[steeve725]

I noticed a small spot of oil underneath my 2004 Toyota Tundra 4.7lt. Access Cab

I traced it back to what looks like a rubber hose with cap.

Truck has 240k on it and runs great.

Picture attached.

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thank You!

 

[Professional Hand Model]

Those are your Front Differential and Transmission Breathers. Not sure which looks to be leaking.

 

[steeve725]

Thank you.

It doesn't appear to be transmission fluid due to smell and color. So I'd assume it's front differential.

This winter I did use my four-wheel-drive more than I ever have.

What would be the main reason it would come out the breather?

Would that indicate an issue?

 

[Professional Hand Model]

Could be that the fluid was slightly over filled on its last service and that your use this winter made it expand and exit out the breather. Its happened to my truck in the past. You’ll be fine. Just make sure you swirl those two breathers and especially the rear diff breather located on your rear axle pumpkin to keep them from seizing.

 

[steeve725]

Will do. Thank You!

 

[Nmarovich]

Will do. Thank You!

 

[Nmarovich]

When you say “swirl” do you mean take them out and clean them or????

 

[Professional Hand Model]

Twist and Swirl. No need to remove them as long as that cap is free. You could remove and clean them if you want, but considering the time and effort (which isn’t much) you could buy new ones and put them on. Thats what I did. Iirc they were each about $8-10 and all 3 (2 fronts and one rear axle) have different part #’s which you’ll need to check on your own.

 

[2TundraMan]

As said, the top cap should spin, these are not tight fittings, they are loose on purpose to allow air or to vent higher pressure air from the front differential, and I believe the second one is transfer case. The cap is cheap to buy. I had to replace my front differential breather cap and line as it had broken off at the top of the front diff and would no longer reach the hose nipple. I remember it being hard to get to, but you can slide a piece of fuel hose onto that nipple on top of front diff and then run the hose up by where it originally was and install the cap. Getting a hose clamp on at the top of the differential was difficult.