2003 Hyundai Santa Fe Differential oil?

2003 HYUNDAI SANTA FE
112,000 MILES • 6 CYL • AWD • AUTOMATIC
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FATBOY8
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I was leaking very, very thick (like molasses) fluid from the front center of the engine. Mechanics say it's a differential seal. Super expensive to fix. We've been refilling it with 80W90 gear oil but this stuff is way thinner than the stuff that was leaking out. Is this the right fluid to put in? If it is, what was leaking out before (the car is no longer leaking the thick oil, they drained the differential 2 times back and refilled it completely with just the 80w90.)

Hyundai Santa Fe 2003 AWD 2.7L

Thanks,
Matthew
Sep 3, 2010 at 3:33 PM
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BMRFIXIT
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80W90 is the correct type of fluid that is needed and or used
Sep 3, 2010 at 6:54 PM
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FATBOY8
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Any idea what it was leaking before? Does differential oil get thicker as it gets older? I doubt it had been changed before 110,000 miles.

MK
Sep 5, 2010 at 5:40 PM
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BMRFIXIT
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Usually differential oil comes out very thick
and have a strong unique smell
Sep 6, 2010 at 7:20 PM
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