The other day I noticed that there was some diff fluid coming from the plug in the rear diff on my 2005 Dodge Dakota 4.7 SLT. When i was underneath cleaning up the oil I noticed dirty oil around the front of the diff and a little on the end of the drive shaft. The oil was dry and I didn't notice any wet spots. What might the problem be and what would the cost be to get it fixed? Thanks

 

It could be a very slow leak through the pinion seal, mine has that also - no drips, no real wet area, just an oily stain in the dirt around the shaft. I just check the level every 6 months or so to make sure it's good & have seen no appreciable loss (using my finger as a dipstick through the fill hole).

 

Ditto.

 

Mine is doing this too. It also never drips, just seeps enough to stain the housing. I actually had it replaced once (the seal) under warranty. 2 years later the new one has a slow seep. If its not lowering the level, its not worth fixing ASAP.

 

Checked the level and it is good. Thanks for the help