Front Diff shaft leak

[Spong]

I've been noticing when changing my oil that something is wet around the front differential. This last time I looked closer and it appears to be leaking where the driveshaft from the transfer case goes into the diff.

Is this a common leak? My 6yr/100k extended warranty expires in March so I'm thinking about taking it to the dealer and see if it's covered. The warranty covers seals and gaskets. I want to know if this is a common issue before I take it in.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[AbsoluteZero]

Can't tell you how common but on my 03 the pinion seal was leaking a small amount at 70K miles and about 6 yrs. I had some GMPP warranty left and it was covered. I've change the seal on the S10 but couldn't get enough clearance under the Envoy (unless some extra ordinary measures) to get the pinion nut off so I had the dealer do it...... about 4 months later I find this strange but familar looking bolt in the driveway..... after some head scatching it dawned on me this was one of the front u-joint bolts. My bet is the tech got a call in the middle of the job and didn't finish tighting them. In fact two bolts were tight on one side and two were lose... with one falling out. Probably your best bet is call a service writer and ask if they'll cover the seal...
If you have a deductable there's probably some other things on their last leg.... like rear tail gate struts, failing fan clutch, water pump, might check your head light sockets... etc.!

 

[rcam81]

My front pinion seal was leaking after last winter and it got replaced with the powertrain warranty. Today I had the rear pinion and left rear axle seals replaced with the powertrain warranty. I only have 63K miles on it and the warranty expires at the end of April.

 

[Spong]

Thanks guys! So is "front pinion seal" the correct name for it? The rear pinion is where the drive shaft goes into the rear differential? I just want to make sure I have my terms correct! I will have them look for any other leaks while they are at it.

Thanks,
Steve

 

[DJones]

You are correct. I learned from my mistake as I needed the "axle seal". Pain in the rear end to replace.

 

[Wyle]

Mine was the seal where the driver's axle goes into the front differential. No warranty, but $15 and 4 hours later, leak fixed. Oh wait, $24. Had to buy more gear oil to fill it back up. Would have been an all day project (or mechanic visit) without the help of this community.