I’m being told my rear dif is toast. How does this happen? Is it due to lack of rear dif oil changes or do they just wear out? 2009 VW Tiguan
Our Tiguan was making an embarrassingly loud noise when driven. It felt like we were dragging heavy metal. We were told our rear differential is gone. We were also told it's an expensive job to replace. Our questions are: 1) what should we expect to pay (Canadian dollars)? 2) we were told this is a rare mechanical failure- so why did ours go? We have been getting it serviced by the dealer as they suggested. Is it possible they missed replacing the rear dif oil? Should I be checking for that as I've read the oil needs replacing every 12000-50000km. 3) is it better to fix or get a new ca
Experienced mechanics share their insights in answering this question :
Hello – your Tiguan is equipped with a Haldex torque-sensing system which directs power thru the differential to the axle (left/right) which has the best traction. Think of the differential as the reduction gears and axle(s) drive, and the Haldex as the mechanism which decides which axle drive to send power through. This is important because the Haldex, and the differential have different lubrication types, and a different lube maintenance schedule. If the differential was being serviced, but not the Haldex, this could be an issue. Which component failed – the Haldex, or the differential itself? The differential proper should be good for many more miles of service unless it was abused. The Haldex is more sensitive to maintenance. I recommend a discussion with the service center regarding your service history, and which component is actually now broken.
How to Identify and Fix Common car Problems ?
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Without differential fluid, the differential would overheat due to metal-on-metal contact. That means it would burn itself out and possibly cause safety issues and require expensive repairs.
When rear differentials fail, it can cause vibration, noises, and fluid leaks. Ultimately, it can impact your vehicle`s handling and acceleration. If you notice any of the above symptoms, it`s crucial that you consult a certified mechanic to diagnose and correct the issue.
Bad differential oil tends to cause whirring, whining, or even howling noises. You may even hear metal noises. The strange sounds may worsen whenever your vehicle makes a turn and picks up speed. For this reason, you should take your vehicle to our auto repair shop for inspections.
Whining Differential or Transmission
If the gear oil runs low or becomes excessively dirty, it can cause the gears to whine or howl as they turn. The whining or howling is caused by lack of lubrication and may increase in volume as vehicle speed increases.
Weird Noises
Another symptom of a bad differential oil is whirring, whining, or howling strange noises, indicating that the metal part, clutches, gears, and differentials have not been lubricated due to a dirty lack of clean oil.
While you can drive with a damaged car differential, it is not the safest option. By waiting to complete the repair, other parts of your car may become damaged. This can hurt your car significantly and make a simple repair much more expensive.
If there was no differential on the axle, both wheels would revolve at the same speed. Therefore, they would have tendency to cover the same distance as each other, which would result in tendency to go in a straight line. A car with rear wheel drive would push the front wheels, with their tyres skidding helplessly.
To check the rear differential, look for the pumpkin-shaped metal object between the rear wheels. Use a drive ratchet to open the service port. Put 1 finger into the port to see if you can feel the gear oil. If the fluid doesn`t reach the port, it`s too low.
The leading cause of a differential failing is due to using the wrong lubricant type and specialty lubricants. Water can also be a culprit to a differential failing as it can enter through the vent or seals. This often happens when driving in high water.
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.
If the cause of the noise is inside the differential, this can be due to either tight-meshing pinion gears, or too much backlash on these gears. Another cause could be worn out differential-case bearings, and these can also cause noise when turning.
In emergency situations, you can put transmission fluid in your differential, but beware of the lower degree of viscosity compared to differential fluid. Your vehicle will burn through it quickly, so change it out or replace it with the right fluid as soon as possible.
75W90 GL-5 Gear Oil
The go-to gear oil for most differentials.
If there was no differential on the axle, both wheels would revolve at the same speed. Therefore, they would have tendency to cover the same distance as each other, which would result in tendency to go in a straight line. A car with rear wheel drive would push the front wheels, with their tyres skidding helplessly.
Because the differential is at the rear and under the car, it gets none of the star treatment that the engine up front does. But if lubrication in the car differential fails, you won`t be getting very far for very long. Fortunately, you only need to change this oil every 30,000 to 50,000 miles.
Because the differential is at the rear and under the car, it gets none of the star treatment that the engine up front does. But if lubrication in the car differential fails, you won`t be getting very far for very long. Fortunately, you only need to change this oil every 30,000 to 50,000 miles.
Relevant Questions and Answers :
the most relevant questions and answers related to your specific issue
I’m being told my rear dif is toast. How does this happen? Is it due to lack of rear dif oil changes or do they just wear out? 2009 VW Tiguan
ANSWER : Hello – your Tiguan is equipped with a Haldex torque-sensing system which directs power thru the differential to the axle (left/right) which has the best traction. Think of the differential as the reduction gears and axle(s) drive, and the Haldex as the mechanism which decides which axle drive to send power through. This is important because the Haldex, and the differential have different lubrication types, and a different lube maintenance schedule. If the differential was being serviced, but not the Haldex, this could be an issue. Which component failed – the Haldex, or the differential itself? The differential proper should be good for many more miles of service unless it was abused. The Haldex is more sensitive to maintenance. I recommend a discussion with the service center regarding your service history, and which component is actually now broken.
Oil consumption. Burning oil. Oil light turns up on idle.
ANSWER : Hi there, thanks for writing in. The valve stem seals are the most common cause of this on your engine. When they fail, it requires that the cylinder heads be removed and rebuilt to fix it. The piston rings can also cause this but they are not as common. Unfortunately there is not anything, not even heavier oil that will fix this. You will need to have the heads rebuilt.
