Forgive the term, but for some reason i think of them as a vehicles "nuts".

 

Thanks for the nice how2. Did mine today at 39k miles. Didn't take long at all. What I found interesting is that the oil coming out of mine was pretty clean-looking and clear--almost like new oil! There was some sludge around the plug though. I'm going to leave the tranny oil until 60k miles.

 

Fantastic writeup! gonna do this over the weekend!

 

Hmmm, just my .02 , but I'd have recommended just the opposite schedule. Your tranny is far more likely to see abuse and metal buildup than your diff, so its fluid changes should be more frequent than the diff.

 

Hey everyone.

I have a quick question for those familiar with this procedure.

Today I drained and filled the diff on my 2007 G35 Journey. It was pretty straight-forward, however, as I was pumping the 2nd quart of fluid into the diff, I got maybe 1/5 of the way into the bottle and the drain area started overflowing. I waited for it to subside, pumped it two more times, and again it continued to overflow.

From the instructions here it would sound like the diff is full so I waited for the drip to subside and then tightened the fill bolt.

My question is, are there variables that would keep me from pumping enough diff fluid in?

I ask because when I drained the diff fluid from my catch pan into a container it came it pretty close to 2 quarts.

I did make the rookie mistake of not completely emptying the drain pan before hand so there may have been some other fluid in there which could throw off the results.

So I drove the car about a 1/2 mile, came home, popped open the fill plug, pumped into it again it it started to drip out again.

Am I good to assume that the diff is full and ready to rock?

Let me know, thanks!

_Michael

 

Michael, per the FSM:

Oil capacity (Approx.) _______ L(US pt, lmp pt) ________ 1.4 (3, 2-1/2)

So it looks like it's 3 US pints, or 1.5 quarts.

Perhaps, and as you mentioned, there was more fluid in the drain pan than you realized. Also, if you only got 1.2 quarts into it, I wonder if your car is level while filling it? Another thing I have observed, is the filler tube causing some obstruction and making it back up and overflow prematurely. If you are unsure and want to be 100% sure, you could always deliberately overfill it by tilting the car up (on the fill side) as you fill it, so that it is clearly overfull. Then, lower the car back down to level and let it overflow until it stops; THAT should be always be full.

 

Hey VQ.

So I drained and filled this in my garage, very flat, and on all four wheels, no jack stands.

I did check the tube and adjusted it several times and even when I pumped fluid in and removed the tube it would still leak out.

Is there anything I should listen/feel for to see if it is under filled?

_Michael

 

Here is the FSM direction for anyone that wants the science and to see what the dealer sees.

 

As long as the oil level is up to the bottom of the drain hole (as tested with a finger), then you're good. If you've got that, and you're on a level surface, there's nothing more to do and I can't explain how your quantities came out like they did; just one of those mysteries I guess.

 

Yeah I am guessing you are right.

This Saturday I am going to an automotive-lift rental facility and will be throwing the new sway bars, brakes, and drive belt on, so I will inevitably end up checking the diff fluid level once more just to see if anything can be added.

Thanks VQ.

_Michael

 

Can I change my differential fluid if my G has over 115k on it?
Or is this just like the tranny fluid, on how people say that if your car has high mileage there's no point of changing the fluid because you can mess up the trans.

 

1) YES

2) NO, there is absolutely no concern with changing your diff fluid (aka: gear oil) like there is with old tranny fluid (hydraulic fluid). The diff is quite simply a case with metal gears in it that need lube; change it as often as you like.

 

Just replaced my rear differential gear oil today following your very easy instruction and i am really appreciate the nice job you done with this.I used Mobile1 full synthetic gear oil 75W-90 for replacement and i finish job for about 35-40 minutes.By the way you right about how nasty old oil looks and smells,plus there is lot of shaved metal on the magnetic bottom of drain plug.

 

Heads up, you will need a 10mm hex bit to remove both drain and fill plugs.

 

Holy thread revival, I know, but this is just the info I needed.

Also, having dealt with 75w and 80w at work, the oil being old has nothing to do with the smell. All the stuff I've dealt with is just as foul smelling when fresh.