Rear AxleWhen to Check LubricantIt is not necessary to regularly check rear axle fluidunless you suspect there is a leak or you hear anunusual noise. A fluid loss could indicate a problem.Have it inspected and repaired.All axle assemblies are filled by volume of fluid duringproduction. They are not filled to reach a certainlevel. When checking the fluid level on any axle,variations in the readings can be caused by factory filldifferences between the minimum and the maximumfluid volume. Also, if a vehicle has just been drivenbefore checking the fluid level, it may appear lower thannormal because fluid has traveled out along the axletubes and has not drained back to the sump area.Therefore, a reading taken five minutes after the vehiclehas been driven will appear to have a lower fluidlevel than a vehicle that has been stationary for an houror two. Remember that the rear axle assembly mustbe supported to get a true reading.How to Check LubricantTo get an accurate reading, the vehicle should be on alevel surface.• For Two-Wheel-Drive vehicles, the proper level isfrom 0.6 inch to 1.6 inches (15 mm to 40 mm)below the bottom of the filler plug hole, located onthe rear axle. Add only enough fluid to reachthe proper level.• For All-Wheel-Drive vehicles, the proper level isfrom 0.04 inch to 0.75 inch (1.0 mm to 19.0 mm)below the bottom of the filler plug hole, located onthe rear axle. Add only enough fluid to reachthe proper level.5-46
