Need to change rear differential

[greenscreen]

My 2010 Rogue SL AWD abruptly died last Friday on road without any warning. Tried to restart , it was cranking, but engine did not start. The brake padel was jammed and I could not push it down, but I could easily shift the gears from P to D, R and back to P. I had to tow it to my dealer. Next day dealer looked at it and told me that I got bad gas filled in and it would cost me $475 to drain the tank, fuel line, change filter and spark plugs. This is not covered under extended warranty I bought. I told him to go ahead with it. On Monday , he called me back and said they are replacing the rear differential due to some noise from it. The differential is on backorder from Japan and according to dealer, may take three weeks to arrive. Now my question is, the problem that my Rogue stalled and died on road could be due to the faulty differential ? Did my dealer misdiagnosed the problem first time and tried to cover it up ? he said the computer did not register any error. I don't want to pay $475 from my pocket if the issue was not caused by bad gas.
Any suggestions and opinions on the possible cause for my problem?
Thanks all in advance.

[ImStricken06]

very interesting. if i understand correctly:

• 1. you were driving. the car shuts off out of nowhere.
  2. you tried to restart the engine. the engine was turning over, but not starting.
  3. the brake pedal was hard and you were not able to push it down to the floor.
  4. you could still shift the center gear shifter/selector.
  5. vehicle was towed.

ok, if you got bad gas - which essentially is water in your fuel - you can go back to the place of purchase and they will reimburse you for the fuel & repairs. it happened often last year in New Jersey, USA at WAWA gas stations. water in the fuel.
about 15 cars were dead in the same exact location about half a mile away from the gas station.

the feeling you felt in the brake pedal is normal. your brake pedal runs off a vacuum. thats what makes your pedal come back to normal after you push it. if your engine died while driving, you had to use the brake pedal to slow down, and the vacuum which runs off the engine(which is no longer available because your engine died) was not able to make your pedal come back to its original location/softness. you can recreate this same effect by pumping your gas pedal when the engine is off. it will feel stuck/hard as a rock. but once you turn your engine on - it will come back to soft/normal in 10seconds.

now regarding the rear differential. let me ask you this = did you ever change your fluid inside of it? did you ever drive over deep puddles? have you felt any clunking coming from the rear? did you ever use mix-matched tire sizes?

it is possible you had a bad differential the whole time.
its also possible that you damaged the rear differential by coasting to a stop.
see our rear differential has a clutch that engages and disengages at different time. its engages when we are stopped, and up to 6mph. after that - it disengages and we are only front wheel drive, unless the system detects wheel slip.
if the car shut off, it might have turned off the system, and the AWD kicked in, when it shouldn't have. there could also be transmission problems - since when you turn off the engine, it also turns off the transmission fluid pump. that means things inside were turning, but not getting lubricated.

[greenscreen]

Thanks ImStricken for the detailed explanation. You got the whole story correctly.
I got sample of the fuel from my dealer and I took i to the gas station with my receipt. But as expected, the manager said no other customer complained about their gas. Moreover, I filled gas at 08.00 am and the problem occurred at 10.30 pm. So, it is hard to prove that the gas I got from them was the culprit.
As for your questions, all answers are negetive. My Rogue has 39000 km (I am in Toronto,Canada) .I never changed the rear differential fluid, drove always on paved surfaces, never noticed any abnormal sound and never had any tire mismatch . As you said, it may have damaged during the incident. The tow charges, differential , labor for replacing it, all covered under my ASP. I have a rental provided by dealer. So no big problems, except I miss my Rogue. I will keep you updated.
Thanks again.

[ImStricken06]

Thanks ImStricken for the detailed explanation. You got the whole story correctly.
I got sample of the fuel from my dealer and I took i to the gas station with my receipt. But as expected, the manager said no other customer complained about their gas. Moreover, I filled gas at 08.00 am and the problem occurred at 10.30 pm. So, it is hard to prove that the gas I got from them was the culprit.
As for your questions, all answers are negetive. My Rogue has 39000 km (I am in Toronto,Canada) .I never changed the rear differential fluid, drove always on paved surfaces, never noticed any abnormal sound and never had any tire mismatch . As you said, it may have damaged during the incident. The tow charges, differential , labor for replacing it, all covered under my ASP. I have a rental provided by dealer. So no big problems, except I miss my Rogue. I will keep you updated.
Thanks again.

i really feel awful for you, as this is not your fault in any way. not neglect, not driver error, not even weather related.
i would contact that gas station owner, and tell him you have a way of finding out if there are in fact other car owners that got hit that day - and thats to contact the local newspaper and do an interview for a story. This often happens, and thats how other owner/victims are found. see what that gets you.

