What is this tube in the engine bay? It looks like it's leaking oil like crazy

Hello! I was changing my oil and when I went to go unscrew the fill cap I noticed these tubes that look completely covered in oil. There's no engine lights, the oil levels were fine, nothing seems broken, but this seems like someone I should address.

Any advice appreciated

(2014 DCSB trd-OR @169000 miles)

 

Those are your transmission and front diff breathers. Can't remember which is which offhand. You should check your levels.

ETA:

Transfer, not transmission

 

I did the xfer case fluid and front diff fluid myself about 10,000 miles ago. Is it possible I overfilled a tad? Is there any danger to continuing to drive for a bit if I don't engage the front axle?

 

I suppose overfilling is a possibility. I don't know if you can really overfill since it should just run out the fill hole nor do I know how much would be too much and potential damages.

 

Still wrong.


Big tube is the front diff breather, Small tube is the breather for the front diff ADD actuator.


Auto trans breather is at the back of the motor at the top of the bell housing. Transfer case breather lies on top of the transmission and the tcase actuator breather vents into the tcase itself.

 

What if any maintenance do these tubes required and when?

 

The tubes themselves shouldn't need any maintenance. They are just vents and the ends are just vent caps so debris don't get in.

If you are puking fluid out of the breathers there could be an issue with overfill or being overheated.

 

Agree with this.

 

Mine does it some and my levels and fluid are fine. I just checked the front diff a few weeks ago and at most, it was a tad overfilled.
It won't hurt anything to drive it like that if your fluids aren't low or contaminated with water.

 

Yep... it's difficult to fill the front diff correctly when you don't have a level driveway.

I recommend correcting the level, then also replacing the breather cap at the end of the tube ASAP. Not only does it stink to have gear oil dribbling on your exhaust manifold... but you try to fix it by ignoring it like I did, it clogs the breather and eventually blows out the axle seals.

I eventually replaced my clogged breather with a catch can... which I mounted to the engine, just where there space was available. Won't clog if oil comes up the line. Of course, doing this ensured that the vent line never erupted again... so kind of a waste of time and money. But that's kind of the theme here.



Only one tube can erupt with oil, the other serves the actuator enclosure which shouldn't have oil in it.