Hi, I have a 98 a4 Quattro. 2.8l 5 speed. I recently bought the car and the guy said that the slave cylinder needed bled. No big deal right? Considering its in great shape, the motor runs excellent, and it was still drivable the way it was. So I tried bleeding it and rounded off the bleeder so I gave up with that idea and hooked a vacuum pump up to the line by the master cylinder and got the clutch working great. Well the clutch decided to stick to the floor today while I was on my way to work (the only symptom to the slave cylinder needing bled) and it wouldn't come back up so I attempted to do as I did before with the vacuum pump by myself and lost a good bit of fluid this time and there wasn't a parts store open to get more so still having some in the master cylinder I tried to drive it home after I got the clutch to pressure up. I drove probably 20 miles and I noticed it started getting hard to put into gear, and then it started acting like the clutch was engaging by itself and the car would stop pulling and rev momentarily. Then I downshift and it made a lot of banging and clanging noises (literally the best way I can explain it lol) and stopped pulling all together. So I push in the clutch and it coasts, I let out and it dies immediately, I push it back in and coast off the road. I put the car in first and try to take off. Nothing. I can't get it into 5th or reverse. And if I put it in neutral and start it then it will die as soon as I let out on the clutch like it's still in gear. Strange right? I've worked on cars all my life and I've never experienced anything like this. Not to mention when I stopped it was smoking from underneath and it definitely smelt like clutch. But now I can't get the car to roll in neutral or with the clutch pushed in. I'm just at a total loss and would love some help. I have a new clutch, pressure plate, throw out bearing, pilot bearing, and slave cylinder. I just have no idea at all what went wrong...thanks in advance for the help. Sorry it's so long, just wanted to make sure I hit all the points. Thanks everyone.

 

Could be the throwout bearing arm has an issue. Could be binding or has come off the pivot point on the other end. Unfortunately, you may have to drop the trans and eyeball it.

 

Quick update now that the car is home. Front wheels will not roll at all and the back two roll but in opposite directions. I'm honestly so confused about all of this. And thanks dave944 we were thinking the throw out bearing could be binding also