So, my piece of shit TDI decided to break in the best possible city in the North-East.
Driving through Detroit, and I go to shift into first, and hear a crazy clunking noise, as if two wrong sized gears are fighting each other off. Shift back to neutral, clutch in and try to shift back to first and it goes in. I didn’t know what to think of it, so I keep driving. A few minutes later it starts making the noise once out of every few gears I shift.
So, I pull over, jack the car up. There is coolant leaking from somewhere higher. There is heat radiating from the gearbox inside the car. The car is significantly louder than it should be, and boost is not kicking in.
Anyone have similar problems in the past? I don’t want to take my car to some hood ass shop down here and be stuck paying a shit ton of money.
I was thinking it was the driveshaft, after reading up on VWVortex. But, after talking to Josh about his driveshaft problems, it may not be.
I was going to swap the Tranny fluid this morning and see how that turns out.
Notes: Car is a 1999.5 VW Golf TDI. 1.9, manual. :fail: It makes the crazy clunking noise when I shift gears fast, when I let off the gas quickly, or accelerate quickly. Metal noise is coming from what sees to be the tranny. The car is louder than usual. Boost does not seem to be kicking in. Gearbox is hot inside the car.
sounds like diff failure… Id get on tdi club and find a local GURU (they have a list of trusted mechanics, I’m on that list for buffalo) to where you are. and or ask around on tdi club.
But the coolant leak should not be from the transmission that would be a separate problem.
Fuck life. Will I be able to make it back to Buffalo without fucking anything else up?
The coolant leak is just a worn feed line, I checked it out.
Edit: I should have bought Sobo’s TDI. =[
If something mechanical is wrong and generating enough heat that you’ve noticed a difference inside the car, driving it a long distance probably isn’t going to help.
Being stranded in Detroit is bad, but being stuck on the side of the highway is worse. From the noise and heat it sounds like complete failure isn’t far off.
Where are you? I have only dealt with big box shops (Belle Tire) here for minor stuff like oil changes and OEM dealers for warranty claims then have Don hook me up when I need something else back in Buffalo.
Head up to woodward tonight if you are still around. At least enjoy some classic cars while you are in town.
Ok well then your not going to get shot in the hood, just don’t make any terrorist jokes.
As for euro shops; I haven’t owned one since I have been out here, but I have heard good things about this place, but it is higher end and not real close to where you are though;
Update: Found a shop, threw it on a lift. Motor mount snapped, motor and tranny shifted, put stain on CV boot from all of the weight shifting.
So, $200 to drill the broken motor mount bolt out, and replace it. This doesn’t necessarily mean that other shit isn’t fucked up.
Josh: Go buy out a Detroit car forum so that I can find cheaper labor next time I get stranded here.
