I was putting my audi into a different parking spot today so I could finish my lower control arm repair and something strange happened. All of a sudden I lost all power to the wheels. I don't mean I lost electricity, I mean, the car was no longer engaging the wheels while in gear. When I put it in gear and gave some gas, the speedometer would raise, but no actual movement. I can hear the gears engaging and the clutch engaging, but I can't figure out what happened . Did break an axle?

 

that's what happened to mine. left front axle. the speedo moved but no movement.
did the car hold in park?

 

I have a manual transmission so no ark if I engaged a gear I would just roll backward. I thought something like axle but how does that lay into the quattro? Is the torsion just freaking out because of the totally loose wheel?

 

A Quattro should handle a loss of one wheel's traction.
Torsen engages instantly if it senses traction loss between the front and rear.
ESP - any flashings?
Eny codes?
Get the ESP off - any difference?

 

Thats what I thought too, I figured the other 3 wheels would compensate but they dont. ESP off and nothing changes there, codes idk because I'm still trying to get my vag com working on there. IDK what the problem is, it happened so suddenly, with so little effort, and without making a noise. Its really mysterious

 

And it still feels like you're getting clutch engagement? Odd. I first thought "switch off ESP" too. Hmm. My next guess would be throwout bearing, but it shouldn't continue to register speed.

What happens if you try to pull away in second gear? Anything?

 

I'd put it on stands and test w/o load on the wheels.
Check your fuses -
Is the reverse dead as well?

Where does the speedometer get the rpms from - output transmission shaft?

 

Any update?

Your sure the gears are engaging?

 

I thought I read that the torsion system goes to no drive mode when one axel (CV joint)is broken. it was a few weeks -months ago in this section of the forum.

Audi is not 4 wheel drive where you can lock up one end and keep going!

 

Something to look into:

http://forums.audiworld.com/showthre...=339606&page=2
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How the Torsen T-1 (Type A) differential works:
The Torsen differential is simply a torque multiplier that works through the use of friction generated by thrust forces from the internal gearing. It multiplies what torque is available from the wheel that is starting to spin-up or lose traction and sends that available torque, multiplied by the TBR, to the slower turning wheel with the better traction.
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One would wonder:

1.What type is the Torsen C5 has in?
2. Somehow a broken axle situation does not correspond with the description of a Torsen function.
What are the ABS, traction control, EDL, EDS, power management, etc interactions with the pure mechanical Torsen?

More info to ponder over?

http://auto.howstuffworks.com/differential6.htm

(the boxed sample for the Hummer...)