E500 Leaking Differential
 

Hi,

I just noticed that the final drive joints (my nomenclature for where the shaft between wheel and differential attaches to differential via 6 or more bolts) on both sides of the differential are damp. Further there appears to be oil above these joints.

There is no oil on the underbody of the diff, however and no oil underneath the car. I cannot check diff oil level since I can only raise one end of the car using ramps.

Any ideas as to the seriousness of this and potential prognosis?

Thanks in advance.
farrukh

ps. Car has 60k miles

Resealing the rear diff is not a difficult job if needed....you may wish to do this job for peace of mind...if you are unable to verify a seal failure

fwiw- rear end gear fluid may "mist" out from the diff vent over time and also produce the condition you describe

hope this helps
-fad

In additon to above also verify if the oily residue your seeing isn't cosmoline. In some areas of the undercarriage it does look more like oil than the waxy substance you see in the engine bay.

Fastest way to determine for sure if the diff is leaking is to have the undercarrige steam cleaned and check for oil after a couple hundred miles of driving. If the oil reappears then you'll know it's leaking.

Good luck.