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Rear differential?


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2012 DJ RT 3.6L AWD. Am I right that this is the rear differential leaking? No oil on ground, just what's visible under car. Should I refill the lube if its leaking to prevent damage until I can figure out how to fix it??

     I'm getting to the point of not wanting to even look at my car anymore... seems everytime I do there's a new issue...

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Look under any car past a few years old and you are likely to see at least one point of a very minor leak. It is a fact of life and not related to any particular brand. As I usually buy a newer vehicle around 3 years old, this is one of the things that I look for. Even then, it is somewhat difficult to find a perfectly clean vehicle underneath.

 

As long as it is very minor, with no indication of even a drip on the floor, leave it IMO. If everything is operating correctly, just check the level, add any if necessary, and keep on driving. There is a very good chance that it is down barely at all. Consider it part of routine maintenance of an older vehicle to monitor any known leaks and address them when needed. You may never need too before the time comes to replace it. Just keep an eye on it periodically, depending on the amount of leakage.

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  • 1 year later...

It it’s not an active drip from side lip seals or input shaft lip seal; yeah you could just top it up with a syringe of 75w90 maybe once a year.  Monitor it but not fix it.

 

The four bolts are holding sections of the differential casing together. You could try to snug them up. It might just be minor seepage from porous casting surfaces. Without a complete rebuild not totally fixable. But top ups (really to confirm level more than anything) could be best option. I did that with a Santa Fe I had for its last 4yrs on road.
 

My journey leak was dripping daily and couldn’t be ignored. Both side seals were replaced. Leak location pretty much same spot. Seals were rotted from corrosion.

Edited by John/Horace
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