Gearbox or CV please help

Hi Guys

Was driving my 1.6 FSI Sport back from Canterbury last Monday and heard a clonk and thought I had driving over a large stone in the road then when pulling up on my drive about 7 miles later I heard a horrible grinding noise from the front axels.

When driving it the following day it now pulls to the left or opposite in reverse, (the pulling is quite significant if you just let the wheel go at low speed! I managed to get it to a local garage about 10 miles away so it drives and the grinding noise is intermittent.

The Garage are saying the gearbox needs replacing but can't explain the pulling to the left (they are an okay garage but I really don't think they have spent much time in diagnosing it, I wondered on here if any had a good idea of what it might be such as the CV joints perhaps.

Thanks in advance!!

Russ
 
I'm assuming someone / your good self has had a look at the wishbone arms to ensure they haven't collapsed (and are the later hollow pressed steel type)?

Hi Bud

Thanks for the response, no I have had the wheels of at the front but didn't have a hard look at the wishbones is there any pictures on if damage how would they look?

The car is a 2004 model if that helps??
 
tbh when you mentioned grinding I immediately thought wishbone. Very dangerous to drive anywhere if it is - wheel bearing wouldnt normally collapse like this you would have had warnings well before this - droning, uneven brake and tyre wear amongst other things.
 
Could even be the spring and broken end jamming. Very dangerous if it is as it could rip the sidewall out of the tyre.
 
tbh when you mentioned grinding I immediately thought wishbone. Very dangerous to drive anywhere if it is - wheel bearing wouldnt normally collapse like this you would have had warnings well before this - droning, uneven brake and tyre wear amongst other things.

Thanks bud, will get the garage to have a look at the Wishbones tomorrow
 
Can you get them to send you some pictures and then post them here? Wishbone likely candidate, then bearing, then spring. Take it there were no warning lights on the dash?
 
Can you get them to send you some pictures and then post them here? Wishbone likely candidate, then bearing, then spring. Take it there were no warning lights on the dash?

Thanks a lot bud, will have a chat with the garage tomorrow, usually I'm quite good with cars and a try and do a lot of the "non engine" work myself so regret now taking it to a garage I've used a lot so so that I can't have a look at it personally.

Great suggestions and if it was a gearbox issue I doubt I would've been able to drive it to the garage after noticing the noises etc. I think the garage is just very busy and fobbing me off so will have to investigate further!!!

The Engine lights is on but has been for a while as the tumble flap actuator broke a while ago but no other lights etc and


As you and other suggested Wishbone, Spring Bearing! Will try those first!!!
 
Well thanks to everyone whom posted their advice and spoke with the garage today and asked them to check the wishbones and yep one has failed probably the left side where it was pulling and making a grinding noise. So thanks to all the posters, they still say the gearbox sounds like it's on it's way out but at least if I can make it driveable it will make things easier and look at a gearbox in the near future.

Does anyone know a good place and make of replacement wishbones and also perhaps future gearbox rebuild etc?

Thanks

Russ
 
If I were you, given you’ve had a lucky escape from what could have been a nasty accident, I’d want to fit the earlier type of control arms that are immune from this type of failure.

The Lemforder (the best make) part numbers for the petrol engine A2 are 27034 and 27035.
 
Glad to have helped and yes agreed it could have been much worse if that had happened at speed.

This isn't a particularly cheap job I'm afraid but agree with @dj_efk that the solid earlier type are preferable as they dont rot from the inside out. The thread linked earlier in here gives you the list of what you would ideally look for as replacements.
 
Really glad you now know what has failed. Yes cast wishbones are better but do not know if still available new. Please do not just replace one side, do both of them. Was the gearbox "bad" before? If not then probably ok.
 
Really glad you now know what has failed. Yes cast wishbones are better but do not know if still available new. Please do not just replace one side, do both of them. Was the gearbox "bad" before? If not then probably ok.

Thanks guys, been speaking with the garage and the best ones they can find from their suppliers are the Delphi brand versions, and the garage doesn't allow you to supply parts (warranty concerns etc), there was a cheaper brand (Starline) so picked what is probably a better brand (Delphi), so probably go with those and in a few years check the condition and I can always upgrade the arms myself once the car is back home (don't feel safe driving it home in its current condition).

I will also replace both sides with the new wishbones (crazy not to and great advice, it's more expensive but much safer and the car will handle better with suspension parts replaced in pairs) as I always do this if a side has failed (shocks bearings etc), I know the left side (which I believe has failed) takes more of a pummeling with pot holes etc but if it is a corrosion issue then the other side is likely to fail also so and that could be a nasty accident waiting to happen.

Wasn't aware of any excessive gearbox whine previously so will try an keep an eye on it once I have the car back, as you said it might be okay once the suspension is fixed.

Thanks again for all of the good advice, it really helped to figure out what was wrong with it!!!
 
For a box rebuild, although I’m not sure you will need one, try an oil change first; Gas N Gears on FaceBook. They really understand VAG boxes.
 
You will also get a couple of new bushes along with your cast wishbones since they are part of the arm so won’t need replacing for a while. Bonus!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
You will also get a couple of new bushes along with your cast wishbones since they are part of the arm so won’t need replacing for a while. Bonus!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
From memory, front ones only. Rear ones in the consul were not supplied with my arms.
 
Back
Top