Diff fluid change at 12 miles!

[MaybeRubi]

I'm looking at a carfax for a 2019 Rubicon. It shows "Differential fluid flushed/changed" at 12 miles and again at about 4K. For both, It is one of the 8 items listed under "Vehicle serviced," including, for example, "Brakes serviced." I'm no car guy, the 4K makes some sense post-break-in, but is there a reason for a diff fluid change at 12 miles? Or maybe this is just inaccurate -- somebody got carried away checking off items on an inspection sheet? Is it something I should be concerned about? The first time "oil and filter changed" shows up is at 8K -- seems like that would have been done at 4K. Again, maybe just inaccurate?
Thoughts? Thanks.

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[Terrymo]

Aftermarket diff covers?

 

[Reinen]

Could be an immediate gearing change, a leak detected upon delivery or maybe special diff fluid / additive for break in and then replaced with regular diff fluid at 4k mi.

Oil changes are common owner DIY maintenance which wouldn't show up on a CarFax. I'd think it's unlikely to have gone the full 8k mi without an oil change given the diff fluid changes. Of course you never really know without meticulous owner records.

 

[Old Jeeper]

I concur with the two post above. However, it’s also a third reason.

Old-school: in my days and going back to the era of beginning of cars, changing oil and radiator fluids with something that you did shortly after you bought it with only a few miles on it. Why?
Back in those days just about everything having to do with engine and components with sand cast, and what you had was a lot of sand in the system. If it hadn’t been flushed, and they frequently did not flush it. In addition, there was a lot of rough edges everywhere and that’s because the engines were not finished out nor did they have the advanced computerization that we have today so as time went by you literally ground things together and to fit that it’s pretty much how it worked.

Back then if you burn a quart of oil every thousand miles you are lucky. Talk to a new car dealer he will tell you a quart every 500 miles was acceptable.

There was very little lapping of gears. They put those axles/transmissions together and the guy doing it may or may not have had access to a micrometer and all likelihood probably close was close enough. You were basically were lapping your gears as you drove.

 

[henryb]

i changed my rear diff twice already and it has 30 k i never go off roading and we dont get snow so ive never been in 4 wheel drive, so long story short is there any reason to change front diff fluid or transfer case fluid

 

[Eyeball]

i changed my rear diff twice already and it has 30 k i never go off roading and we dont get snow so ive never been in 4 wheel drive, so long story short is there any reason to change front diff fluid or transfer case fluid

Your transfer case and front spider gears are turning even in 2wd.

If you still have a factory warranty, In my opinion, gear lube is cheap versus the costs to repair if you neglected to follow the factory maintenance schedule and your assumptions or internet consensus was wrong.

 

[MaybeRubi]

Thanks for replying.
I mostly wanted to be sure you didn't say "Run like hell -- it indicates a big problem?"
So, thanks again.

 

[AustinGill]

Hi, I changed the differential last year, but it was because I hit the bottom of the car on a rock while off-roading.
By the way, there is a cheap VIN decoder here

 

[Terrymo]

Hi, I changed the differential last year, but it was because I hit the bottom of the JEEP on a rock while off-roading.

^
FIFY

 

[Halxen]

^
FIFY

What if they were off-roading their car and not their Wrangler?

 

[Terrymo]

What if they were off-roading their car and not their Wrangler?

Fair enough

 

[Gunfighter]

Maybe they read a diff fluid thread and freaked out they were using what Mopar recommended vs what Dana recommended.

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