my car makes a whining, grinding/clunking noise when turning and driving slow. will a differential oil change remedy that or could it be a broken u joint or driveshaft in need of a balance??
thanks a ton

 

Change the oil and don't forget the limit slip additive. Also check for broken teeth and missing axle C-clips.

 

is this pretty easy to do (i can change oil, flush radiator etc.)? if not how much will a dealership charge??

 

Step 1 - remove cover on diff. with pan under to catch oil.
Step 2 - Clean oil from inside of unit (I use carb cleaner) and look for signs of damage/wear on all parts.
Step 3 - Clean old gasket surfaces on pan/diff.
Step 4 - Replace cover and gasket and torque bolts accordingly.
Step 5 - Fill with oil and additive till it gets to the fill hole and begins to spill out a little, replace fill plug.

Thats all there is to it and it usually takes me around an hour. But it will be more if you have to fix something in there.

Dan

 

If it was a broken u joint, it would definately be making noise anytime the car is moving. A diff oil change is the cheapest and most logical first step.

 

I'd just change the oil & see what you get first. Any larger pieces of metal coming out in the fluid & you know you have problems. A lot of people use different oils but so far I'd reccommend Amsoil's 140W. It's blue in color & has kept my stock differential in working order for over 3yrs & 1.4 60's. Don't know, maybe I'm just lucky but my gears even stopped whining when I switched to it.