Low oil pressure light comes on when idle. Check engine light is on as well. Both came on after getting an oil change 3 days ago.
ANSWER : It is possible that they put in the wrong viscosity oil. In rare instances, a defective filter will also cause low pressure. If there is too much oil, it will aerate and cause low pressure. Be sure the oil level is really not above "max". The P2187 code will appear if the oil fill cap is not tight but it will also appear due to a myriad of causes because that code only "generally" identifies a lean running condition. Consequently, numerous parts would have to be tested including the O2 sensor, gas cap seal, manifold air leaks, any vacuum leak anywhere including PCV and EVAP systems, exhaust leaks, and fuel system faults such as failing fuel pump, clogged filter and more. Since the car has relatively low mileage, you would not expect a failed oil pump, although the pressure sensor (or switch) could be bad. However, the occurrence of the oil pressure warning light is quite coincidental to the oil change, thus I would suggest bringing the car back and asking them to redo with a new filter and double check the viscosity of the new oil that they use. If the problem persists after that, you will have to test actual operating oil pressure (at idle for instance) as well as the oil pressure switch. Finally, if the oil pressure warning light comes on continuously, unless the warning circuit itself is malfunctioning, that means the oil pressure is too low to operate the engine without damaging it. Anytime the light comes on for more than literally an instant, you should shut down the car and thus an issue like this obviously has to be repaired.
If you’d like, a YourMechanic certified mechanic can come to your home or place of business to inspect the vehicle and perform an oil pressure light is on inspection to diagnose the vehicle and suggest potential repairs.
car burning too much oil and can’t find where it’s going
ANSWER : The engine is sucking it in most likely. The oil control rings are bad or the intake valves are leaking. You should have a mechanic check the intake PCV system to see if there is a problem. After the diagnosis of your leakage, a certified mechanic can make necessary repairs.
Just noticed a huge oil leak trailing my car. It seems to be coming from below the engine. I recently had my oil changed a month
ANSWER : You might have a problem with the oil filter leaking when you rev the engine and increase the oil pressure. This can be from a collapsed oil filter media or excessive oil pressure from the engine. I recommend having the oil and filter replaced using a good quality filter and have the oil leak verified to be from the filter. Make sure to not run the engine low on oil. If you are finding you do not want to drive with the leak, a mobile technician from YourMechanic can come to your home or office, and replace both your filter, and oil.
lost all oil pressure, replaced the oil pump, low oil sensor, oil pressure sensor, oil pan gasket,
ANSWER : The fuel pump will not stay on if you loose oil pressure. This is why it is shutting off. The loss of oil pressure may be from bad crankshaft bearings or camshaft bearings. The engine oil pan should be removed and the oil pump needs to be checked to ensure that you put in the pick up tube seal to the pump and connected the pump to the block. Then remove at least one main bearing cap and inspect the bearings for excessive wear and crankshaft damage. If you need some help with this, consider YourMechanic, as a certified technician can help diagnose the issue with your oil pressure firsthand and help you fix it accordingly.
Check engine light and oil light comes on before oil change?
ANSWER : Hi There,
As you may know, these lights are designed to come on at specific mileage intervals that are preset by the factory. When your mileage exceeds a certain amount relative to the last oil change, this will trigger the lights to come on. Typically this will include the oil light and the check engine light as there are also other basic service items that are checked during oil changes. I would recommend obtaining an owner’s manual for your car if you do not already have one. This will usually indicate the specific service intervals and recommended maintenance items for your vehicle at the various mileage intervals.
As you may know, these lights are designed to come on at specific mileage intervals that are preset by the factory. When your mileage exceeds a certain amount relative to the last oil change, this will trigger the lights to come on. Typically this will include the oil light and the check engine light as there are also other basic service items that are checked during oil changes. I would recommend obtaining an owner’s manual for your car if you do not already have one. This will usually indicate the specific service intervals and recommended maintenance items for your vehicle at the various mileage intervals.
The tire pressure monitor will also come on when the air pressure in the tires has reached a specific threshold relative to the tire design specification. Tire pressure is also impacted by the outside air temperature. For every 10° drop in air temperature outside your tires will lose about 1% in PSI or inflation. As you may know, as the temperature of the air changes the density of the air changes as well causing the tire pressure to be impacted by this. When this happens, the sensors in the wheels will detect this change in tire pressure and cause the tire pressure light to come on. Aside from replacing faulty tire pressure sensors, another way to help prevent this type of fluctuation in tire pressure is by the use of Nitrogen in your tires rather than regular air. As you may know, air is approximately 78% Nitrogen, 21% Oxygen and the rest is water vapor and some other small concentrations of gases. Nitrogen is much less likely to migrate through tire rubber than oxygen. This will maintain your tire pressure much more consistently during large temperature fluctuations.
Told oil separator in 2009 Volkswagon EOS is clogged and needs replacing. Should an oil change be done also at time of repair?
ANSWER : Hello, thank you for writing in. The oil should be changed at the same time as the oil separator is replaced. The separator is not located in a place where the oil needs to be drained to access it, so they may not include an oil change in the procedure. Chances are if the oil separator is clogged, the oil will not be in the best of conditions either, as its job is to collect and clean the engine components from these types of clogs. The part may not directly cause an oil leak, but it may cause the engine oil to be vaporized at a high rate. This will in turn cause the oil to be processed or burned in the engine. For more help with the repair, contact our service department to schedule an appointment.
