Rear Differential Service

A vehicle’s differential is a gearbox located between the drive wheels. On a car, truck, van, or SUV with two-wheel drive, your differential will be between the rear wheels.

Working in tandem with your transmission, the rear differential delivers power from your engine to the axle. This process turns your wheels and puts the vehicle in motion.

Your vehicle’s rear differential also enables turning.

The outside wheels of your vehicle have to rotate faster than the inside wheels when you’re making a turn. Using a series of gears, the differential allows each side to turn at different speeds when necessary. This enables greater vehicle control.

Lubricating the inside of the differential helps protect your gears from overheating. This will preserve the life and performance of the differential itself.

Too much heat over an extended period of time can cause the differential fluid to break down. When this happens, and fluid suffers from contamination or leaks, the gears inside may stop working properly. If this problem goes unchecked, and the gears start to grind, continued use of the vehicle can lead to costly repairs.

This means that it is crucial for you to replace your differential fluid at regular intervals to keep your vehicle running properly.

Consult your owner’s manual to see when it is recommended you have your rear differential fluid changed.

Waiting too long to have your differential fluid replaced, it can put the components it’s meant to protect at risk of accelerated wear and even permanent damage.

If your differential has suffered damage, it may need to be repaired or replaced.

Signs of a Bad Rear Differential

• Noise in Gear from an Idle
• Grinding Gears at Speed
• Vibration along the Drive Shaft and into the Engine Block via the Transmission
• Fluid Leak

If your differential is due for service, or you notice any of the aforementioned warning signs of differential damage, head to your local Vern Eide Motorcars location where we will restore your vehicle to exact factory specifications.

For your convenience, we have locations all around the Sioux Falls area. We regularly service drivers from Sioux Falls, Madison, Luvern, Rock Rapids, Brookings, Lennox, and surrounding areas.

Our team of expert technicians are fully trained and equipped to fully service Acura, Honda, Mitsubishi, and all make and model vehicles.

Schedule your appointment today!