My car has a diff whining noise. I am going to sell the car and don't want to spend a lot of money on it, as I plan to buy a new car in six months of so
You don't say what type of car you have and what mileage it has run so far.
Most likely the whine is from a very worn pinion gear.
Other than replacing or rebuilding the diff there is nothing you can do other than drain the old diff oil and replace it with new oil. ONLY use the manufacturer specified differential oil in the correct grade. This may quieten the noise a little but any difference will be minimal. It may help extend the life of the worn diff a little and it will get rid of any debris suspended in the old diff oil..
The diff drain plugs are often magnetic to pick up metal to prevent it being recirculated so check if there is much in the way of metal filings on the drain plug when it is removed.
Without disassembling the diff no one can tell you how long it may last but they are expensive to replace so I would be replacing the vehicle sooner rather than later if you don't want to replace the diff.
Until you sell the car, drive it gently when moving off from a stop and when accelerating to minimise stress on the diff.
If you are going to replace the diff oil yourself the car will need to be level and ensure you loosen and remove the diff oil filler plug before you remove the oil drain plug. If you drain the oil and the filler plug is stuck you will be in trouble. It will be a lot easier to just buy the correct diff oil and take the car to a reliable mechanic to drain and refill the diff for you while the car is up on a lift/hoist.
Answers & Comments
You don't say what type of car you have and what mileage it has run so far.
Most likely the whine is from a very worn pinion gear.
Other than replacing or rebuilding the diff there is nothing you can do other than drain the old diff oil and replace it with new oil. ONLY use the manufacturer specified differential oil in the correct grade. This may quieten the noise a little but any difference will be minimal. It may help extend the life of the worn diff a little and it will get rid of any debris suspended in the old diff oil..
The diff drain plugs are often magnetic to pick up metal to prevent it being recirculated so check if there is much in the way of metal filings on the drain plug when it is removed.
Without disassembling the diff no one can tell you how long it may last but they are expensive to replace so I would be replacing the vehicle sooner rather than later if you don't want to replace the diff.
Until you sell the car, drive it gently when moving off from a stop and when accelerating to minimise stress on the diff.
If you are going to replace the diff oil yourself the car will need to be level and ensure you loosen and remove the diff oil filler plug before you remove the oil drain plug. If you drain the oil and the filler plug is stuck you will be in trouble. It will be a lot easier to just buy the correct diff oil and take the car to a reliable mechanic to drain and refill the diff for you while the car is up on a lift/hoist.