# Differential fluid change at 18,000 miles? **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Tags:** liberty, fluids, jeep\ **Created:** [March 17, 2011, 1:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/differential-fluid-change-at-18-000-miles/62693 "2011-03-17T01:00:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![yaugud](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/db5fbb/32.png) [@yaugud](https://community.cartalk.com/u/yaugud)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 1:00am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/differential-fluid-change-at-18-000-miles/62693/1 "2011-03-17T01:00:26Z")
I brought my 2010 Jeep Liberty in for a scheduled oil change at 22,000 miles. The service advisor told me that I needed my differential fluid changed and actually I was 4000 miles over and that it needed changing every 18,000 miles. I checked my maintenance schedule that came with my car and it said the lubricant should last the life of the vehicle as long as I wasn’t a police car, fleet vehicle, taxi, towing things or off roading. I am a 53 year old grandmother of 6. When I pointed out that my owner’s manual said differently they said it was recommended because we live in a “harsh climate”. I live in Whitefield, NH. Are they just upselling service or am I to really change my differential fluids every 18,000 miles to the tune of $260.00 each time. ---
**Author:** ![BustedKnuckles](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bustedknuckles/32/25_2.png) [@BustedKnuckles](https://community.cartalk.com/u/BustedKnuckles)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/differential-fluid-change-at-18-000-miles/62693/2 "2011-03-17T01:16:09Z")
Up-sale. No question. Maybe you should look to a different shop. $260.00? Tries to talk you out of believing the owner’s manual? This guy’s a crook. I also have ‘life-time’ fluid in my differential. I did replace it though. 206,000 miles, 11 years, and a sign of the rear cover starting to seep. The fluid was 75W-140 fully synthetic w/ an LSD additive. Parts were $69.00 for 3 quarts, LSD additive and rear cover gasket. Time was less than 1 hour, including time to clean the diff cover and magnet. Any shop can do it for less than 1 hour labor. Anymore is a rip-off. ---
**Author:** ![UncleTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e9a140/32.png) [@UncleTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/UncleTurbo)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 1:18am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/differential-fluid-change-at-18-000-miles/62693/3 "2011-03-17T01:18:02Z")
I vote that this is an upsell. You don’t tow, and your climate isn’t severe as far as differential fluid is concerned. I won’t trust the “lifetime” recommendation either. I’d change it in 5 years or 100K miles whichever comes first. ---
**Author:** ![texases](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/texases/32/862_2.png) [@texases](https://community.cartalk.com/u/texases)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 1:20am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/differential-fluid-change-at-18-000-miles/62693/4 "2011-03-17T01:20:32Z")
Just another reason to find a good independent shop for routine maintenance. This is an Upsell with a capital U! ---
**Author:** ![ok4450](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ok4450](https://community.cartalk.com/u/ok4450)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 2:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/differential-fluid-change-at-18-000-miles/62693/5 "2011-03-17T02:04:20Z")
Harsh climate has an affect on certain fluids but differential oil is nowhere near the top of the list. It’s not a bad idea to change diff. oil at 100k miles or possibly 50k miles in cases where the diff. is a posi-traction unit. Recommending this at 18k miles is ridiculous. For 260 bucks they’re certainly proud of that easy to do job. ---
**Author:** ![Jeffmw05](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/74df32/32.png) [@Jeffmw05](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Jeffmw05)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2011, 3:58am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/differential-fluid-change-at-18-000-miles/62693/6 "2011-03-17T03:58:04Z")
Take the $260 and get a blu ray player and some blu rays!