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Automotive vocabulary · Transmission and Drivetrain

Differential

Meaning in automotive, with examples

/ˌdɪfəˈrɛnʃəl/nounCommon term

In automotive, differential means: A gear set on a driven axle that lets the left and right wheels turn at different speeds when the car goes around a corner, while still sending power to both.

In Turkish: diferansiyel

How it is used

Often shortened to diff. Technicians change differential oil and diagnose whining noises from the diff. A limited-slip differential (LSD) reduces wheel spin; all-wheel-drive cars may have a center differential too.

Example sentences

  1. There's a whining noise from the rear differential above 80 km/h.

  2. The performance model comes with an electronically controlled limited-slip differential.

Common collocations

  • rear differential
  • limited-slip differential
  • differential oil
  • center differential
  • axleA shaft or beam on which a pair of wheels is mounted. A drive axle also transmits power to the wheels; a non-driven axle only carries the weight.
  • driveshaftA rotating shaft that carries torque from the gearbox towards the wheels. In rear-drive cars it is the long shaft to the rear axle; in front-drive cars short driveshafts run to each front wheel.
  • all-wheel driveA drive system that can send engine or motor power to all four wheels, usually controlled automatically to improve grip on wet, icy or loose roads.
  • gear ratioThe number of turns the input shaft makes for one turn of the output shaft, for example 3.5:1. Low gears have high ratios for pulling power; high gears have low ratios for cruising.

More terms: Transmission and Drivetrain

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