Car Differential Service For New Drivers: Basics, Costs, And When To Book

Timely car differential service is key for road safety and long-term auto cost control, but most drivers aren’t even aware of this essential safety system. But TIRECRAFT is here to help.

Read on to learn the basics, costs, and average maintenance intervals for car differential services, or contact your local TIRECRAFT to speak with an expert and get a free quote straight away.

What Is A Car Differential And Why Is It Important?

Your car differential is a set of gears that moderates engine power to the drive wheels, allowing them to spin at different speeds to facilitate safe, predictable, and responsive turning performance.

Though many drivers don’t know it, every vehicle on the road has a differential between its wheels. However, its exact position depends on whether your vehicle uses front-wheel drive, rear-wheel drive, or four-wheel drive.

For front-wheel drive vehicles, the differential is typically called a transaxle, referring to its integration with the transmission and axle. If your vehicle has rear-wheel drive, the differential will be found on the rear axle, and all-wheel drive vehicles will have a differential on both axles, along with a transfer case in between.

Driving with a bad differential is extremely dangerous. Whenever you make a turn, the outside wheel needs to travel farther than the inside wheel, so it must travel faster to keep up, and this is not possible without a functional differential. Even in the best-case scenario, where you don’t lose control while turning, you could risk doing further damage and turning a minor problem into a major auto expense.

What Are The Benefits Of Booking A Car Differential Service?

Car differential parts are quite expensive to replace, but they will last almost indefinitely if you stay on top of your fluid changes. In other words, spending a little on a car differential service can save you a lot—and if you book with TIRECRAFT, you’ll never overpay for this essential upkeep service.

Staying on top of your car differential service can also:

• Improve vehicle responsiveness and turning performance
• Eliminate contaminants that risk damaging your vehicle components
• Improve differential heat transfer
• Slow the oxidization process

How Much Does A Car Differential Service Cost?

Car differential services are quite inexpensive, averaging $100 to $150, and they will save you thousands of dollars in heavy-duty part replacements.

How Often Do I Need To Book Car Differential Service?

All differentials require differential fluid to work effectively, but differential fluid doesn’t last forever.

Given the speed at which the gears turn, and the amount of power they must transmit to push your car down the road, you can imagine how much heat the differential generates. Over time, this high-heat environment causes differential fluid to break down and become contaminated.

On average, you will need to book a car differential service after every 30,000km to 60,000km of driving. Service intervals vary greatly depending on your unique vehicle type, driving demands, and maintenance habits, but your local TIRECRAFT can give you an accurate estimate.

Where To Book A Car Differential Service: Why Choose TIRECRAFT?

Since 1990, TIRECRAFT has helped Canadian drivers keep their differentials in shape with expert inspections, fluid changes, and part replacements, and we can do the same for you.

Our techs work with all vehicle and differential types, including front-wheel drive vehicle differentials (i.e., transaxles), rear-wheel drive differentials, and all-wheel drive differentials. Moreover, many of our locations offer car differential service packages for all-wheel drive vehicles that include fluid changes for both differentials plus the transfer case, which often follows the same maintenance interval.

Whatever you bring into the shop, we guarantee expert service, backed by a 1 year or 20,000km parts and labour warranty, and we can help you save money with exclusive shop promotions, customer loyalty rewards, and some of the best pricing in Canada.

To learn more and get a free quote on your car differential service, get in touch with your local TIRECRAFT.

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