also, i cant help but bring up a concern i had a while ago. here is my story, before i bring up the actual concern.
i often visit New York City, and me and the lady head into a part of NYC that is inhabited by the hippy crowd, and they are known to steal anything that isnt tied down. We dont fit in at all, but we love being in the "crazy" parts of NYC. So Anyway, one day as im returning from the trip, i noticed my fuel level was BEYOND lower than it should have been. i kinda started to panic. i have NEVER refueled in NYC and refused to, due to the increased prices - but this time i was forced to. (i usually refuel in New Jersey prior to every trip) SO THE THOUGHT CROSSED MY MIND - OUR FREAKING FUEL DOOR DOESNT LOCK!! and i realized, someone stole my fuel. im almost positive they walked up, siphoned fuel out, and closed things back up. - so this brings up a question = any neighborhood kids that could have done this? (pour water down your tank?) just a thought.

[greenscreen]

Bingo! I never thought this. I work in 24/7 IT environment and have rotating night shifts. Employee parking is in the rear of the building and not very well lit. We have a chinese restaurent in the same building which stays open till late night. Few days back one of my collegue got his tires slashed really deep. Many a times we see empty bear bottles and other stuff littered, suggesting a rowdy gettogather. So, it very much possible that some goon did it for fun and caused me all the trouble. i will talk to my manager to take this matter with building owner.
Why there is no aftermarket device available to lock the gas door?

[ImStricken06]

Bingo! I never thought this. I work in 24/7 IT environment and have rotating night shifts. Employee parking is in the rear of the building and not very well lit. We have a chinese restaurent in the same building which stays open till late night. Few days back one of my collegue got his tires slashed really deep. Many a times we see empty bear bottles and other stuff littered, suggesting a rowdy gettogather. So, it very much possible that some goon did it for fun and caused me all the trouble. i will talk to my manager to take this matter with building owner.
Why there is no aftermarket device available to lock the gas door?

there is no aftermarket locking door, but there is a locking cap. its easy to remove as well(with pliers of some form), but at least its SOME more of a deterrent. any auto parts store will have them for our vehicles. nissan has not changed their gas caps since early 2000- so it will fit many vehicles. (comes with a key)

i really would try to push both ends. push the gas station owner, and push the property manager. any help is still help.

[Honva]

My 2010 Rogue SL AWD abruptly died last Friday on road without any warning. Tried to restart , it was cranking, but engine did not start. The brake padel was jammed and I could not push it down, but I could easily shift the gears from P to D, R and back to P. I had to tow it to my dealer. Next day dealer looked at it and told me that I got bad gas filled in and it would cost me $475 to drain the tank, fuel line, change filter and spark plugs. This is not covered under extended warranty I bought. I told him to go ahead with it. On Monday , he called me back and said they are replacing the rear differential due to some noise from it. The differential is on backorder from Japan and according to dealer, may take three weeks to arrive. Now my question is, the problem that my Rogue stalled and died on road could be due to the faulty differential ? Did my dealer misdiagnosed the problem first time and tried to cover it up ? he said the computer did not register any error. I don't want to pay $475 from my pocket if the issue was not caused by bad gas.
Any suggestions and opinions on the possible cause for my problem?
Thanks all in advance.

I assume the guy who tow your car had all 4 wheels lifted?

[Rogue One]

Bingo! I never thought this. I work in 24/7 IT environment and have rotating night shifts. Employee parking is in the rear of the building and not very well lit. We have a chinese restaurent in the same building which stays open till late night. Few days back one of my collegue got his tires slashed really deep. Many a times we see empty bear bottles and other stuff littered, suggesting a rowdy gettogather. So, it very much possible that some goon did it for fun and caused me all the trouble. i will talk to my manager to take this matter with building owner.
Why there is no aftermarket device available to lock the gas door?

So it turns out your Rogue doesn't run well on recycled beer. A locking gas cap is definately in order as next time it could be something worse, like bleach. Make sure the manager informs the building owner that this is a saftey issue, and that additional lighting and security cameras are far cheaper than a law suit.

[greenscreen]

My 2010 Rogue SL AWD abruptly died last Friday on road without any warning. Tried to restart , it was cranking, but engine did not start. The brake padel was jammed and I could not push it down, but I could easily shift the gears from P to D, R and back to P. I had to tow it to my dealer. Next day dealer looked at it and told me that I got bad gas filled in and it would cost me $475 to drain the tank, fuel line, change filter and spark plugs. This is not covered under extended warranty I bought. I told him to go ahead with it. On Monday , he called me back and said they are replacing the rear differential due to some noise from it. The differential is on backorder from Japan and according to dealer, may take three weeks to arrive. Now my question is, the problem that my Rogue stalled and died on road could be due to the faulty differential ? Did my dealer misdiagnosed the problem first time and tried to cover it up ? he said the computer did not register any error. I don't want to pay $475 from my pocket if the issue was not caused by bad gas.
Any suggestions and opinions on the possible cause for my problem?
Thanks all in advance.

