AWD: driving with bad rear diff in 2WD (FW) mode ?

[Superflan]

Hi, today, my wife's car (Koleos in sig) began to make strange noises. After visual inspection (without tearing anything apart but the wheels), I went for some test drive. It seems to come from the rear differential (it's an AWD vehicle). It goes like a HARD clunk, with some wheel locking when it happens. If I switch to 2WD mode, so far it stopped to clunk but there's some now some bad gears or worn bearings. Do some of you think that, awaiting rear diff replacement, the vehicle can be driven in 2WD mode (fwd only) without causing direct severe injury from a shaft that would break, some wheel lock, or something along this ? Right now I'm going to drain the rear diff oil to see if there's some big chunks of metal in it.

 

[SteveSRT8]

Lots of 4WD fans have used this method to get home after something breaks in their rear driveline.

 

[Superflan]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8

Lots of 4WD fans have used this method to get home after something breaks in their rear driveline.

Good to hear that, but in my case it's more doing something like approx. 1000 miles before getting parts replaced... Maybe by emptying diff oil and removing the two rear halfshafts ?

 

[Linctex]

Originally Posted By: SteveSRT8

Lots of 4WD fans have used this method to get home after something breaks in their rear driveline.

I have also been there, done that. As per your Koleos 2.0 .... let us know what you find when you pull the cover off the diff FIRST

 

[Superflan]

Originally Posted By: Linctex

As per your Koleos 2.0 .... let us know what you find when you pull the cover off the diff FIRST

Seems that the bolts on the upper side of the diff aren't accessible enough for me to pull out the cover without removing the diff from the driveline I just flushed the oil and this is what I found : Oil leak from halfshafts, but the oil quantity in there was near OK (0.55l, found 0.45): Left: fill plug, Right: drain plug with magnet and a lot of metal Clean drain plug: Shiny oil: 1-5mm metal chunks (found a lot but didn't take the pic):

 

[PimTac]

Ouch. How hard is it for you to get a diff considering where you are?

 

[AZjeff]

What the heck is a Koleos? You say you had some wheel lock with the rear engaged, would there be a concern the chunks could get somewhere bad when disengaged while your wife is driving? Trade cars so you get to deal with it until fixed?

 

[PimTac]

I had to look up Koleos since it’s an unknown name to me. From Renault-Nissan. Looks similar to a Rogue here but some differences. What year is yours?

 

[Superflan]

Originally Posted By: PimTac

Ouch. How hard is it for you to get a diff considering where you are?

We can have common spare parts here but a rear differential... must fetch from Europe or Korea. Approx 1000 euros (used one) + shipping... + random delay (could be weeks). I was planning to do major suspension work (shocks, arms, ...), I guess I will have to do that later, money-wise.

 

[Superflan]

Originally Posted By: AZjeff

What the heck is a Koleos? You say you had some wheel lock with the rear engaged, would there be a concern the chunks could get somewhere bad when disengaged while your wife is driving? Trade cars so you get to deal with it until fixed?

I guess I’ll flush and drive the diff many times with some cheap oil till it comes clear, since there’s no load on the gears it should be okay Trade cars? Lol she cringe at the idea of driving my old Toyota Yaris, or my old Renault Kangoo In fact, she’s driving 100 miles a day, doing door-to-door (visiting nurse). So she’s almost dependant of comfort, auto trans, and ground clearance, all of which my cars don’t have.

 

[Superflan]

Originally Posted By: PimTac

I had to look up Koleos since it’s an unknown name to me. From Renault-Nissan. Looks similar to a Rogue here but some differences. What year is yours?

2013. It’s a Renault-Nissan-Samsung, sold as QM5 in Korea

 

[PimTac]

Originally Posted By: Superflan

Originally Posted By: PimTac

I had to look up Koleos since it’s an unknown name to me. From Renault-Nissan. Looks similar to a Rogue here but some differences. What year is yours?

2013. It’s a Renault-Nissan-Samsung, sold as QM5 in Korea

Thanks for that info. Only four years old and the differential goes out? Has to be a fluke or it has been driven hard. How was the lube? Any water?

 

[Superflan]

147000Km, factory fill (I was planning to finally change the oil), Renault specs it as lifetime fill. We bought the vehicle used with 25000km back in 2014. Nissan specs the same diff (R145, same as rogue) for 50000km OCI. I guess the severe service and the lack of oil change killed it prematurely. No visible water in oil for now. Do anyone knows how to tell if another R145 from another vehicle should be a bolt-on?

 

[Superflan]

About the cover, it clamps the halfshafts seals with the other part of the case.

 

[supton]

Well, looks like the oil made it to the end of life for that diff. So it was a lifetime fluid, eh? If it's knocking then I'm guessing it'll eventually go. But if it's noise free in 2WD... perhaps you can just avoid using 4WD unless it's actually needed. Question: is this a part time or full time AWD system? I have heard of some trucks having a proper center diff and "auto 4WD" will leave the center diff unlocked: but I thought most "AWD" vehicles simply did not use any user-selectable switch for 2WD. I'm a little concerned if you left it in 4Hi "all the time" and thus this is wear coming from drivetrain binding.

 

[Superflan]

It’s barely knocking on 2WD mode, but making worn bearing noise. It’s a full time AWD, almost full torque on front wheels but coupling the rear axle as needed. Thr switch have 3 positions: Default: Auto Up: 2WD Down: 4WD LOCK (diff lock) We left it on Auto all the time

 

[supton]

Ah, cool options then. Well, it seems to me that the oil was used for too long. But truth be told, sometimes stuff dies from missassembly. Nissan did say it was lifetime, and there are diffs out there with way more miles on them and on original fluid. So it might not have mattered to change the oil--it might have died anyhow.

 

[Superflan]

Ok, not so many regrets to have, given the severe service it had (and the remap). I’d change the oil on the replacement unit each OCI though it’s really super simple once you got the right syringe and attachment

 

[Kamele0N]

Originally Posted By: PimTac

Only four years old and the differential goes out? Has to be a fluke or it has been driven hard. How was the lube? Any water?

in Slovenia where we have Renault factory we often take jokes like this...

 

[Kamele0N]

Originally Posted By: Superflan

It’s barely knocking on 2WD mode, but making worn bearing noise.

Bearings are most probably shot too...because they share the same oil (with metal shavings) I dont know if it has the same diff....but lets have a look for Dacia Duster parts...