So I just got back from trip with my Volvo. About a 250 mile roundtrip. Everything was going well until I noticed a vibration during deceleration at around 70 mph. That's how it started. Then as we continued driving it got progressfully worse. It was making noise on acceleration and deceleration...It became enough of a nuisance to pull off the highway and take a peek. I noticed an odor similar to burning oil(even though the engine has no issues currently). Then when looking under the back end of car I saw the start of an oil leak that looked like it was coming from rear axle. We were only about 10 miles from home so I continued driving. When I got home I noticed a substantial amount of fluid blown back from axle to gas tank. The car was starting to jerk a bit towards the end of our trip. It also had a vibration that I was hoping was my exhaust pipe, but now im realizing it may be something worse.


I guess im hoping that its a relatively easy fix....Ill attach photos of the rear axle..Hope I can get some advice.

Thanks

 

rear axle from my 1988 volvo 240 dl.

 

I'd clean that all off with Gunk or similar and hose it down, then drive it a short distance to see where its leaking out of. right now its everywhere so its hard to see this. also if you put the car chassis up on jack stands, the axle will hang down so you can see more of it. see if you can get a look at the front side of the rear axle too...

its possible for oil from the engine or transmission to blow all the way back like that.. but if the drive shaft forward of the rear axle is clean, and the front of the rear axle is clean, I'm gonna guess its the cover, maybe its rusted through.

for sure, you need to replace the differential oil before doing any significant driving, but if its just going to blow out again, that would be a waste, best to find and fix the leak first.

 

Thanks Pierce! Im worried that I may have done damage to axle by not realizing that there was a problem. I thought I won the war when I debunked the mechanic who said my engine had irreverseable engine damage. Now this. Ha Ha.

I will take the car in tomorrow and get it up on a lift... Ill post results when I get them..

Thanks again.