Differential leaking

[to106]

Hello all,I have a 2005 AWD vibe. Lately I have noticed oil drops at rear end of the car, further inspection revealed it was the rear differential for the awd. I took it to a trusted mechanic, and he quoted 6hr labor to change both seals. $500cdn +tax. He did refill it with 1liter of gear oil. Does this quote sound reasonable, and is there something else I could do?

[Wolfman213]

I'm willing to bet that's expensive. If it's simply a new gasket(s) and then refill with the gear oil, you could probably do it yourself with little problem. I believe some the other AWD owner have changed their diff oil before and it didn't seem like a big problem. Now I don't know exactly what is involved between changed the gaskets vs diff oil change though. I'm sure some of the more knowledgable and AWD owners will chime in here shortly.

[to106]

It does not look easy. shafts which connect to the wheel coming out at the each end, and the seal at that point is leaking.

[joatmon]

I could see where it might take hours to fix. The attached PDF is from the 04 matrix manual, should be close enough to show what's involved.I guess the question is how bad it's leaking. If it's something that a cup of oil twice a year solves, then you might be better off (from a cost standpoint) of just letting it leak. Environmentally, however, you should try to fix oil leaks.

Attached files x040001.pdf (45.3 KB) 

[to106]

I am planning to keep this car for the long haul. Other then this problem I have not had any other issues. The car feels solid. The more I think about advantages of having AWD in my area the more it makes sense to get it fix properly.

[keithvibe]

Once you have it fixed, change out the gear oil on the front and rear every year if you really want to make it last.