Drivetrain

The engine is what powers your vehicle, but how does it transfer that power to the wheels and get you moving down the road? Through the drivetrain.

Simply put, the drivetrain—through a series of parts—connects the engine to the wheels. While the concept of the drivetrain is the same on every vehicle, the actual components and their locations will vary depending on whether your vehicle employs a front-wheel drive (FWD), rear-wheel drive (RWD), all-wheel drive (AWD), or four-wheel drive (4WD) system.

On a FWD system, power from the engine flows through the transaxle (which combines the transmission and the front differential) to the drive axles, which connect to the front wheels. On a RWD system, power from the engine is delivered to the rear wheels via the driveshaft and rear differential. An AWD system delivers power to all four wheels by combining elements from the FWD and RWD systems.