The Automotive Thread

[Supe]

If you have to split the diff in lieu of drain plugs, wear throwaway clothes.  Few things on this earth reek as badly/strongly as old gear oil!

 

[Road Guy]

If I have a drain plug is there any real need to break the cover? I’m right at 110K miles - don’t suspect any issues just getting around to doing some maintenance?

 

[Master slacker]

Few things on this earth reek as badly/strongly as old gear oil!

Tru dat.  No matter how hard you try, or how many you wash them with whatever magic powder you have, gear oil smell will never come out of clothes.  Ruined a loyal flannel work shirt that way.

 

[Supe]

If I have a drain plug is there any real need to break the cover? I’m right at 110K miles - don’t suspect any issues just getting around to doing some maintenance?
 

No.  Just jack the nose/tail up a bit to get the last bit to drain, since that will have all the glittery **** in it!  FWIW, I like Amsoil gear oil if you can get it.

 

[jeb6294]

Wife is working in Rochester, NY at the moment.  She had to drive up from Philly since that's as far as she got before her flight was cancelled.  Guy at Enterprise must've felt bad for her because he ended up giving her a pimped out Chrysler Pacifica.  Now she's spoiled and want Apple Car Play in our swagger wagon.  Off to Crutchfield to see what they've got for a Toyota Sienna.

 

[blybrook PE]

If I have a drain plug is there any real need to break the cover? I’m right at 110K miles - don’t suspect any issues just getting around to doing some maintenance?
 

Nope, follow Supe's suggestion for raising up the diff. Another helpful tool is a hand held fluid pump or small wet vac to make sure any glitter is gone.

 

[chart94 PE]

Woke up to a flat tire. Took her off, found the nail and had to plug it. Worst part is the damn thing couldn’t wait two days when my new tires come in..

 

[jeb6294]

Anyone ever have a stereo with wireless Car Play? Sienna has a USB port and there’s an adapter to connect it to an aftermarket stereo, but it sounds like you can’t use it as a wired Car Play connection...it’s a USB/aux port so I guess Car Play doesn’t like the extra wiring. They’ve got stereos with wireless Car Play, but I’m wondering how well that works.

Another option could be to pop out the OEM USB and replace it with a different one that is strictly a USB port. Do you suppose those are standard sizes? There’s also a 12-volt plug down a little lower...I’m sure they make USB ports that would go there. 

 

[Road Guy]

That’s weird -

I had a similar issue on my Jeep radio and bought a part here that made it work:

https://www.infotainment.com/collections/factory-oem-radios-non-navigation

I guess I had the “full radio” from a higher end package model Jeep but it was missing the “guts” to make the Bluetooth work -

It also has a USB on the front of the radio but it’s only useful for downloading files from a flash drive (which seems dumb in 2019).but I bought a usb cable that attached to rear of radio which made the jeep version of apple car play work (but it routes through the glove box)

 

[Road Guy]

Well **** that differential change was a snap- glad I didn’t pay someone to do that...

 

[Supe]

Well **** that differential change was a snap- glad I didn’t pay someone to do that...

If you see some gear oil dribbles in the driveway after a little bit, just retorque the drain plug.  

 

[Road Guy]

I also think I have a front axle seal leak, right side was pretty covered in differential fluid, I stopped watching the you tube videos when they said "now break out the air chisel..."   going to make some calls as this looks a tad more than I can do in my garage?

 

[Supe]

PITA and will require pulling the diff to replace the inner seal (which is also shot if your outer is leaking).  I would just pony up the couple hundred and take it somewhere.

 

[Road Guy]

I am going to make some calls today,  but for now Ill just add some lube to it weekly to be safe-

always something....

 

[Master slacker]

If you see some gear oil dribbles in the driveway after a little bit, just retorque the drain plug.  

How does that clean up the driveway dribbles? 

 

[Supe]

How does that clean up the driveway dribbles? 

It doesn't, it just keeps a few dribbles from becoming a lot of dribbles, since they can loosen up after a couple heat cycles.  My 8.8 is bad about that - aluminum diff with steel plug.

 

[Road Guy]

The Mag Chloride I pick up from the roads when it snows usually eats away at whatever is on the driveway!

 

[Master slacker]

It doesn't, it just keeps a few dribbles from becoming a lot of dribbles, since they can loosen up after a couple heat cycles.  My 8.8 is bad about that - aluminum diff with steel plug.

 

[Road Guy]

So for the last few month I had been getting some strange warning lights show up while driving that wouldn’t normally show up (ABS, 4WD, etc) – And then occasionally when I would go to start the jeep it wouldn’t start, I would re step on the clutch pedal hard and then it would start.  Since I am a “internet mechanic” and parts changer I swap out the starter and alternator – same problems keep occurring – I thought maybe I was having some problems related to my new tranny from a few years ago.. Take it into some guys I have used before, they spend 2 days looking at it and then discover that one of the wires from the starter that wraps down below the engine back to the battery and elsewhere had been either chewed on by a rat or squirrel..

Guess that’s a better problem to have than some electrical bug but hoping that that is all it was!

 

[Supe]

Hopefully.  Otherwise, ABS sensors are also common culprits for those types of dash lights, and are easy fixes.  Usually a GOOD scan tool will isolate which one.