Factory diff fluid appearance on MY'04 (2000 miles).
Registered User
Joined: Aug 2003
Posts: 1,806
Likes: 0
From: NYC
Registered User
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 561
Likes: 0
From: Layton
I am amazed at how some of the differential oil looks on other people's cars. I wish I would have taken pictures when I changed mine a couple weeks ago...I have 30k miles(and it's an '00) and just did my first diff. oil change and it didn't look nearly that bad. My drain plug didn't have that much sludge either...definitely less than what is in the last picture. I can only assume that the harder the car is driven the worse the oil gets, eh? Otherwise mine should have looked worse than that, right?
I've never done a track day, clutch dump, or any other "abusive" things to my car. It's just a daily driver and some occasional fun, but I have never put it to the extreme. Hopefully, that'll help my diff. to last longer, but I guess only time will tell.
I've never done a track day, clutch dump, or any other "abusive" things to my car. It's just a daily driver and some occasional fun, but I have never put it to the extreme. Hopefully, that'll help my diff. to last longer, but I guess only time will tell.
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 37,305
Likes: 18
afetsman, diff fluid condition is directly proportional to a number of things. It can begin right at the plant where the diff is assembled. Every diff has a slightly varied calibration, even though they are within spec. Too tight or too loose and you can get some wear in spite of "babying it". It is also dependent upon how much and what kind of load is being pushed through the diff - the clutch dumps, high load take offs, etc that you spoke of. We have a very tiny diff for what it has to do. I'm not saying it can't do it but there are "degrees" at which we ask the thing to do stuff. Just like human endurance and limits of strength, if you work close to the limit more than someone else, you might need to eat better food, more often.
The car's pumpkin is not different. Work it hard and you need to feed it good food more often (fluid changes).
The car's pumpkin is not different. Work it hard and you need to feed it good food more often (fluid changes).
Thread Starter
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 37,305
Likes: 18
I have just drained the diff fluid on my own car and I am pleased to tell you that the oil came out very clean and almost no "fuzz" material on the drain plug.
My car is S/C'd and it has been about 2500 miles since the last change. The car has just come through a winter driving season, so not much in the way of severe load except for the occasional redline blast when the roads were clear of ice and snow. We can also say that the ambient temps with this last duty cycle was low to extremely low. This may have had some affect on the condition of the fluid as well. I believe heat and the inability to dissipate it can have a negative impact on the performance and longevity of the diff fluid.
In conclusion, there is something to be said for an early diff fluid change on a new car.
My car is S/C'd and it has been about 2500 miles since the last change. The car has just come through a winter driving season, so not much in the way of severe load except for the occasional redline blast when the roads were clear of ice and snow. We can also say that the ambient temps with this last duty cycle was low to extremely low. This may have had some affect on the condition of the fluid as well. I believe heat and the inability to dissipate it can have a negative impact on the performance and longevity of the diff fluid.
In conclusion, there is something to be said for an early diff fluid change on a new car.
