LEAKING REAR END :(

Copy that. I will be installing a new diff breather this evening and maybe that'll stop the seeping of oil and then I can cancel my appointment with the dealership. Also check the fluid level tonight. I just went out on my lunch break and I can see fresh oil coming out at one small spot at the pinion.

 

Instead of crawling around under your truck, just let the dealer look at it! Under warranty and all! Give yourself a break!

 

LOl you sound like my girlfriend, my parents, my co-workers, everyone says relax do not work so hard and so much. I did actually have a heart attack two months ago at 34 years old and still it's hard to slow things down when you're used to go go go all the time. I do appreciate your advice and thanks to you I will be relaxing after work this evening and not give the truck another thought. Take care and be safe!!

 

I've never had heart disease, but I do suffer from anxiety and some form of obsessive disorder. When something is wrong with my truck, I have a hard time letting it go and I need to solve the problem before it gets any better. I'm 36 and starting to realize how much time I've wasted simply worrying about stuff that won't matter to anyone some day.

Have the dealer check your seals. Otherwise don't worry about it! It's a Toyota. You could probably fill the pumpkin with corn oil and it would still go.

 

I know what you mean!! I have been plagued by anxiety for most of my adult life as well!! I actually had to go to the ER just to get a shot of Valium to stop me from shaking. Scary stuff.

 

LOL I ended up not taking the relax advice and I went out anyways to work on the truck last night. It was in the shade and I felt good so it was no problem.
I did have a Tacoma rear breather relocation kit I purchased from Yotashop.com (https://www.yotashop.com/toyota-off...nKOdipe7fFErLTiD4MxrKWmUNn0mx3BoaAqzNEALw_wcB) for $23. I had not had a chance to install this kit yet but since diff oil was seeping from the pinion I thought hmmm.... maybe the factory diff breather is not functioning properly. SO I got out the tool and loosened up the breather and to my welcomes surprise there was a good amount of pressure that came rushing out of the differential. Along with the pressure release and my try to blow air through the breather (which I could not) I came to the conclusion that the diff breather was broken. I set into installing the diff breather extension kit from Yotashop. I did zip tie all the breather lines under the truck, left a fair amount of slack for articulation, and finished up the breather extension in the drivers side tail light housing.
I am at work now and I am happy to report IT WORKED!! I crawled under my truck and the 30 mile run from yesterday which yielded oil spots all over the underside of my truck showed no signs at all today! So because the factory diff breather was unable to release the pressure that builds up in the diff because of heat the gear oil was forced out through the path of least resistance which in my case was the pinion seal. So if you are having Tacoma differential oil leaking issues it could be your breather! I hope this is over and I do not have to deal with the dealership again anytime soon! I am posting a few pics of the clean diff afte my drive to work this morning.

 

Positive pressure or vacuum? The stock breather is a one way valve. I forget which direction that it is supposed to flow. Mine diff had a vacuum when I did the mod. The replacement filter has no flow direction.

Hopefully, you are solid though.

 

I tried forcing air through the bottom which would be the direction air would have to escape the differential. I was not successful in getting any air to pass through the OEM breather.

 

Like I said, I can't remember which way it was supposed to go. Clean it and try sucking on it. Air should flow in one direction. If not, it is definitely the issue.

 

I had this happen on big OTR trucks in the past......NOW keep an eye on the level and any other spatter, if it stops the seal was not too compromised.

 

I have given this some thought. I am still a bit worried the seal might be bad now that the oil has been forced past it. I am going to be putting some 4.88 Revolution Gears into my rig in the next month or so and those parts should be changed out anyways. Thanks for the heads up!

 

To be thorough, I would pull the rear wheels and make sure the axle seals didn't do the same thing spewing rear end lube on your brake shoes.

 

I had also been on the lookout for that as well. When I have time I will lift up the truck and take a look thank you!

 

The seal is fine. They aren't designed to hold pressure so they easily open up a leak path when asked to do so. Doesn't compromise it.

 

Wow! Thank you for your input!! I was concerned that the seal could be compromised. Although where it was wet yesterday it is dry today after the breather exchange. This is good to know thank you!

 

I just noticed this oil seeping from my differential yesterday which prompted the search that found this thread. A little concerning as this is a 2019 Tacoma with just over 10k miles on it.

 

With that amount of miles on the truck I would take it into Toyota and ask them to reseal it. These 3rd Gens are known to do that. I asked my guy at Toyota and he said no problem bring it in.
However.... Before I did all I noticed the rear diff breather looked kinda dirty and I thought it could possibly be plugged up. I unscrewed the breather and tried blowing air through it and sure enough it got all gummed up and no pressure could escape causing the gear oil to force out around the weak point in the seal when the diff heated up. For some reason Toyota put extended front diff breathers in but not in the rear.
So I bought a rear end diff breather extension kit, ran it up into my drivers side tail light housing, and I have not had one issue of oil leaking since.
I am not saying that is what your issue is but that is what worked for me.

 

That's interesting. You'd think the weak point would be axel seals, not the imperfections in the 3rd member mating surface

 

Great info. Thanks. Where did you get the extension kit? Sounds like this would benefit me whether this is the issue here or not.

 

There was gear oil coming out of the axel seal too near the U joints.