Hi guys.

I'm having the following problem with my A4 at the moment. I'm pretty clueless when it comes to cars so any help will be appreaciated.

My car starts up fine and idles smoothly. I can shift gears with both the clutch in or out but does not matter what I do I can't get the car to move.

The car does not overheat and does not have any funny noises. It's just that the power somehow does not get transfered somewhere.

Please help.

 

Sounds like one of the axles or CV joints are broken. When this happens the torsen sends all the power to that wheel since it has the least resistance.

 

Thanks

The problem is that none of the wheels actually turn. Nothing happens and the vehicle does not move at all.

Regards

 

That is the point. If something is broken none of the wheels are going to turn under power of the engine because all of the power is being sent to the broken spot. This is why our cars use the ABS to slow a wheel down that is spinning faster then the others, it does this so that all of the power isn't sent to that 1 wheel and is sent to all 4 wheels equally.

Now go check all of your axles.

 

Mike is right! Just ask Bri she popped an axle and it left her sitting on a hill with no where to go but up!!!

 

3rd for mike is right. just take a look at your axles and one of them should look odd. it could be 2 problems though. it could just have popped out or it's broken. you can pop it back in but if it's broken, you need to replace it.

 

I have done it twice myself. Broke the front CV and the rear output shaft.

Just ask any S4 owner that has broken a front axle. I have seen a hand full of S4's at the drag races snap parts and every time they do the car wont move on its own.

 

CV, differential, clutch itself... could be lots of things... but I tend to agree with Mike about the CV being the easiest of those things to occur.

 

Wow thanks Mike and all that helped.
Now I understand - had a look and it seems that something going into the rubber on the left front wheel looks like it partially slipped out. I will try and pop it back in and update.

Regards and once again thanks

 

My former mechanic managed to replace the front cv axles on the wrong sides of the car.
Apparently the inner cv has enough play that they will "fit" but the boot on the short side will eventually (for me it was 300km later) pull the circlip from the diff, rendering the car all parked and stuff.

Same symptom, but as they guys said, this is just one cause.