What happens if you dont change diff fluid?
As a car owner, you might not think much about your vehicle’s differential fluid, but neglecting it can lead to serious problems. At Kevin's Autos, with years of experience in car maintenance and repair, we’ve seen firsthand the consequences of skipping this essential service. In this article, we’ll explore what differential fluid does, why it’s important, and what happens if you don’t change it.
What Is Differential Fluid and Why Is It Important?
The differential is a critical component of your vehicle’s drivetrain. It allows your wheels to rotate at different speeds, especially when turning, ensuring smooth handling and stability. Differential fluid, also known as gear oil, lubricates the gears and bearings inside the differential, reducing friction and preventing overheating.
Over time, this fluid can break down, become contaminated with debris, or lose its effectiveness. Regularly changing the differential fluid ensures that the gears remain properly lubricated and protected from wear and tear.
What Happens If You Don’t Change Differential Fluid?
Failing to change your differential fluid can lead to a range of issues, some of which can be costly to repair. Here’s what you can expect:
- Increased Wear and Tear: Old or degraded fluid loses its ability to lubricate effectively, causing the gears and bearings to wear out faster.
- Overheating: Without proper lubrication, the differential can overheat, leading to damage to internal components.
- Noise and Vibration: You may notice grinding, whining, or clunking noises coming from the differential, as well as vibrations while driving.
- Reduced Performance: A failing differential can affect your vehicle’s handling and overall performance, making it less safe to drive.
- Costly Repairs: Ignoring differential fluid maintenance can result in significant damage, requiring expensive repairs or even a complete differential replacement.
How Often Should You Change Differential Fluid?
The recommended interval for changing differential fluid varies depending on your vehicle’s make and model, as well as your driving conditions. Generally, it’s a good idea to have it checked and replaced every 30,000 to 60,000 miles. Always refer to your owner’s manual for specific guidelines, or consult a trusted mechanic like the team at Kevin’s Autos for expert advice.
Conclusion
Changing your differential fluid is a simple yet crucial part of vehicle maintenance. Neglecting it can lead to serious problems, from increased wear and tear to costly repairs. At Kevin’s Autos, we’re here to help you keep your car running smoothly and safely. If you’re unsure about the condition of your differential fluid, don’t hesitate to schedule an inspection with us today!
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if differential fluid is dirty?
If this happens, the gears could seize up, locking up the wheels, causing a lot of damage or even worse – an accident. How much does a differential service cost? Depending on your vehicle and how much differential fluid your vehicle needs will all factor into the cost of a differential service.
What if I never change my transmission fluid?
If you never change your transmission fluid one of many things may/might happen: The fluid will become dirty and wear your transmission out. It will begin to shift slower or run poorly. It will run for 200k miles trouble free depending on the make, model, and how harsh you drive.
What are the symptoms of needing differential fluid change?
Feeling unusual vibrations, like a chatter, which is caused by a number of mechanical issues, including needing diff oil. A light, olive-green colour, grey or black/dark brown colour, which can indicate the oil is contaminated, dirty or has oxidised.
How long does it take for a rear differential to go bad?
Normal wear and tear: While differentials can last around 150,000 miles, they can be subject to wear and tear from everyday driving, just like every other part of your car.
What are the symptoms of low differential fluid?
Hearing a whirring, whining or howling sound, which may indicate the parts, clutches, gears and diff are not properly lubricated through insufficient clean oil. Feeling unusual vibrations, like a chatter, which is caused by a number of mechanical issues, including needing diff oil.
What happens if gear oil is not changed?
Gear oil's lubricating quality will be harmed as a result of these circumstances. As a result, if the gear oil is not drained and replaced on a regular basis, the transmission's service life will be limited.
What are signs of bad gear oil?
The bad smell is an indication that the gearbox is overheating because the lubricating oil is either finished or dirty and cannot oil the gears properly. The oil can also be expired or too old to lubricate any vehicle parts, causing the same bad smell because the metals will be burning due to metal-to-metal friction.
What happens if differential fluid is never changed?
Not changing your differential fluid can lead to several issues over time, including: Increased Wear and Tear: Differential fluid lubricates the gears and bearings inside the differential. Old or contaminated fluid loses its lubricating properties, leading to increased friction and wear on these components.
How long can you go without changing differential fluid?
Differential Fluid usually lasts longer than most other fluids. The life of differential fluid is variable but a major difference between for example oil and differential fluid, is differential fluid usually is not filtered. Usually, differential fluid is changed after every 30k to 60k miles driven.
What is symptoms of a bad differential?
The fourth symptom is fluid contamination. If you notice hard metal shavings when replacing the old differential fluid it could be caused by bad bearings or damage ring and pinion gears.
