A dealership's master tech told me my TL SH-AWD has a front differential. Is this true or is he trying to feed me BS?

It obviously has a transverse mounted engine for the front wheels... but how does it transmit rotation to the prop shaft to rear differential?

 

It does, but it's actually called the transfer case up front, and a differential in the back. It took me a while to sort all this out too. So there are three fluids to change. From what I've gathered in research, they are as follows for the automatic, but if you follow the maintenance minder codes you'll be fine as well:

-Rear differential uses AWD DPSF fluid, and it told me to change at around 15k and then every 30k after that I believe
-Front transfer case uses SAE 90 or 80W-90 hypoid gear oil, first around 45k, then ?k after that
-Transmission itself uses ATF DW-1 fluid, first around 45k, then ?k after that

Anyone please correct me if I'm misspeaking here at all. Hope that helps though.

 

Interesting... I don't think I've ever come across transfer case fluid as one of the maintenance items. Thanks for the info!

 

So let me get this straight... on a longitudinal mounted engine with AWD... like say a BMW with x-drive... you need a transfer case as well as a front and rear differential.

 

Third power delivery outlet. If you crawl under the front of the car and look at the powertrain it will make more sense.

 

Correct^
The gear oil out of my transfer case was shockingly dirty. To be safe I'm doing it every 15 and 30K now. This is over-kill, but If I'm gonna lay under the car I'd rather only do it once a year. Sooo.....

Rear diff & Transfercase, every 15K
Tranny, every 30K

 

The maintenance minder system sub item 3 is the transmission fluid and transfer unit service. So if you are getting a B3 on the maintenance minder display you have the oil change, transmission fluid change and transfer unit service. Some of the other sub menu items are:

1 - rotate tires
2 - engine air filter and cabin A/C filters
4 - spark plugs, timing belt and valve adjustment
5 - coolant change
6 - rear differential service