Re: Leaky final drive - E36 325

["Ron Buchalski" <rbuchals@xxxxxxxxxxx>]

Nick,

The car must be level when you refill the final drive.  The final drive is 
full when oil begins to flow out of the fill hole.  If you have the rear of 
the car inclined, you can overfill the final drive.

The final drive has a pressure relief valve at the top.  If pressure builds 
up inside the diff, the relief valve will get pushed up, and the pressure 
will be relieved.  It's possible that your pressure relief valve is stuck in 
the open position.

- -rb

>Date: Mon, 14 May 2001 06:41:19 +0100
>From: "Nick Pashley" <NickPashley@domain.elided>
>Subject: Leaky final drive - E36 325
>
>Hi
>
>The final drive/differential on my 94 E36 325 coupe is leaking oil.  I had 
>a look under the car and there doesnt seem to be a great amount coming out, 
>but it is noticeable, i.e. a circle of about 4 inches in diameter when I 
>stop (after the component is hot) and oil splodges covering the back of the 
>bumper/fender and boot/trunk door/lid.
>
>I changed the oil here about a month ago, and I was thinking it was the 
>drain plug that was leaking (I checked this, but it is tight), but although 
>this is covered in oil, it looks like it is coming from further forward, 
>like from the cover gasket (the cover which has the fill and drain plugs on 
>it - the bolts for this are not loose).  That the weather has been in the 
>80s for the past few days, being noticably hotter than before (not that 
>this would have an effect on the temperature of this lump of metal), it 
>occured to me that the hoter oil might find it's way out of the gasket if 
>the sealing was marginal.
>
>If it is not from the drain or fill plug, and not the gasket (it hasnt been 
>tampered with), could it be coming from a breather if it was overfilled 
>slightly (there is the possibility that it was overfilled, since I used 
>ramps to try and get the car level on the driveway, which is on a hill).
>
>My next step, when I get time, is to check the level, but any thoughts 
>would be appreciated.
>
>Thanks
>
>Nick Pashley
>94 325 coupe (with oily rear)

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