I changed my trans and diff fluids today using an oil evactuator (like a mityvac) that I use to change my oil. That way I didn't have to take off the drain bolts. It went really smooth after my two trips to Lowes and one trip to Sears to get the properly sized wrenches for the diff (I also had to buy a shallow 17mm socket for the trans).

My issue is this, when I replaced my diff fluid I only used half the bottle of the new fluid. I filled it until it started to come back out the fill hole with the car on level ground. Will this be an issue or should I take the drain bolt out and do it over again?

The old diff fluid was fairly clean, the color of caramel. Will be ok until the next change under the severe duty cycle?

Thanks.

 

Do it over again...

 

Crap, I that's what the answer was going to be....

 

Drain "bolts"? There's only one. It takes a lot less effort to take off than to try and suck out such a thick fluid. You left a third of the fluid in the casing. And you can't see what's on the magnet to tell you the health of your diff.

 

should take about 3/4 of a qt of diff fluid. at least it did for me, filled upto the point it started draining out the filler bolt.

 

yeah, it actually would have been easier to drop the drain bolt with the diff. guess i'll be getting another quart of diff fluid and doing it the "easy" way tomorrow. another lesson learned with the S.

it felt and sounded fine on short drive afterwards...

and the tranny took the right amount of fluid and shifted like butter.

 

thanks again for all the help guys. i just completed changing the diff fluid out the correct way by taking the drain bolt out. my bolt was pretty dirty, but i suspect its b/c this is the first diff fluid change this car has had, ever.

i used just under a quart of fluid before the fluid started coming out the fill hole, so i know its right on. it took all of 20 minutes.

 

yeah, i did my car's first diff change at 3000 mi on the clock and there was a ton of crap stuck to the bolt. hopefully it was just break-in causing that.

 

Re-read the OP: tranny and diff. They don't share a drain bolt.

 

yeah and for the diff you have to buy a 23mm wrench for the fill bolt and a 24mm socket for the drain bolt, two things you will probably not use anywhere else.....took some searching on here to figure that out.

great info on this site!