Hello, my name is Walter. Over the past few months, I have been working on my car. I never used to think much about my car. I would just jump into it and hit the road. Things were fine at first, but soon I realised that things were starting to go wrong. Strange white smoke started to appear from the exhaust. Sometimes when I changed gear, I could hear a strange noise. Foolishly, I ignored all of this until my car broke down. When I got to the auto repair shop the mechanic repaired my car and then gave it a full service. As he did so, I began my auto servicing education.
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The differential in your car is responsible for ensuring that the wheels turn at different rates during various situations, such as when you are taking a corner. This is achieved through the gear and pinion system that distributes varying amounts of torque to the drive wheels. It is necessary to take care of this diff so that you reduce the frequency at which you have to conduct repairs to this system. This article discusses some of the measures that can prolong the life of the diff in your car.
Check the Oil Frequently
Different car manufacturers recommend changing the differential oil at different intervals. However, it may not be advisable to wait until that interval has elapsed before you can change the diff oil. This is because various factors, such as your driving style, can cause the diff oil to degrade faster or slower than was projected by the manufacturer. It is, therefore, a good habit to check the diff oil each time you service the car. Confirm that the oil isn't turning milky (a sign of possible water contamination). You should also check to ensure that there are no metal fragments in that oil. Change the oil in case it turns very dark (black) in colour. This change should be done even if there are still thousands of kilometers before the recommended change interval.
Use Additives
Technology has advanced so much that it is now possible to find an additive that is specifically designed to combat a challenge that a system in your vehicle is facing. For instance, there may be additives that are designed to increase the heat absorption capacity of the diff oil in your car. Such an additive will protect the components of that diff from early wear because the buildup of damaging heat in those metals will be avoided.
Conduct Prompt Repairs
You should never put off repairing the diff in case you realise that it has a defect. For instance, you should take your car to a mechanic as soon as you hear a grinding sound coming from its rear diff. Such a sound may signal that the components of the diff have gone out of alignment. Prompt repairs can save such components from irreparable damage.
Read the manual of your car carefully for the specific measures that can keep differential problems at bay. You should also ask your mechanic to tell you the driving habits that you need to adopt in order to avoid overstraining the diff of your car. Such measures will ensure that diff repairs will be few and affordable.
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