the fluid at the bottom/level (or just dripping out) when it's full. If there is some other plug I haven't checked, please post it! I'm getting that un-easy feeling now.

-Marc<hr></blockquote>


that's the right one. the one on top they are talking about is the abs sensor, i believe. you're not supposed to fill the diff there.

[IBJanky]

<blockquote>quote:</font><hr>Originally posted by Only4U:
hrmmm

i pulled the top drain plug and put in my fluid from there...not the side plug. now i have fluid going all the way to the top of the drain plug...this bad?<hr></blockquote>

Yipes, that mean his differential is filled to the top with fluid! I suggest draining some out.

[Scott T]

The one on top is a pressure relief valve. It's white colored and plastic. Don't fill it there. Fill it on the side of the differential. The book says to fill it until fluid runs out. I fill it just shy of the opening myself.