Front Axle Leak- not a seal

[redzr]

Recently my 2006 Envoy Denali has experienced a leak on the right side of the front end. I removed the skid plate (under the oil pan) and cleanded everything up and drove it for approximately 100 miles. Upon inspection I found a light coating of gear oil (could tell by the smell) on the bottom setion of the axle.

I took it to the dealer today and they put it up on the rack for a look. What we discovered was that the leak appears to bot be coming from any of the seals (input or output). The tech seemed to think the case was leaking on its upper section where we could not see it very well. He told me that I was probably looking at 10 or 12 hours of labor and big bucks. He advised me to drive it and simply keep an eye on the axle oil level and to do the repair if it really got worse.

My question is if this is a know problem (for the case to actually leak) or is there something else that might be the cause, such as a bolt that is not sealing.

Has anyone experienced this? The car has 46k miles on it.

Dan

[neelskit]

I had this happen on my 02 Silverado 3500. I was pulling a 28' Trailer from Indianapolis to Arkansas. I got into the Ozarks in MO, and the Duramax was struggling to maintain 55 mph. I pulled off at an Exit to discover gear oil EVERYWHERE! All over the tail gate, underbody, even the trailer. After taking it to a dealer in Arkansas, it was discovered that the transfer case had a pinhole leak, apparently caused by road debris, and was bone dry. Luckily the gears and bearings were unharmed and all I had to pay for was a casing half and assembly.

Not to scare you, but I would definately keep on an eye on the oil level in your front differential.