Q: Can your front differential make noise and cause vibration with increased rpm while in park? It's a 2008 jeep commander.

asked by on June 13, 2017

I have an 08 jeep commander AWD. Was hit by two deer recently and when I tried to drive the car to the shop I noticed humming and felt vibration in the pedal and floor board. Checked it in park and determined it is rpm based. Begins at 2 thousand rpm and gets real bad around 4 thousand changing in pitch. The shop said it's the front differential bearing but I said that doesn't make sense if it does it in park. I thought motor or transmission mount.

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Any part that was impacted in the collision, for instance the crankshaft harmonic balancer, could be a cause. Of course, the differential, including bearings, is not implicated if the car is not moving when you are able to generate the noise. I would remove the serpentine belt and run the engine momentarily just to be sure the issue is not with a belt driven accessory. Apart from that, all other rotating components, such as the torque converter, as well as the engine mounts will have to be carefully checked out. There is also a possibility that the vibration stems from an engine management issue, typically a sensor or electronic controls. If you want the required diagnostic steps performed by a certified Mechanic, dispatched by YourMechanic right to your location, please request a vehicle vibration diagnostic and the responding certified mechanic will get this taken care of for you. If you have further questions or concerns, do not hesitate to re-contact YourMechanic as we are always here to help you.

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