2010 Top of intermediate steering shaft leak?

There are no symptoms except build up of grease. Noticed during oil change. Wiped very bottom of entire shaft last oil change. This time while tending to plug maintenance, noticed grease build up on top of intermediate steering shaft.

Has anyone had the same problem? Is it grease (as it needs grease) or is it leaking from top of shaft?

Is this repairable and if so how hard?

I understand there's a tsb for intermediate shaft noise but I don't have the symptoms of it, at least not yet. I didn't think the tsb indicated such either.

67k miles

Thanks

 

More than likely just assembly grease. No worries.

 

Sounds good enough for me. Thanks.

 

Op, if you look at the very top of your first pic this is where the steering shaft goes through a rubber boot at the fire wall. On the opposite side of the boot (inside cab) the boot is cup-shaped and filled with a black moly-looking grease. There tends to be a lot of grease put in there at the factory. I'm not exactly sure why the cupped portion is filled with so much grease but if you dig deep enough I believe you will find that in some of their cars there is a TSB to put a bunch of grease in there for complaints about steering shaft rattles or something, plus the grease lubes the shaft as it turns in the boot. But on the Taco it is not the same intermediate shaft TSB.

That whole rubber boot thing at the fire wall acts like a cushion of sorts for up and down and side movement of the intermediate shaft.

Also, make sure brake fluid has not dripped there from above.

 

Will do. Thanks.