It's Back

 The car is back.   Allegedly its fixed.

It was the inner passenger side axle that wasn't seated correctly.   And leaking.  It was literally moving in and out of its rightful place.   That's the ticking sound I heard too.  I had hoped that sound was a rock in the tire or hubcap, something like that.  But it was that sound that prompted me to get real on getting it resolved.  

I'd only tried to find the source of gear oil leak on the drivers side, largely because my car is such a low rider its very difficult to get under it or look under it.   I have a jack but its one of those flimsey wobbley door jacks, meant only for quickly changing out a flat tire.

I'm hoping this is the end of it.   I read lots of online posts of people who had their axles changed at shops only to then leak afterwards.

I took it over this morning to the mechanic, to Lebanon and he gave me a ride home.  He'd got his roller board after jacking it up and looked under it quickly after I showed him video of the leak and then a photo of brown sludge and told him that sure looked like axle grease.   He came back out fast and said he wasn't expecting to see what he saw, and then told me it was the passenger side inner axle not seated into the transmission correctly and leaking.

Actually he said it was "out" and I envisioned that whole end flopping down and up, completely out of the transmission.   

Well all's well that ends well I hope. He had to go get another new axle, but it was under warranty, and he had to replace that rubber seal.  And refill the gear box oil.   It should have cost me nothing but it did cost me.  I paid up and we're going to break up as mechanic and customer.  Maybe.  I like him, but....

I am still ahead of what the same repairs would have cost me elsewhere however.

I had a last few appointments Monday but last day I could cancel was today and I was not sure I'd get the car back today.   I hate to see appointments wasted so I cancelled them.  That's life, things happen.  Now I am taking it out for a drive.  No ticking sounds I hope, no drips afterwards, I hope.