Back to all

Differential Service at Tuffy Grand Haven

October 2, 2022

Here at AutoNetTV, we have national viewers, like your neighbors in Grand Haven , who write to us with questions or feedback. One common question we're asked is: "What is a differential and what does it do?" You may have been told by your Tuffy Grand Haven service advisor that your differential needs serviced, or it's seen it as an option up on the service menu. Differential service at Tuffy Grand Haven covers a lot of things, so let's first talk about what a differential does.

As you drive through a turn, your outside wheels and inside wheels turn at different speeds. Kind of like the cars going around a race track - the ones driving in the outside lanes have a greater distance to travel than the cars in the inside lanes. The differential is what allows the outside and inside drive wheels to rotate at slightly different speeds so that the tires don't hop or skip while taking corners, or lose traction in dirt or snow on Grand Haven area roads. Differentials have gears in them that transfer the power from the drive train to your wheels - which is why they're often referred to as gear boxes. The gears need to be very strong to do this work, and they need to be properly protected so that they'll last.

All vehicles in Grand Haven have some form of differential. If you have a front-wheel drive car, your differential is sometimes called a transaxle and is located in the front. If you have rear-wheel drive, the differential is in the back of the car. Grand Haven auto owners with a four-wheel drive vehicle have a differential in the front and the back - and in the middle as well. The center differential adjusts for differences in speed between the front and rear wheels.

Differential fluid lubricates and cools the gears. Over time, the fluid can get dirty from bits of the gears grinding off. The additives that keep the fluid clean and protect the differential break down over time. So your vehicle manufacturer has scheduled intervals for you to have your differential fluid changed. Talk to your friendly and knowledgeable Tuffy Grand Haven service advisor if you are not sure about your recommended schedule.

Tuffy Grand Haven
435 N. Beacon Blvd.
Grand Haven , Michigan 49417
616.844.5557

More articles from Tuffy Grand Haven

Hitting the Brakes in Grand Haven

March 24, 2024

Safety should always be an element of your vehicle care. So even if you don't care about how your vehicle looks, you should practice preventive maintenance to protect yourself and other Grand Haven drivers on the road. And good safety starts with good brakes.Brakes need a regular inspection. ... More

A Non-Starter (Alternator Problems in Cold Weather)

March 17, 2024

As the temperatures dip, we all know there could be problems starting our vehicles. After all, batteries can grow old and not hold a charge as well as when they were newer. Or starters can go bad. But there's one more component to keep an especially sharp eye on during winter: your alternator. T... More

Stuck! (Vehicle Door Issues)

March 10, 2024

This may have happened to you. You drive somewhere and get out of your vehicle only to try closing the door and it just won't stay closed! What a helpless feeling. You can't lock it; you can't leave it like it is. Or, let's say you head down to your vehicle to head out to work in the morning a... More