Car permanently in neutral?

johneym

hi,

I have a 1998 vw sharan diesel. The other day it stopped. You can put in into any gear allright but it is as if it is still in neutral as nothing happens. Rev it up in first or second but nothing!!! Just neutral. If on a fall it will roll like in neutral. The gear handle feels like it is popping into gear though. Could it be a drive shaft or something?

Tks a lot,

John

serious3

clutch gone

johneym

I think you are wrong. I had a car before where the clutch went. You could still pop in into gear if you rolled it downhill. Also, there was no indication of any clutch problems or gear probs lately. Or, if standing and you forced in into gear it stalled the engine. Not this time. very different.

ford jedi

id say its either a clutch completly gone or the spines are gone on the innner drive shaft on the drivers side very common fault nearly as dear as a clutch

CiniO

johneym wrote: »

I think you are wrong. I had a car before where the clutch went. You could still pop in into gear if you rolled it downhill. Also, there was no indication of any clutch problems or gear probs lately. Or, if standing and you forced in into gear it stalled the engine. Not this time. very different.

This time the clutch might be gone completely, where clutch plate is not even touching the flywheel.
Also as you said - drive shaft.
Might be differential.

Or maybe just gearbox is gone.

Hard to say.

When you put it in first gear, release the clutch pedal and rev it, does it make any louder sound than when revving in neutral?

Can you put first gear with engine running without pressing the clutch pedal?

johneym

When you put it in first gear, release the clutch pedal and rev it, does it make any louder sound than when revving in neutral? No, its the very same.

Can you put first gear with engine running without pressing the clutch pedal?
Yes I can

CiniO

johneym wrote: »

When you put it in first gear, release the clutch pedal and rev it, does it make any louder sound than when revving in neutral? No, its the very same.

Can you put first gear with engine running without pressing the clutch pedal?
Yes I can

So it looks like clutch problems to me. Possibly permanently disengaged.
How come this happened - I don't know.

serious3

as i said, clutch gone

George Dalton

ford jedi wrote: »

id say its either a clutch completly gone or the spines are gone on the innner drive shaft on the drivers side very common fault nearly as dear as a clutch

I agree. Most likely the inner CV splines. And not cheap as you say!

CiniO

George Dalton wrote: »

I agree. Most likely the inner CV splines. And not cheap as you say!

This wouldn't agree with that:

When you put it in first gear, release the clutch pedal and rev it, does it make any louder sound than when revving in neutral? No, its the very same.

Can you put first gear with engine running without pressing the clutch pedal?
Yes I can

corktina

im not an expert but could it be the linkages ? sounds as if it isn't actually selecting a gear

johneym

sorry folks I was wrong. When u try to put it in gear with the engine running,without pressing the clutch it grinds and will not go in. Seams like the clutch is ok.

Wicklowandy

My money's still on the clutch, VAG tdis do this often with failed clutch.