Dealer wants $660 to change differential fluid

[LeodaJeep]

gotta remember theyre gonna charge you about 140 an hour and probably about 3 hours labor plus oil. and if you have the limited slip there is an additive for the clutch plates. it is extremely high for what the job is but thats the dealer for you. might as well just get an oil pan and 4 qts of gear oil

But to put it on the hoist, pull 2 plugs and 2 caps, then fill and reinstall really only takes about 15 minutes. Gotta pay for the techs yakkie time and coffee break too though.

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[LeodaJeep]

The “$8 cans” have never been the true cost of A/C service. It’s all labor. 1234-yf is $60-100/lb, the JL takes very little. $400 or so for a Freon charge is nothing. The cost to replace the leaking component is guaranteed to be higher.

Watch a vid on youtube...too easy to do this job.

 

[Whiskey 13]

Two drains, two fill plugs, less than 3 quarts of fluid total and with a cold beer about 20 minutes work, I AM IN THE WRONG BUSINESS

 

[Morris4x4]

Two drains, two fill plugs, less than 3 quarts of fluid total and with a cold beer about 20 minutes work, I AM IN THE WRONG BUSINESS

Don't forget a nose plug

-Julia

 

[hanschien]

I just did the rear this weekend @29k miles and took about 30 minutes? Most of the time spent on cleaning up the old thread and wrapping new thread tape. It got too dark before moving on to the front diff. Wayoflife and another YouTubers video helped a lot.

 

[mwilk012]

Watch a vid on youtube...too easy to do this job.

Its literally impossible to do properly without a vacuum assisted charging machine. You can’t leave the system full of air pockets and with an improper oil:Freon balance and expect to not have problems.

 

[DanW]

Here is your answer. Cheap and easy.....

 

[limeade]

I use a suction pump/gun to add fluid to differentials, transfer case, etc. Bought mine for about $20 15 years ago and still works like a champ. Makes its easy to add whichever fluid/lube you want from a quart or gallon container without having to find those handy pouches of lube.

For even less money, get a roll of clear tubing (I think ⅜" and found in the plumbing section) from Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, etc. and it fits perfectly on the nipple of the gear oil containers. Put one end on the nipple and the other in the diff or transfer case, hold the container of lube up and squeeze. Plus this tubing is good for putting on your brake bleed screws for when you want to bleed your brakes. I keep a good 5' or so of this tubing in my off road tool/parts bag.

 

[DanW]

I use a suction pump/gun to add fluid to differentials, transfer case, etc. Bought mine for about $20 15 years ago and still works like a champ. Makes its easy to add whichever fluid/lube you want from a quart or gallon container without having to find those handy pouches of lube.

For even less money, get a roll of clear tubing (I think ⅜" and found in the plumbing section) from Home Depot, Lowes, Menards, etc. and it fits perfectly on the nipple of the gear oil containers. Put one end on the nipple and the other in the diff or transfer case, hold the container of lube up and squeeze. Plus this tubing is good for putting on your brake bleed screws for when you want to bleed your brakes. I keep a good 5' or so of this tubing in my off road tool/parts bag.

That looks like a nice one. The pumps I've used get messy, and I've used tubes, too. They wind up dripping, so you have to store them in a way that prevents it. These bags should be less messy, for me anyway. OP, being in NY, might not live with a garage or place to store automotive supplies. That's probably why the dealer can get away with charging that kind of money.

That does really look like a nice pump, though. Nicer than the ones I've had.

 

[limeade]

That looks like a nice one. The pumps I've used get messy, and I've used tubes, too. They wind up dripping, so you have to store them in a way that prevents it. These bags should be less messy, for me anyway. OP, being in NY, might not live with a garage or place to store automotive supplies. That's probably why the dealer can get away with charging that kind of money.

That does really look like a nice pump, though. Nicer than the ones I've had.

For clarification, I don't store any fluid in them as it will drip out. Once I'm done with whatever job I'm doing, I empty any left over fluid back into the original container and then clean it out with brake cleaner.

 

[DanW]

For clarification, I don't store any fluid in them as it will drip out. Once I'm done with whatever job I'm doing, I empty any left over fluid back into the original container and then clean it out with brake cleaner.

Good idea. The worst thing in my garage is the grease gun. I made the mistake of using Mobil 1 grease. That stuff separates and drips red grease EVERYWHERE. Never again, once I use that stuff up.

 

[Maverick909]

But to put it on the hoist, pull 2 plugs and 2 caps, then fill and reinstall really only takes about 15 minutes. Gotta pay for the techs yakkie time and coffee break too though.

They have a business to run too. Typically most company’s have a 4 hr minimum. It sucks having to charge that but it’s how it is. All trades do it’s inhated having to charge customers when I was doing A/c work but once I became VP of a company I completely understand it.

 

[LeodaJeep]

Its literally impossible to do properly without a vacuum assisted charging machine. You can’t leave the system full of air pockets and with an improper oil:Freon balance and expect to not have problems.

Freon in the diff isn't good.

 

[txj2go]

Freon in the diff isn't good.

The worst part is that it is very hard to keep it from leaking out.

 

[limeade]

Good idea. The worst thing in my garage is the grease gun. I made the mistake of using Mobil 1 grease. That stuff separates and drips red grease EVERYWHERE. Never again, once I use that stuff up.

HAHA! I learned not to use Mobil 1 grease on my 04 TJ. The crap leaks like no ones business. So far my Synergy and Amsoil grease haven't leaked out of my 2 grease guns.

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