Front Differential Question

P71_CrownVic · April 11, 2009

So, I went to my grandma's the other day because we were bringing our vehicles (my '06 Silverado and her '05 Rainier) in for some routine service. My truck was fine, with everything looking fantastic. Her Rainier, on the other hand, was another story.

While performing the GM mulit-point inspection, the tech noticed that the front differential was leaking where the two halves come together. This is the second time this differential has leaked. Last time it was the front pinion seal that was leaking. The service person we were dealing with told us that this is not the first time they have sen this issue...and most likely, when they open up the diff, they will find metal shavings due to "weak metal" being used.

Sure enough, they found metal shavings. No worries though, she bought an extended warranty that has already paid for itself with this repair and the pinion seal repair.

My question is:

Does my Silverado with "Auto 4-wheel" capability have the same differential as her Rainier? And if it does, does anyone know if the problem had been addressed so that problem does not happen? The service person said that they have seen a few Rainiers (and I assume Envoys) in for this problem...and when they install the upgraded parts, the problem is solved.