How often should you get rear differential service on your car?

The recommendation of most car manufacturers is that you change your rear differential fluid about every 30,000 miles to 60,000 miles. Look at the owner's manual of your car to find the exact mileage amount. This interval gets shorter the harder you drive your vehicle.

1. How often does rear differential fluid need to be changed?
2. When should a differential be serviced?
3. How much should a rear differential service cost?
4. What happens if you never change rear differential fluid?
5. How much does differential service cost?
6. How often should you replace transfer case fluid?
7. How long does a differential last?
8. Can a bad differential cause transmission problems?
9. Is differential fluid same as transmission fluid?
10. What causes a rear differential to go bad?
11. How much does it cost to have rear differential fluid change?

How often does rear differential fluid need to be changed?

Generally speaking, differential fluid should be changed anywhere from every 30,000 miles to 60,000 miles. Your Chevrolet Owner's manual should outline differential fluid changes in the recommended maintenance schedule.

When should a differential be serviced?

Usually, differential fluid is changed after every 30k to 60k miles driven. This is a tough job, so must be handled by an expert technician. Only an experienced mechanic can properly wipe out the old different fluid from your vehicle's drive-train.

How much should a rear differential service cost?

Average Differential Repair Cost

These are light repair jobs that will cost between $200 to $400, depending on the make and model of your vehicle. But if you have more extensive damage to your differential that requires it to be dismantled or overhauled, then you are looking at about $400 to $800 in repair costs.

What happens if you never change rear differential fluid?

Most differentials need a fluid change at about 50,000 miles. If left too long or if the fluid starts to run low, the differential will become noisy and can eventually fail. If that happens, the gears can seize, locking up the rear wheels and potentially causing a lot of damage or even an accident.

How much does differential service cost?

Differential Fluid Change Cost

The fluid itself can cost between $30 and $80, and labor will run between $40 and $70. All together, you're looking at somewhere in the range of $70 to $150 to change your differential fluid depending on your vehicle, where you take it, and how much differential fluid it needs.

How often should you replace transfer case fluid?

Manufacturers tend to recommend different maintenance intervals based on the type of vehicle and intended use, but generally speaking, it's safe to perform a transfer case fluid service every 30,000 miles. Vehicles that are used for towing or frequent off-roading should probably get this fluid changed more frequently.

How long does a differential last?

A rear differential service consists of removing the rear differential cover, cleaning any old fluid from inside the differential case, resealing the cover, and adding clean fluid. After a rear differential fluid change, most vehicles will go 20,000 to 40,000 miles before it's due again.

Can a bad differential cause transmission problems?

When the differential doesn't perform well, it creates metal-on-metal friction that wears down surfaces. The resulting heat weakens gears and can cause component failure and transmission problems. A bad differential makes the car harder to control turning corners, and that can be dangerous.

Is differential fluid same as transmission fluid?

Differentials use gear oil/fluid. A manual transmission also uses gear oil but the viscosity may be a bit different. In an automatic transmission, definitely not; the fluid is much thinner and is called ATF - automatic transmission fluid.

What causes a rear differential to go bad?

The most common cause of a bad differential is lack of oil, which could result in grinding at high speed, cause the carrier to break, or in most cases, block the rear wheels. ... It often happens when you have a worn-out differential seal or a cracked housing which could cause oil leaks.

How much does it cost to have rear differential fluid change?

You'll only pay somewhere between $80 and $140 for differential fluid change. The labor should be between $50 and $70, while parts can cost anywhere from $30 to $70.