Differential leak

There are several places that a differential can leak from.... If it from the rear cover... check the bolts for torque. If they are tight, there is litle chance of the leak getting worse in a short space of time. If the leak is from the pinion seal, it *may* be an indication of bearing concerns.. or it may be an axle seal..... Seal failures are difficult to gauge.... The leak may remain as a minor incovenience or it could get very bad, very quick. There is just no way to predict with any accuracy. In any of these cases, it is wise to checked the differential case breather for obstruction.

At the same time, I feel it worth mentioning for all the lay people reading this.... Foon has fallen into that all too common consumer trap.... Every summer..... every Thanksgiving and every Christmas, shops all over North America get the pre-holiday "treat"....

"Hello, Joes Garage...".

"You gotta help me.... you just gotta help me!!!!! I leave for this afternoon and my car is leaking/making noise/not running right".

"How long has it been doing this?".

"Ohhh, about 6 months or so.....".

And of course, I'm an ass because I have a family and the exact same holiday but my car runs (I'm anal about my machines... they may not be clean, but they are mechanically "perfect"). I even had one frustrated traveller threaten to sue me because all I would do at 7PM on Xmas Eve was drive him to the bus depot.

Sorry for the digression.... I just felt the need to rub that in everyones face....

Anyway.... 150 miles isn't a vast distance.... Without the opportunity to have repairs made, I would at least ensure that the differential oil level is correct before embarking on the trip... have the area inspected to be sure that there isn't a lot of oil clinging to the under-carriage - a sign that the leak may be worse than we suspect. And, have the breather inspected for obstruction since a plugged breather will exacerbate the situation. About midpoint in the drive, get down on hand and knee to check for any signs that the leak is getting worse - again once you reach your destination and again midpoint on the return trip. There is no sense in exchanging a $100 or so seal repair for a $2000 diff repair.

My way might sound anal to some, but I refuse to subject myself to the frustration of a breakdown.....

Thanks Jim. All very good advice and diagnosis. I don't usually wait to last minute before holidays or trips for checkups. In fact, I usually wait until none critical times to take my ride in or in the case of simple repairs, do it myself when I can. Although I have more than a few friends who do exactly as you describe and do not get their cars serviced regularly. I've got a good relationship with my dealer Service Manager since I've owned Explorers since 1993. This little leak has been spotting my parking space for awhile now and I thought I'd ask the group their opinions. Since my trip is a return trip home I can have the vehicle in the shop the next day. I'm just conflicted as to whether the Dealer or Trany shop would be better. It may come down to whose price to look it over is better. Thanks again. Warren

Looking at the year and the mileage, I'm unsure.... depending on the warranty start date, this could be warranty.... if you are over the date, your relationship with the SM might get you an AWA (After Warranty Adjustment) claim.

As far as which shop is the best for the repair (after the warranty considerations), I can only say that any of your three original choices "should" be more than capable of performing this sort of repair..... but there is always that "however"..... if your dealer has been delivering repairs that are traditionally good, I might be a little reluctant to visit another shop... even if there is a cost savings..... Everything is going to depend on the talents and abilities of the tech performing the repair as well as the shop foremans need or ability to "micro-manage" (there are days that I seem to change a LOT of diapers).

Since the OP didn't say if it was the front or rear axle, I'll guess it's the front, since both of my old '98 and the present '02 both leaked from the front pinion seal. Have the dealer fix it....I wouldn't want anybody else reapplying the correct torque to that nut on the pinion gear. If it's to tight or too loose, you will end up replacing just about everything in that axle housing, except the 2 shafts. wth

Good point. It was the rear but with something that critical I'm wondering if the Dealer mechanics might be more skilled. This dealer has been in business for over 40 years and has done repairs for me correctly, on time, and for reasonable costs. I guess I'm just a little tweaked this is showing up at just over 40K miles. My previous Explorer was a '93, manual stick that I traded in with 114k and not a mechanical problem in 11 years of ownership.