Wow! That video is pretty clear!! It's a goner! :(

The only unknown now is how did this happen. :dunno:

Sorry this has gone so bad for you... :rolleyes:

Probably what you said with it being low on oil. I can’t be that mad. My fault for not taking care of the splines or paying attention more to the diff. For all i know the howling ive had and clicking were both indicators of something about to go wrong. Howling=diff, clicking=splines. Just didnt affect drivability enough to warrant more investigation. Anyway i dont know if ill be fixing it. Getting estimates on used diffs and labor.

Your location says "pa". What part? Ill be in pa in a month. I always bring most of my mechanic tools. Last trip in changed my valve cover and turbo solenoid. Previous trip rear brakes.

I go to north east corner but come from Wisconsin.

If the car would be "end of life" it's possible I'd help save from the scraper.

South East PA, near Philly. I am currently talking with mechanics in the area to see who would be able to install a used diff if mine can't be saved.

Tomorrow if i get the time ill drain the diff oil and see if theirs shit ton of metal in it.

And I assume its way too far gone to be rebuilt/change the bad parts judging by the sounds its making.

The car has been through a lot the past 3-4 years. 2 major accidents with less than optimal repairs to the body. Just enough so that it isnt ugly. I personally don't wanna scrap it but we will see what the future holds. Ill keep this thread updated if I end up fixing it or just let it sit. I won't be sending it to the scrapyard right away will prob hold on to it for couple months.

I am having a hard time figuring out which gear ratio is correct for my car. According to RealOEM and the dealer its a 4.10. But looking up the number thats on the diff next to the right cv, its 33111428634-04. Googling this shows 3.91 ratio diffs. Which one should be the correct one?

2006 BMW X5 3.0i
VIN: LY28389

If somebody put 3.91 on the back and not front would be a solid explanation of TC and rear dif damage.

See if you can find a part number on front diff.

I would have thought that if the diff ratios didn't match you would tear apart giubo joints befor a diff gave out but that part number does seem weird...

Couldnt find the part number on the front but i dont think the diff was ever changed. Car has been around for 10 years/since 120k. Plus i think it would have caused issues way sooner if the ratios were not correct.

With earlier X5 the transfer case is purely torque ratioed i think you could get away with mismatched difs for some maybe even permanently but a fair chance the mismatch will mess up the exact parts that broke.

I forgot the year of your car. If it's 04 or newer than it's for sure going to self destruct if the diffs don't match.

I can't cross reference the number you found on the rear diff. Was it cast into the diff or was it on a sticker?

The correct part number (33107510656) is on a sticker on top of the diff (you''ll need a probe camera or a mirror) and will include the diff ratio (4.10): -

https://anglparts.ru/image/catalog/e...e53-4-10_3.jpg