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Dealer wants $660 to change differential fluid

Kraty1

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Changed my differential gear oil today, 11k miles, rear was jet black but front wasn’t bad at all, no metal on the drain plug magnets but a tiny bit of of grey sludge was there. Overall very easy to do, used Royal Purple 75w-140 in the rear and then finished the bottle in the front before topping off with 75w-90. After adding the friction modifier in the rear I used less than 3 1qt bottles total.

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txj2go

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So...I live just outside NYC and took my 2018 JLU to the dealer for 30K maint. They want $330 to change the differential fluid...each.

is it just me or is this high?
It can be a messy job and that gear lube usually smells pretty bad. They might need to charge you for a whole roll of shop towels and extra hand cleaner. Not to mention that the dealership mechanics are likely to spill it on the floor and have to clean that up too.


Out of curiosity, is there a reason you have to do it at a certain time? Forgive the ignorance, but I'm no mechanic.
I worked in a garage for a long time, my family has owned a garage for about 60 years, I can guarantee you that the stuff won't last forever. It has limited life, something over 100k miles you probably should change it, certainly by 200k miles you should consider changing it.

There is another thread on this forum about people who insist on changing the stuff about every month. That could get very expensive at $600+ per change, but there is another thread about Rubicon owners with "crazy money".


Changed my differential gear oil today, 11k miles, rear was jet black but front wasn’t bad at all,
Another month and your new stuff will look just like that.


660$ to do a diff service, that is a rip off,
They aren't called "stealerships" for nothing.
 
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VNT

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660$ to do a diff service, that is a rip off, You can change the 2 diffs and T-case in less than an hour. Buy a Outboard drive service pump for 10$ at Walmart which threads onto the 1 qt bottles.

Looking at 4 qts gear oil and a couple qts ATF and will have some left over.

I change mine a few times early on to get the wear metals out, Cheap PM. Just did them in my Rubicon this weekend, glad I did, rear fluid was dark, past on magnet, front diff not bad but some paste on the magnet. T-case fluid full of pearl from break in.
 

roaniecowpony

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...
I worked in a garage for a long time, my family has owned a garage for about 60 years, I can guarantee you that the stuff won't last forever. It has limited life, something over 100k miles you probably should change it, certainly by 200k miles you should consider changing it.
...

Another month and your new stuff will look just like that.
I had a car for ~500,000 miles. Changed the rear axle fluid once. It had big head 400 small block, headers cam TH400 for half that time. Last I saw it was still going. Probably shoulda changed it more if I had better sense.
 

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I've changed my own diff fluids, and I consider myself far from "handy". Maybe an hour of labor plus fluids should cover it.

[It should only take an experienced technician, with a lift, well less than a hour.]
 

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Local oil change place that I trust quoted $55 per differential, same for the transfer case fluid.
 

rickinAZ

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Now...that's a good deal.
 

roaniecowpony

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Local oil change place that I trust quoted $55 per differential, same for the transfer case fluid.
I like that price better...
 

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Nationally known gear shop here in the area charges $60 per axle and they use Lucas oil. I'm starting to wonder if OP was either trying to drum up a discussion or misplaced a decimal because there is no way in the world any shop would think of charging that amount.
 

roaniecowpony

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Changed my differential gear oil today, 11k miles, rear was jet black but front wasn’t bad at all, no metal on the drain plug magnets but a tiny bit of of grey sludge was there. Overall very easy to do, used Royal Purple 75w-140 in the rear and then finished the bottle in the front before topping off with 75w-90. After adding the friction modifier in the rear I used less than 3 1qt bottles total.

264D7701-260A-4873-B03B-107D9E5AADA2.jpeg


BEE25024-B97E-4ECA-94A8-5EBA9046A963.jpeg


031148BD-BD98-4A80-8C35-5AACB6AC11EA.jpeg


890526F8-2790-49D0-BB8A-D3FF45AE377C.jpeg
What's up with the milky red-brown stuff? You been in the water?
 

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mgroeger

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how often are you guys changing the fluid out?
At least once a year. It's cheap and it's easy and since we do a lot of trips and off roading it's good insurance.
 

CarbonSteel

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how often are you guys changing the fluid out?
I dumped the factory fill at 5K and tested it at 10K (https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/first-axle-oc-uoa-results.42567/#post-1042627). I plan to test it again at 15K to see if the iron has dropped substantially and if not, I will OC it again. In most axles, the majority of the wear happens at 15K or less and despite longer and longer runs, the wear metals should be less per mile. Considering the low fluid capacity of these axles (as compared to others), I will not be doing any extended oil change intervals on them.
 

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i just passed 13k on my 2018 JLUS. didnt realize i should have done a break in change for the diff oil. i did for the engine oil.

i have the LSD/M220 rear. should i use the factory spec of 75w-80 or jump to a 140. i do offroad it and am on 35s. took it out this past weekend.

i see 4wp around the corner from me has Dana Friction Modifier in stock. from what ive read online, theyre pretty much all the same. sound accurate?
https://www.4wheelparts.com/p/dana-...iction-modifier-additive-43161/_/R-FSGR-43161
 

txj2go

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[It should only take an experienced technician, with a lift, well less than a hour.]
Most cars don't have drain plugs so you have to remove the rear diff cover or pull out the third member ("pumpkin"), depending on brand. Pulling the third member means pulling the wheels, axles, driveshaft. Then you have to clean the thing up and put on another gasket, put it all back together, then put the new fluid in. So you see how big of a favor they did for you by giving you a drain plug.

What's up with the milky red-brown stuff? You been in the water?
Looks like clutch material from LSD clutches.
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