Differential Service at Northuis Auto Repair

Precision Differential Care: Ensuring Optimal Performance and Longevity for Your Vehicle

The differential is a critical component of your vehicle's drivetrain. It allows your wheels to turn at different rates, like when you're cornering. Vehicle differential service from Northuis Auto Repair ensures a smooth, stable ride with better handling and less noise.

What Does the Differential Do?

The differential distributes the torque from the driveshaft to the wheels. Torque vectoring from the differential allows your wheels to rotate at different speeds.

The location of your differential depends on the type of vehicle you drive. It's located in the front in front-wheel drive vehicles and in the back in rear-wheel drives. All-wheel drive vehicles have a center differential that drives both the front and rear axles.

Warning Signs of Differential Problems

The differential helps provide smooth, stable rides, so some problems can make you suspect differential issues relatively quickly. Others might be attributable to other components on your vehicle that Northuis Auto Repair can diagnose and repair.

Potential warning signs of differential problems include:

• Bad handling and control, such as pulling to one side
• Sluggish acceleration
• Uneven wear on your tires or significant sidewall damage
• Grinding differential gears
• Differential fluid leaks
• Vibrations and whining sounds, such as high-pitched whining

The differential is essential to your vehicle, and you should not attempt to fix it yourself for the risk of further damage to it or other parts.

Northuis Auto Repair Differential Inspection, Differential Maintenance, and Differential Repair Services

At Northuis Auto Repair, our skilled technicians use their experience and high-quality technology during differential service. We offer a fair estimate before completing any work.

Differential Fluid Change

The gears and bearings within the differential need lubrication from the differential fluid. Without it, they can be damaged by excessive wear and heat. If the fluid breaks down or becomes contaminated with metal, shavings, dirt, or debris, it can no longer do its job. 

We can fix this problem with a differential fluid flush and change and can also check to see if you need differential oil replacement to protect gears and bearings.

Inspection For Leaks

Worn gaskets and seals on the differential can lead to fluid leaks. These leaks can lead to big problems quickly, so our experienced technicians at Northuis Auto Repair can fix the source of the leak and refill your fluid.

Differential Fluid Level Check

Some differentials have specific requirements for differential fluid checks, such as having the vehicle level or in a specific position. Our technicians always conduct differential problem diagnosis and repair based on the manufacturer's specifications.

Limited-Slip Differential Service

Some vehicles have limited-slip differentials that require additional maintenance. These differentials have clutch packs or use other mechanisms to improve traction through a more effective power distribution between the wheels.

Our limited-slip differential service at Northuis Auto Repair includes regular inspections and service, including adjusting the clutch pack preload or replacing the friction plates.

Differential Noise and Vibration Diagnosis

Whining, grinding, and clunking sounds from your differential might be signs of damaged bearings, gears, or other differential components. After careful differential noise troubleshooting, we offer gear differential service, gearbox maintenance, and other services to fix your differential problems.

Northuis Auto Repair Advanced Vehicle Differential Services

Some differential problems require more complex diagnoses and repairs. Northuis Auto Repair's technicians have the knowledge and skill to complete services such as:

• Rear-end service
• Gearbox maintenance
• Differential gear care
• Axle maintenance
• Differential reseal
• Differential rebuild

Differential component care is critical to preventing minor problems from becoming much bigger ones for your vehicle. Failure to get proper inspection, maintenance, and repair of your differential can cause your differential to lock up. This can cause damage to other components, and you may not be able to drive your vehicle at all. 

Regular differential service is the safest bet to avoid towing fees and much more expensive repairs.

Visit the Trusted Professionals at Northuis Auto Repair for Differential Problem Diagnosis and Repair

Northuis Auto Repair has been in business in the Jenison, MI area since 2014. We offer vehicle differential service designed to get our customers back on the road with as smooth a ride as possible.

Fill out our online request for an appointment, call us at (616) 930-7589, or visit our respected, friendly service team at 2012 Chicago Dr., Jenison, MI 49428. We offer clear communication and fair pricing to every neighbor we are lucky enough to meet.