I assume the guy who tow your car had all 4 wheels lifted?

Rogue AWD has an option to switch on/off AWD. I did not keep the AWD on when this happened. The car was not in AWD mode. He checked it all by rolling the car before he took off.

[ImStricken06]

Rogue AWD has an option to switch on/off AWD. I did not keep the AWD on when this happened. The car was not in AWD mode. He checked it all by rolling the car before he took off.

bud, thats what destroyed your differential. there is no option to turn off AWD- it happens on its own when it wants too.
the awd was waiting to be turned on, while your driving- and once you slowed down and hit 6mph, it turned back on automatically.
this idiot of a tow-truck driver broke your car. read the manual, TO ANY AWD VEHICLE. never tow unless its on a flatbed.

the rogue all wheel drive has the option to LOCK (which means bi-pass the computer and turn on awd up to 6mph) or to turn off traction control.
there is no option to turn OFF awd

[greenscreen]

Bingo! I never thought this. I work in 24/7 IT environment and have rotating night shifts. Employee parking is in the rear of the building and not very well lit. We have a chinese restaurent in the same building which stays open till late night. Few days back one of my collegue got his tires slashed really deep. Many a times we see empty bear bottles and other stuff littered, suggesting a rowdy gettogather. So, it very much possible that some goon did it for fun and caused me all the trouble. i will talk to my manager to take this matter with building owner.
Why there is no aftermarket device available to lock the gas door?

So it turns out your Rogue doesn't run well on recycled beer. A locking gas cap is definately in order as next time it could be something worse, like bleach. Make sure the manager informs the building owner that this is a saftey issue, and that additional lighting and security cameras are far cheaper than a law suit.

Yeh, I know now. probably it needs green tea!
I will buy a locked gas cap ASAP.

[greenscreen]

to ImStricken:
The tow truck was sent by Nissan Road side assistance, and the guy did not know how to tow nissan vehicles ! This is ridiculous. I was stuck on a live lane, a cop cruiser behind me with flashing light,I was so confused at the time. My son was returning from a school trip and I was going to pick him up. He was waiting in Principal's office and was the only student left there. I just gave keys to tow truck driver and asked him to drop car at dealer. Got a cab and left for the school. Any way, they are fixing it at no cost to me, so no issues.
I wonder, if the reinstalled differential will be as good as the original. I feel it like a crack in the mirror which never gets repaired. Sad.

[ImStricken06]

to ImStricken:
The tow truck was sent by Nissan Road side assistance, and the guy did not know how to tow nissan vehicles ! This is rediculous. I was stuck on a live lane, a cop cruiser behind me with flashing light,I was so confused at the time. My son was returning from a school trip and I was going to pick him up. He was waiting in Principal's office and was the only student left there. I just gave keys to tow truck driver and asked him to drop car at dealer. Got a cab and left for the school. Any way, they are fixing it at no cost to me, so no issues.
I wonder, if the reinstalled differential will be as good as the original. I feel it like a crack in the mirror which never gets repaired. Sad.

yup, its the tow truck driver that did the damage. never tow an awd car on anything but a flat bed.
but who cares, if nissan is replacing the differential, no big deal.
replacing a part on a car is like replacing a tire. its new, its better, and your in luck! its more miles you can put on your car
(id be happier than a pig in mud - if nissan would replace my engine & transmission; even though nothing is wrong. but at least its new parts lol)

when you get your rogue back, dont worry. its gonna be new parts, so literally- its gonna be "good as new" lol

[greenscreen]

to ImStricken:
The tow truck was sent by Nissan Road side assistance, and the guy did not know how to tow nissan vehicles ! This is rediculous. I was stuck on a live lane, a cop cruiser behind me with flashing light,I was so confused at the time. My son was returning from a school trip and I was going to pick him up. He was waiting in Principal's office and was the only student left there. I just gave keys to tow truck driver and asked him to drop car at dealer. Got a cab and left for the school. Any way, they are fixing it at no cost to me, so no issues.
I wonder, if the reinstalled differential will be as good as the original. I feel it like a crack in the mirror which never gets repaired. Sad.

yup, its the tow truck driver that did the damage. never tow an awd car on anything but a flat bed.
but who cares, if nissan is replacing the differential, no big deal.
replacing a part on a car is like replacing a tire. its new, its better, and your in luck! its more miles you can put on your car
(id be happier than a pig in mud - if nissan would replace my engine & transmission; even though nothing is wrong. but at least its new parts lol)

when you get your rogue back, dont worry. its gonna be new parts, so literally- its gonna be "good as new" lol

You made my day . Many thanks.

