Last week I had an exhaust installed and the guy installing it told me I had a leak from my "half-shafts" in the rear.

Well I crawled under the car today and took a look.
It's not coming from the axle boots like I originally thought, but from somewhere around where the driveshaft meets the rear-end.

(See pics below)

Any Ideas where this leak is specifically coming from?

What do I need to do to stop it?

Thanks in advance.

TT

Pics:

https://www.i-club.com/forums/attach...id=27356&stc=1

https://www.i-club.com/forums/attach...id=27357&stc=1

https://www.i-club.com/forums/attach...id=27358&stc=1

 

Turns out it's the front seal on the rear diff.

Dealer decided to replace the whole differential.
"It's easier".

TT

 

Ever think they'll come up with a system by which they simply 'R&R' parts in our cars and fix the part at their leisure, or send them to a special shop to be fixed for cheaper?

Then when they go to R&R your differential, it might not be a new part...It might actually be a used part that they 'fixed', eh?

 

Well my dad used to be a buick mechanic back in the 60's and 70's. When someone came in with a tranny that had dropped out they actually had specialized transmittion experts that would tell you whether the 'R&R' standpoint would be cheaper or to actually fix the problem. If you chose to replace the item then he would have a complete transmittion that he could himself rebuild and then sell cheaper than MSRP would have been for an entire new tranny.

Although they don't make 'em like they used to, mechanics sometimes don't to their fair share to try and save the consumer some cash. And that is why R&R is what they do.

WRX Rush's Girl

 

Most likely what will happen with the diff is that you will be getting a "reconditioned" unit which is a lot cheaper than new. Only if the car is very new and there is no stock of rebuildable cores will a dealer install a new unit. We see it all the time here at Mercedes Benz.
And yes, in regards to a rear differential, it is in many circumstances easier to swap in a new unit and send the old one back to Subaru for reconditioning. Even if it was just a simple leak it may be safer to replace because you now have an accelerated wear issue due to low fluid. A diff is a very sensitive piece to get properly set up. Many times requiring a special jig or set up measuring tools. It can be very costly to get wrong. So rather than take the risk of having it go wrong they just swap it out and let the factory worry about the rebuild.

 

Soooo...If someone's transmission fell apart and the dealership replaced it under warranty, they might actually be getting someone else's reconditioned used transmission?

That doesn't really seem right, and I think I'd be pissed if that happened to me. I baby my transmission and use only the finest lube to extend it's life. I don't want someone else's cast-offs.