[Gus_Mahn]

Hello fellas. I have a '16 6M ATS-V which I believe shares a differential with your cars. I live near Chicago and with the recent freezing temperatures, I got a service differential warning at at startup.

The dealer pulled the codes, and there was a differential pump code, but they found the pump to be functioning fine. They thought it was due to the oil being thick, but reading here it's pumping ATF to an exchanger not gear lube. I had read somewhere where the Camaro had a flash to keep the car from setting this code so quickly. The dealer checked and there were no TSB's for this issue for ATS-V's. Can anybody here shed light on this issue?

[Chris357]

I’ll let others who know more weigh in on the codes but ZL1 e-diff uses 75w-90 gear oil, not ATF.

[Gus_Mahn]

Originally Posted by Chris357

I’ll let others who know more weigh in on the codes but ZL1 e-diff uses 75w-90 gear oil, not ATF.

Thank you for the reply. My understanding is that the e-diff uses ATF which is separate from the ring and pinion, and I'd love to know more about how to service it. The ring and pinion uses gear lube that is cooled by the same ATF that cools the transmission, so there must be a small exchanger in the differential housing, and the pump that is pushing the cooling ATF is causing my warning. The gear lube is very easy to change. Please correct me if I'm misunderstanding the system.

[BlueinTN]

Thats how I understand it works also.



The only thing on M6 cars I m not sure where the E diff fluid is pumped to or how.


The E diff has different fluid then the actually ring and pinion does and I dont think its "serviceable" meaning the dealer has a special way of doing it probably to get air out of the system.

[Gunkk]

Originally Posted by Gus_Mahn

Thank you for the reply. My understanding is that the e-diff uses ATF which is separate from the ring and pinion, and I'd love to know more about how to service it. The ring and pinion uses gear lube that is cooled by the same ATF that cools the transmission, so there must be a small exchanger in the differential housing, and the pump that is pushing the cooling ATF is causing my warning. The gear lube is very easy to change. Please correct me if I'm misunderstanding the system.

The tranny contains the pump, which circulates ATF fluid from the trans to a liquid-liquid heat exchanger in the Diff and also to the liquid-air cooler at the front of the car.

You can see the cooling lines feeding the diff and the internal heat exchanger through the drain plug hole here:
https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showp...28&postcount=6

And the trans air cooler here:
http://enthusiastnetwork.s3.amazonaw...around%7C29:16

[Chris357]

Originally Posted by Gunkk

The tranny contains the pump, which circulates ATF fluid from the trans to a liquid-liquid heat exchanger in the Diff and also to the liquid-air cooler at the front of the car.

You can see the cooling lines feeding the diff and the internal heat exchanger through the drain plug hole here:
https://www.camaro6.com/forums/showp...28&postcount=6

And the trans air cooler here:
http://enthusiastnetwork.s3.amazonaw...around%7C29:16

Cool--I just got educated.