Break down - help with diagnosis

Pinkythelabrat

A2OC Donor
Afternoon. Today I... broke down.

Driving in Ardnamurchan. No phone signal and 19.5miles from my destination on single track roads.

I pulled off to the verge to avoid a Land Rover and when pulling back out of the verge (low speed, first gear, pulling uphill) there was a very loud bang from the passenger front wheel and a lurch to the side.

I pulled back into a passing place on the other side of the road about 50 feet further on and got out to check the wheel and it was totally flat. Pumped it up and could hear air escaping but it was enough to get another 100m to a safer place off to one side of the road.

Pulled the wheel off. There was a hole in the sidewall. I stuck an emergency patch in (I do have a spare with me) but I just wanted to get it back on it’s wheels to check the issue with the drivetrain.

After pulling in to my safe place the car isn’t moving anymore. The engine turns over and runs fine. All the gears feel clean when I’m moving the gearstick with the clutch down. The selector lever is also moving freely in the engine bay.

The problem is that when I put the car in gear and bring the clutch up there is no power going to the wheels. There is a grinding, crunching noise and some shaking of the car but no drive. When I have the wheel jacked up and the car in gear, engine off, I can feel the same crunching as I turn the wheel - which is moving despite the other wheel being on the ground. I got a tow to an ever safer place there was a crunching grinding jerking as the wheels were moved despite being out of gear.

I assume that I’ve broken my gearbox or my differential or something. The clutch seems to be doing its thing and the driveshafts that I can see are turning and connected to the wheels.

I would really love some thoughts from the very clever people on here so that I can obsess about it and try and work out how to repair it or get it the 180 miles home.

I called RAC and they are coming to recover the car. My Premier RAC membership runs out tonight at midnight so I was Lucky!

I just passed 240,000 miles this trip


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As noted (hopefully) CV joint. Thankfully CV is cheap though getting one to you and getting it fitted could be tricky. Jr brand are often recommended here.
 
RAC may subbie to Morar Motors
for that area
See what they say tomorrow AM
If they offer repair and are quick ordering you may get one from local factors
I do have a couple Jr outer cv joints in stock but Perth area
 
Great. Thanks people. That would be much better than a broken gearbox.

I’m off to read up on cv joints. It’s the loch Shiel garage who are picking the car up.


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A very brief update from the garage - ‘needed a new drive shaft’. This seems promising that it’s not the gearbox... fingers crossed.


Had this on a galaxy broke the welds on the end, replacement was one piece.


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Last edited:
Heard from the garage and it is indeed the driveshaft. Apparently the splines have been damaged so aren’t mating properly.

The assembly is a single piece so they are replacing it.

I should have my car back in a couple of weeks.


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Heard from the garage and it is indeed the driveshaft. Apparently the splines have been damaged so aren’t mating properly.

The assembly is a single piece so they are replacing it.

I should have my car back in a couple of weeks.


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Yikes! You don't often hear of splines being ripped off.
 
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