Advice - Leaking rear differential - E93 335i - options?
Advice - Leaking rear differential - E93 335i - options?
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Discussion

wax lyrical

Original Poster:

1,066 posts

271 months

Sunday 6th February 2022
quotequote all
Guys, I had an oil & filter service at BMW a couple of days ago and the rear shocks & mounts are corroded, out of place and need replacing and the rear diff is leaking quite badly and the seals at least need to be replaced ASAP. If that doesn't stop the problem, the car will need a new rear diff. frown

My 2008 335i auto is on 199k miles now and due to this mileage and the age of the car, nothing's covered under the warranty. Eeverything else was absolutely fine.

As I want to keep the car going as long as possible, do I just change the above as suggested, or maybe bite the bullet and get a Birds LSD? smile Birds hace quoted:

Rear Axle
Quaife BMW Limited Slip Diff. Kit 335i Auto production after 09/2007
Differential Bearing Kit BMW 188L, 188lw During Quaife Install
Total Estimate: £1952.00 +VAT

My car is probably worth only £3k on the open market, but to me it's worth a lot more as I've owned it for over 10 years (and 150k miles) and it's been maintained meticulously (thanks to the warranty).

What would you do? Fix the shocks and rear diff seals and sell the car? Or keep as long as possible and get the everything sorted?

All advice appreciated! smile


helix402

7,913 posts

212 months

Sunday 6th February 2022
quotequote all
Diff output shaft seals are maybe £20 each and easy to fit. Input shaft seal takes a little longer. That’s the three seals that will cause a leak. A lot cheaper than a new diff. It won’t need a new diff to fix oil leaks.

wax lyrical

Original Poster:

1,066 posts

271 months

Sunday 6th February 2022
quotequote all
helix402 said:
Diff output shaft seals are maybe £20 each and easy to fit. Input shaft seal takes a little longer. That’s the three seals that will cause a leak. A lot cheaper than a new diff. It won’t need a new diff to fix oil leaks.
Thank you! That's good to know.

Mr Tidy

31,595 posts

157 months

Sunday 6th February 2022
quotequote all
True, but an LSD from Birds could be fun!

wax lyrical

Original Poster:

1,066 posts

271 months

Wednesday 9th February 2022
quotequote all
Yes it would. smile

Mr Tidy said:
True, but an LSD from Birds could be fun!

bigdom

2,359 posts

175 months

Thursday 10th February 2022
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My mate has one on his 140i, makes a world of difference. Also went for softer springs.

b14

1,305 posts

218 months

Thursday 10th February 2022
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I’ve got an LSD in my 340i, Torsen diff fitted by Birds. It’s amazing. An expensive way to fix your leaky diff but worth it, if you like a mix of lots of grip in a straight line and the potential for slip when you want it.

wax lyrical

Original Poster:

1,066 posts

271 months

Tuesday 22nd February 2022
quotequote all
Thanks All. Appreciate the input. smile