The differential in your Mercedes-Benz vehicle is a set of gears that sends engine power to the wheels, enabling them to spin at different speeds. In a front-wheel-drive (FWD) car or SUV, the differential can be found alongside the transmission inside a housing; the entire unit is called a transaxle. In a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) vehicle, it's found between the rear wheels, connected to the transmission via the driveshaft. All-wheel-drive (AWD) and four-wheel-drive (4WD/4x4) vehicles add a center differential or transfer case, which distributes power both front and rear. Some hybrid cars and SUVs have electronic AWD, which uses an electric motor to power the rear wheels, turning them faster or slower as needed during turns.

The commonest and simplest type of differential, however, is called an open differential; in this setup, the wheels can always turn independently of one another. Newer vehicles have more help here -- from traction and electronic stability control systems, which use anti-lock brake sensors to manage wheel spin.

Some vehicles -- sports cars and performance vehicles, mostly -- use a limited-slip differential. In this setup, if a wheel loses traction, power goes to another. This minimizes wheel spin and helps prevent torque steer (i.e., fishtailing).

Other kinds of differentials include:

• Mechanical-clutch: this kind has clutch plates and pressure rings for added resistance
• Active: this kind monitors driving conditions by computer, activating the clutch when necessary
• Viscous: this kind contains oil-submerged friction discs submerged in oil; the fluid manages disc rotation during wheel slip
• Torsen: this kind adds worm gears for extra resistance
• Locking: this kind makes the front and rear wheels turn at the same speed; it's primarily used for off-road driving such as rock-crawling

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