Front Differential Leaking - Easy solution?

[Mathematics]

My front differential was replaced about 15k miles ago, and the last 5k miles or so seems to have developed a very small leak. No ill effects so far, other than the stains on my garage floor, but still annoying. I've had a guy look at it when they changed the oil and they said it wasn't a big deal...I'm not so sure.

Is there an easy fix for this I can do in my garage? The shop that replaced the differential is a NAPA shop so I can have them replace it at hopefully minimal cost, however I've moved away from that area and won't be back for about 6 months. I'm hoping there's an easy temporary fix I can do in the meantime.

 

[Ronin8002]

If it's leaking from around the cover, then it's just a matter of removing the cover, cleaning up the mounting surfaces, putting some RTV sealant where the cover touches, buttoning it back up, and refilling it with fluid.

If it's coming from where the driveshaft goes into the diff, it's possibly a leaking pinion seal. A more complicated job to do at home, but a well equipped shop could do it fairly quickly, and at a reasonable cost.

Either way, if it's a very small leak you don't have to do it immediately, but keep an eye on it to make sure it doesn't get worse. You can check the fluid level in the diff periodically by removing the fill plug and sticking your finger in there, if the fluid is level with the hole or just below it, you're fine. Just don't let it get a lot below that.