Differential Repair 101

What is a Differential?

Have you recently found out you need differential repair? You might be wondering what that means for you and your car. Every vehicle has a differential and they are essential for the car to handle and turn smoothly. Without it, your car would skip, hop, and slide around every curve and corner. But what exactly is a differential and what does it do? Imagine your car taking a right turn. To manage the turn smoothly, the outside wheels on the left side of the car have a farther distance to travel than the inside ones, so they need to travel at a different speed. The differential comes into play here by allowing individual wheels to rotate faster than another while turning.

Differential Maintenance and Repair

The job of the differential sounds complicated, and with a series of gears handling power from the engine, it sort of is. That’s why you should find a trusted and certified technician to perform any maintenance or repair on your differential. While they are strong and durable to handle the load of their work, differentials still need fluid to protect them and keep them cool. That means fluid checks and changes are in order to keep running temperatures low. A certified mechanic at Dave’s Valley Auto Clinic can tell you more about when your specific vehicle’s differential may need a fluid change to restore parts and help them last longer.

Differential Repair Specialists

Unfortunately, even with maintenance a differential may not last forever. If your differential wears out completely it will need to be replaced. Keep up with regular visits to Dave’s Valley Auto Clinic and our team can help you prepare for potential repairs. You can also watch out for warning signs of differential failure on your own! If you hear strange noises come from the axles, the differential may be struggling. Never delay with differential repairs, it could cause you to lose control of your vehicle and damage other major components, such as the driveshaft and transmission. But don’t worry, when you trust our experts, you and your car are in safe and reliable hands.