Has anyone ever had problems with their rear differential? I have a 2000 2.8 quatro a4 with 63000 miles on it. My driver's side cv joint leaked (none on the driveway) but enough to be down a quart in the rear diff. It is now making an audible rumbling. It is being diagnosed at a dealership today. Any suggestions?!

 

all i can say is taht I got mine replaced. I will try to go home and see what AUDI said on the bill. Was around $250 CANADIAN.

 

Your sure it isn't a wheel bearing?

 

OWDI man you paid 250$ to get both or one replaced ?
dats alot of doe man for those seals

 

The shop is replacing the left rear wheel bearing and then test drive it again to see if the noise has gone away. I hope so! Then they will replace the differential seal that is leaking as long as there is no noise from the rear end. Has anyone ever put a used rear differential with low milage in their car. Part costs $200 verse rebuilding the potentially expensive damaged one at audi.

 

If the noise is louder when turning right , shifting weight onto the left side , the left wheel bearing is probably the cause.

 

I am having a similar problem with my 99.5 A41.8t.

The only difference is that mypassenger side of the rear diff seems to have lost a seal. Noise from the rear end for a few days made me wonder, so I jacked it up and looked last night. There is fluid splattered all over the heat shield, but no dripping.

The noise mine makes goes away when turning sharply to the left, but I had been getting an exhaust rubbing sound for the past three months during sharp right turns, so I had thought of it as loose exhaust for some time. But it was getting louder and I recognized the sound as being the same as that of my mom's accord when she lost a wheel bearing.

Anyway, I have been looking around at local junk yards for a salvaged unit since they seem to be the cheapest way of fixing the problem in one step. I think rebuilding it would be fun, but ease might come in a complete unit.

I'm off to go remove the whole diff so I can better diagnose it.

 

I thought quattros have center differentials?

 

three differentials. The front and center differentials are in the transmission. There is also a rear differential at the rear of the car. Differential failures dont happen very often. The seals leak and wheel bearings fail but differentials themselves rarely fail.

 

How does one manage to pop one of these half-shafts off the diff? It is not as easy as the front. They seem to be stuck on more so.