[geoblek]

The posts on this topic are getting me restless.

My wife drove our 2008 Rogue AWD SL into the garage wall, causing severe frontal damage. We arranged for local towing guys who did the same mistake - put the shift lever in N and towed the vehicle on 4 wheels to the repair shop about 5Km away. Got to know later from owners' manual that under no circumstance should the AWD be towed on 4 wheels. We have been using the vehicle for more than 2 months now after the repairs, without any noticeable problem with the trans or differential.

My question is were we just lucky nothing happened or just sitting on time bomb for the damage to show up later?
Do I have to send the Rogue to a certified Nissan dealer for inspection?

The Rogue still drives smoothly after the repairs.

[ImStricken06]

We arranged for local towing guys who did the same mistake - put the shift lever in N and towed the vehicle on 4 wheels to the repair shop about 5Km away.
My question is were we just lucky nothing happened or just sitting on time b0mb for the damage to show up later?

its tough to say. there are parts that are extremely fragile - and the slightest of deformation and its gonna show up - like bearings. with bearings, 1/1,000th of an inch, and your gotta hear a rattle. and then there are parts like seals - one tiny issue with fluid type, or heat- and they leak.

the thing with differentials, is they have bearings, seals, gears, clutches, fluid, electronics, etc.
so you gotta think of what could happen during towing. its possible that he never reached speeds that could have done to much damage. we have an electronic clutch pack, and who knows what setting it was last on.

differentials as a whole unit- are like a pencil. you wear it down, its still useable.... but keep writing with it, and you have less of it. its rarely just a ON or OFF type of event. similar to transmissions. its rare that it goes from 100% perfect, to complete failure 0% life left. its usually a gradual slow progression.

my best bet advice = bring it into service at the dealer. let them chance the fluids, check things out, etc. a mechanic has a nose/smell thats sharper than yours and could hear, or smell, or feel something you dont- and know what it is. if they check everything and render it fine; GREAT! if they say to replace parts, then do so.
REGARDLESS OF THE OUTCOME = send the bill to the towing company and FORCE them to cover all expenses. threaten to take them to small claims court. its their job and responsibility to know how to perform their job. any and all damages, or inspections for damages that could possibly be there are their responsibility if they messed up.

[ImStricken06]

the more i think about it, your AWD clutch could be broken, and you dont even know it- because the power isnt going to the rear wheels to make any signs or noises.

Chrysler vans with AWD will softly resist your pulling for about a quarter mile until they have gotted really hot and the fluid drive ceases to function. At this point, the AWD system is destroyed and will not work again. The front wheel drive system will usually function, but there is no more AWD. From time to time after this, the AWD may try to engage as front wheel traction is lost, but the system will try to engage but probably will not fully engage.

[geoblek]

Thanks for all the help, although this is too technical for me to understand fully.

I pray nothing happens that could get me stranded on the highway till I manage to get the Rogue to Nissan dealer for proper check during next servicing.

Honestly, since the domestic accident I have not driven under conditions that would have tried to get AWD engaged.

I really appreciate your help.

[ImStricken06]

Thanks for all the help, although this is too technical for me to understand fully.

I pray nothing happens that could get me stranded on the highway till I manage to get the Rogue to Nissan dealer for proper check during next servicing.

Honestly, since the domestic accident I have not driven under conditions that would have tried to get AWD engaged.

I really appreciate your help.

your all wheel drive is always engaged from 0mph-6mph, and then randomly when you turn the steering wheel to a certain degree while driving at certain mph's. you dont even know its happening.

i would go to the dealer, and tell them the tow truck driver did this, and then hand the tow truck company the bill.

[Qashqai]

id be happier than a pig in mud - if nissan would replace my engine & transmission; even though nothing is wrong. but at least its new parts lol)

You mean "I'd be happier than a hippo in the pond" I assume?



I know nothing happened to my rear differential but, just to be sure I will ask a question (I am not familiar with the technical terms, so please forgive my naiveness):

If at the red light, while you are coming to a complete stop (actually just about to stop) If your AWD Rogue is rear ended, will it cause any damage to rear or front differentials, transmission, clutches, gears, etc? My mechanic at the Nissan dealer said, when the car is stopped, due to the disengaged clutch mechanism, the torque from the engine is not passing anything on to the wheels. So If someone hits you from rear, it won't damage the transmission system. But the thing is I am not sure If I was at a complete stop or not. Or If the car had enough time to disengage the clutch. the impact was so big that the drivers seat rails and frame assembly were changed!