yellow fluid drip from rear axle

[hop_to_it]

Hi all:

Just came in the house from shoveling snow.......and noticed I have a drip & a puddle from the center of my rear axle. It's a urine yellow color.

What is it?

Should it be serviced right away?

[mustang67408]

Sounds like the DRAIN or FILL plug for your differential is leaking. I would have it checked/fixed as soon as possible. You lose all that fluid and you lose the diff = $$$$

[partyman66]

It's probably gear oil. Try smelling it. Gear oil has a rather pungent smell. You'll definitely want to get that fixed because a new differential/axel is no cheap repair. It's most likely just the washer around the drain plug, or possibly the filler plug if it was overfilled or parked on a steeply angled hill.

Did you recently do any maintenance on the truck that involved a fluid change on the rear diff? Toyota sells new washers dirt cheap.. but you'll have to drain the fluid out of the diff in order to put the washer on(only if it's the drain plug, not the filler). If you just had the fluid changed, catch it in a clean pan of some sort and you can just pump the same stuff back in through the filler hole... and clear off any loose metal that may be stuck on the drain plug which is magnetic.

[mcc371]

Check the front of the differential where the drive shaft attaches. The pinion seal may be leaking.

[The Phoenix]

Was the oil recently changed in any of the diffs? I don't know of any gear oil that's been used but still appears yellow

[Dezertlex]

Brake fluid is yellowish.

[TX RN]

I am curious, what was the yellow fluid? Brake fluid, diff fluid, or trans fluid running down the drive shaft? Did you get it sorted out?