Rear End Okay?

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By Don Brown
DRIVING FORCE

Did you know that I spent 15 years of my life fixing cars, trucks, bulldozers and chain saws? I have a little experience in the field. Some would say I’m “outstanding” in my field, but I find it really cold when I do that.

Now that you know about me, let’s talk about your rear end. Differential, that is. In the car business we see how neglected some vehicles can be, but even some of the most well-cared for vehicles can suffer from “Rear End Neglect.”  Since people can’t see their differentials, they never think of them. Most people don’t know that the differential is one of the most important and expensive components in their vehicle. The differential transfers every single horsepower and pound of torque to the road. Every time you push the gas pedal, the differential turns the power 90 degrees and sends it to the tires and thus to the road.

A differential can be subject to extreme temperatures and pressures. I have seen differentials get so hot they turn blue and boil the oil inside to the point where it starts coming out the vent tube! When this happens, get your chequebook out: you’re going to pay and usually pay big.

How can you avoid this happening to you? Keep the differential oil clean. Next to the tires, the differential is the lowest component of your vehicle, closest to the road and the dirt. There are a number of rear-wheel, all-wheel and four-wheel drive vehicles that specify when the differential oil should be changed. Ignoring this might void your warranty.

If you have a front-wheel drive car, your differential is combined with the transmission and called a transaxle. Check under transmission/transaxle service intervals for instructions, though many of these vehicles never require a service. If you own a rear-wheel, all-wheel or four-wheel drive vehicle, the chances are high that you have at least one differential and probably two. If you pull a trailer on a regular basis, go off road at all or have gone three years without changing the differential oil, do it now! It could save you a lot of money. Next month: TRANSFER CASES!!!

If you have any questions about a problem you are having with a vehicle, please feel free to call me.

Don Brown is the Leasing Manager in Calgary with DRIVING FORCE, a vehicle rentals, sales and leasing company with 6 locations in Western Canada.  Don can be reached at 1-800-936-9353 or at don.brown@thedrivingforce.com.         www.thedrivingforce.com