Seperate Differential?

[Damemorder]

So.. I've hear there's a seperate differential, And I've got a high-pitched whining sound under light throttle that increases pitch with speed, I figure I should probably look into the diff.

If it is truly a seperate case, How do I check the fluid level? Anybody got an approximate location? This Haynes manual is useless...

[89molavi]

I assume you are talking about the AE92 (Wrecked!) and you have the 3spd auto tranny. If that is the case I know first hand that you have a separate tranny (That's why I am driving a Kia now ) It has a drain plug right underneath and the fill plug is facing the rear of the car, driver side, on the back of the tranny. You have to reach from above, through the steering, brake stuff. It is almost in line with the speedo cable. Mine started leaking after an axle change and since it stopped I thought I am good, but the since the diff is separate it was out of oil. It still drove for another 10KM but the hum was getting annoying. By the way if you go to the autozone website and look for vehicle specific repair guides, you will find yours for free on line. I used it a lot.

[tashirosgt]

Look at the bulge where the inner parts of the fron axels go into the transmission, that's the differential. As 89molavi says, there is a big bolt on the back of it. You can reach it from under the car with a box end wrench. It is in a slight depression so you can't get a socket wrench on it. I got a double box end wrench at autozone that had two different bends on the end of the wrench and the bend that I though wouldn't work, did work. Its a big bolt head, twenty some mm, as I recall. By "on the back" of the case, I mean it is not in the same plane as the drain plugs. I suppose you could say that it is in the same plane as the license plate.

The differential is filled through the hole that the big bolt plugs. You fill it till fluid starts to overflow. The proper fluid is Automatic transmission fluid, not gear oil. You have to use a small fluid pump to pump the fluid up hill into hole. It will be the same kind of pump that the auto stores sell for use with gear oil.

[Damemorder]

o0o0o, That's great. Thanks guys. Know that I know that I guess I'll go ahead and fill it...

[jjsagain]

Hey I read this post and had dejavue real bad, My daughter called and reported to me that her 90 Geo Prizm had a whine just like you described. She was living away at school and I had recently had the transmission flushed and filled and had her check tranny fluid etc but everything seemed to check out. She called a couple days later stating her car had stopped. Long story shortened to $1200.00 replacement of tranny plus tow plus rental etc. Don't drive it until you fix it cuz it is probably dry. The tranny guy said the diff was bone dry.