DIY VTM-4 (differential) Fluid change with pictures

[mthomas]

Sounds like some sort of 'breather' (vent) tube. A picture would help. Did it fall completely out, or just the tube flip down?


In any event sounds like they should be replaced, and located above any likely water line. I wouldn't mount the opening vertically (up), minimizing the possibility of trapping falling debris.

[Gullwing]

The tubing pair flipped down from the top of the axle, but I placed it back on top.

I tried to find a drawing in the Pilot service manual, but didn't see anything like it. I'll take a photo tonight when I get home.

Thanks,

[Sunday Rider]

Originally posted by Gullwing
While changing the VTM fluid in the differential of my 04, a pair of rubber tubing (tubes?) fell off the top of the differential. Anyone know what these are for?

I didn't have time to trace them, but they are about 1/8-in dia and held in parallel by a clip. The end of one tube is open. The end of the other tube has a piece of white plastic that's in the shape of an L so that the plastic sticks our at a right angle.

Could they be some sort of venting tubes? Or should they be connected to something? The vehicle seems to run fine.

Thanks,

Perhaps it is this part on the left picture?

[Gullwing]

Sunday Rider,

I didn't have a chance to get underneath last night - too much water on the ground from a rain. The tubing in the picture looks too thick compared to what I saw. The internal diameter was about 1/16-in, and there were actually two rubber-like tubes that were held in parallel with a clip. Will try again tonight for a photo.

Thanks for the picture reference. I'll look for that vent tube, too.

[Gullwing]

Mthomas and Sundayrider,

You're right. The tubing looks like vent tubing. I was way off in recalling the tubing size. Now I've got to get underneath again and re-attach the ends. See attached pix.

[Sunday Rider]

Originally posted by Gullwing
Mthomas and Sundayrider,

You're right. The tubing looks like vent tubing. I was way off in recalling the tubing size. Now I've got to get underneath again and re-attach the ends. See attached pix.

Thanks for the pic, let me know if you need me to crawl under and see how mine is connected. I don't recall seeing those tubes last time I did the VTM4 fluid change.

[Gullwing]

Sunday Rider,
The tubes were laying along the cross frame that's on top of the differential housing. Somehow I accidently grabbed them and the ends fell down when I was getting leverage to turn out the filler hole plug. It's easy to lay them back along the cross frame and they seem to stay there.

I think a mirror would be helpful to see what kind of connections might be on top of the differential. Time and weather permitting, I'll try to get under there tonight.

[Gullwing]

Sunday Rider,

I found the problem with help from Tim Poliniak and a technician at Ray Laks. They thought it might be a disconnection from the right side under the gas tank. Sure enough, there was a two-hose segment coming down from the gas tank on the right side just after the cross frame. One of the hoses had a plastic right-angle connector just like the one on the longer set of hose in my previous photo. The longer set is supposed to go under the cross frame, and with the right-angle connectors, attach to the short set coming from the gas tank.

The first photo shows how they should be connected. You should see someting similar on your Pilot. The second photo shows the hoses pulled down slightly so you can partially see the plastic right-angle connectors.

The clips do more than hold the hoses together; they have a plug that attaches the clip and hoses to a hole in the cross frame. The third photo shows my finger and thumb pointing to the clips, which are set in smaller holes than the ones you see in the cross frame.

Now, I think that the hoses were disconnected some time ago or weren't connected at all. As they are connected now, they are too far away from the differential to get in the way and accidently be pulled down.

[Gullwing]

Photo 2 attached.

[Gullwing]

Photo 3 attached.

[Sunday Rider]

Gullwing

Thanks so much for posting those pictures. I will check my set up too.
Wondering how yours got disconnected, or were they ever connected.

Tim is a great guy always going that extra mile no matter what.

Cheers,

[2muchfun]

Thanks for this thread!

I just did the VTM-4 fluid change on the rear end and it was absolutely simple thanks to this write up

I did pay Honda the small ransom of $13.00 for a hand pump..... that was priceless during the procedure.

I will add:

Being that I have the full size spare, it was much easier to just drop it down and push it aside than work around it.

[ctobio]

I just did the VTM-4 fluid in my '06 Pilot, and it was quite easy.

This was the first change (13k miles, and the maintenance minder lit up B16), so one thing that was noteworthy- the drain plugs were tightened at the factory to the point that I needed to use my 1/2" breaker bar on them. I retightened them to the proper torque specification (37ft-lb) per the factory repair manual.

I bought a small hand pump at Pep Boys for $8 that threaded onto the jug of fluid I got from Honda, so I'm just going to store it like that with the pump in the bottle, since I'm not going to use this pump on any other fluid lest I contaminate it. The pump really made the job a lot easier. I did indeed use nearly 3 quarts.

And yes, with the full size spare, it's easier to just drop the spare and get it out of the way. I also did the MDX subframe mod while I waited for all the fluid to drain.

[Enlo]

Merry Christmas!

[ExiledinIN]

Has anyone replaced the fluid w/ a redline fluid or any other type of synthetic?

Is the Honda VTM fluid a mineral or synthetic?