Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange
Motor Vehicle Maintenance & Repair Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [drivetrain]

The group of components in a motor vehicle that generate power and deliver it to the road surface. These components can include the engine, transmission or transaxle, transfer case (if so equipped), drive line, and axles.

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Difference between FWD/RWD/4WD/Part-Time 4WD/AWD?

I'm curious as to what are the particular difference between the various drive systems available in modern vehicles. FWD and RWD are pretty straightforward - Front Wheel Drive cars put the power to the front wheels, Rear Wheel Drive puts it in the…
Iszi
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What is the purpose of plastic engine covers?

I have a 2010 Toyota Corolla. What is the purpose of the large plastic cover that stretches over my valve cover? Does it have a particular function? Are they just for looks? Or are they designed by the engineers to protect wiring? I believe its…
David Walz
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how to optimize fuel consumption by changing the rear differential ratio?

Is it possible to improve the fuel consumption (decrease it) in my van by changing the rear differential ratio? I would like to optimize it for low-speed driving about 40 km/h (25 mph). Is it true that the rear differential ratio is optimized for a…
ria
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Is there a benefit to belt driven motorcycles?

What are the pros and cons of belt driven motorcycles compared to chain driven bikes?
Jonathan Musso
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How to diagnose high speed vibration?

I get a vibration at high speeds (50+), can feel it particularly in the steering wheel, front seats, dashboard. I have been trying to figure out what's going on, keeping in mind that: All 4 shocks replaced in April Had a side swipe accident, they…
Anton Pugachevsky
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Does wheelspinning damage my car?

Apart from the tires, if I pull off quickly and I wheel spin, do I cause any damage to the internals of the car? Obviously I don't mean reving it to 4k+ and then dumping the clutch, I mean speeding off from idle speed. 2003 Opel Agila 1.2
George
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Grinding noise while driving

On my Opel/Holden Astra H (150KKm, front wheel drive, m32 6-speed manual transmission) I hear a slight grinding noise from the right-front, starting at about 40 km/h. The noise is synchronous to the vehicle speed, independent of engine rpm. It…
Martin
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Does 2WD mode save me gas over AWD(auto) mode?

My 2015 Nissan Pathfinder has a switch for 2WD, AWD (auto), and 4WD Lock. Do I save gas by keeping it in 2WD? Or it doesn't matter because it's still the same drivetrain and it simply doesn't apply power to the rear wheels?
Man o' Grease
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does a car normally continue moving at a constant speed when in gear and the foot is taken off the accelerator pedal?

I remember when driving a passenger car, when I took my foot off the accelerator pedal completely, but remained in gear, the car would normally continue to move at some low speed, different for each gear, more or less constant for each gear…
ria
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Can I improve fuel economy by changing differential’s gear ratio?

I would like to use my Lada Niva for normal road travel, but at 3500 rpm at 100 kph it is not very fuel efficient. I don’t know what the current differential ratio is, but I assume it has been changed for off-road driving. I already changed a…
Martin
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1 Piece versus 2 Piece Drive Shaft

A guy on a Nissan forum asked why he should keep his 2 piece drive shaft in his truck instead of changing over to a 1 piece version. This was the answer I gave him: The 2 piece drive shaft (DS) is meant to prevent the drive shaft from pulling out…
jp2code
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What additional wear will occur on the drivetrain from running larger tires and not regearing?

This is probably best viewed as a general question, however specifically I'm talking about a 2004 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited with an automatic transmission. I have gone from stock 29 inch tires up to 33 inch tires without regearing. The tires are in…
Soc
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How to shorten a driveshaft?

How can I shorten a driveshaft? Are there any warnings before proceeding? What tools are required, and optimal? Is there a "required" way to measure correctly? How can I keep the metal square? Is there a preferred area to section out of the…
Jonathan Musso
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What exactly is an outer CV joint and how can I replace one?

I recently got my 2004 VW Passat B5 a new MOT, but they said that an advisory item that would get worse over time were worn outer CV joints. The car creeks when turning on full left lock, though I haven't checked the full right lock recently. There…
Max Goodridge
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Drivetrain sounds like rustling leaves above 4k RPMs

2011 Mazda6 FWD 2.5L I4 6-speed manual 85,000 miles 5-6k miles ago (2-3 months) I started to notice a "rustling" sound coming from the front of my drivetrain, but only when in gear above 4,000 RPMs. The sound comes from directly beneath the center…
Trevor D
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