Diff Oil Smell in Car after Locker Installation

[grandeandy01 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close grandeandy01]

i was in a friends Prado today and noticed a smell of diff oil in the cab. Phill stated that it has only been since he had his rear diff locker install six weeks ago. He took it back and they installed a square block no return check valve under the car at a cost and this has made no difference.
Has anyone else had this problem or is this normal once you install lockers. Should there be any smell in the car caused by installing a diff Locker.

[wooley Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close wooley]

i was in a friends Prado today and noticed a smell of diff oil in the cab. Phill stated that it has only been since he had his rear diff locker install six weeks ago. He took it back and they installed a square block no return check valve under the car at a cost and this has made no difference.
Has anyone else had this problem or is this normal once you install lockers. Should there be any smell in the car caused by installing a diff Locker.

where is his compressor mounted?

[grandeandy01 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close grandeandy01]

Checked that out and it was located in the engine bay left front between wheel arch and windscreen

[mackayvx Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close mackayvx]

Maybe the intstaller touched something inside the cab with oil on his hands... Oil on his boot wiped on the floor mats? It wouldnt be the first time thats happened!

[mkh Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close mkh]

Where is the end of the breather located. A mate had a locker installed on his Wrangler and they overfilled the diff oil so as the diff was heating up when driving, the oil would piss out of the breather.

[grandeandy01 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close grandeandy01]

Thanks MKH much appreciated I'll check the diff oil level on Saturday and let you know. The end of the breather is located in the engine bay under the windscreen

[kieth Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close kieth]

Grandeandy01 mate this is close to my heart check that the locker is working, if it is still working the seals in the locker mite be damage on install turn the lockers on when you are stationary to see if the air is expelling from the diff breathers, I had the lockers in my 150 out three times before I decided and after making alot of phone calls and taking it to brisbane, The job that they did at brisbane cost $1200 which the shop at coff's harbour paid they check the back diff for the carrier bearings preload and backlash because the front diff bearings where not at the right preload and they were lose so it was a complete rebuild. And just a tip for your mate always take it to ARB shop if it is a ARB air locker look on there website for the true shops out there. If you have any no questions let me know with a PM and I will give you a ring cheers.

[grandeandy01 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close grandeandy01]

Very much appreciated Keith, thanks heaps, will check it out tomorrow with Phill on a track in Nowra and let you know of the outcome.
Again thanks Buddy for taking the time to reply.

[Snaga Wishing I was lost Find all posts View Profile Close Snaga]

I had my compressor located in the cargo area of my 90 and the diff oil was coming back up the air line and the smell was horrible. I had the purge valve installed back to the undercarriage and the issue was fixed.
I actually had a squirt of diff oil on the roof because it was coming through the line ao much.

I had a diff breather that had saturated the filter in the engine bay and it just happened to be near the aircon vents so that also gave a diff smell in the cab.

[D4D Addicted PP Member Find all posts View Profile Close D4D]

or you could fit one of these http://www.harrop.com.au/4wd.php

[vards Lurker Find all posts View Profile Close vards]

Hi, I purchased a prado with front and rear lockers, compressor under the bonnet. I don't get the diff oil smell in the car, but can smell it under the bonnet. I was getting a fair bit of diff oil around the compressor, that my local 4wd mechanic regarded as not normal. I took the car back to ARB as the lockers had been rebuilt in the previous 12 months by ARB for the previous owner. ARB pulled the lockers apart again and put new seals in, I also had the new ARB compressor fitted, it was running off the small air locker compressor. This stopped the oil leak for a bit,but it started again a few months later but not as bad. ARB told me that the oil discharge I am seeing is normal, which I am not real happy about. Especially after spending $700 to have new seals put in. They recommended I put the non return valves in. I decided not to, I am putting up with the small discharge around the compressor I can't be bothered spending any more money on them. They work great and I will live with the oil under the bonnet, but if I was getting the smell in the car it would be really annoying.

Steve

[Corigator Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Corigator]

e-lockers are sounding better all the time

[grandeandy01 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close grandeandy01]

e-lockers are sounding better all the time

e-lockers are sounding better all the time

Well it's starting to sound like a really smelly problem when it comes to ARB lockers. Not that it would appear that the lockers are the problem BUT the so called fitters at some ARB outlets do not know how to fit the locker without damaging the seals hence causing the smells and the oils which according to ARBs installation instructions highlight the extreme importance of not damaging the seals on installation. We have members with no differential oil smell and other with. ARB outlets recommend installation of the check valve but only after some installations appear to have failed.(trying to hide a problem) It would appear that the lockers that are fitted at a truely owned and operated ARB store don't appear to have as much of a problem as the franchised stores.
As for Phills locker and diff smell, say no more, it appears the seals had been damaged and at present in disput with the local ARB shop.
E-lockers sounding better.
Thanks for everyone's replays to date.

[williade Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close williade]

e-lockers are sounding better all the time

Get them installed properly and you wont have a problem. I'm on my second vehicle with ARB lockers and both times I had the compressor/solenoids mounted under the passenger seat and I've never had diff oil mist/smell in the cabin. Granted I used exhaust lines as well, but with both vehicles, when I tested with the exhaust lines disconnected I never had any diff oil come back up the line.

[Corigator Avid PP Poster! Find all posts View Profile Close Corigator]

Who did your fitting, Williade?