Gearbox/driveshaft clunking then stopped

[Guest bigbullhead]

Driving my car to work I went around the corner and my car made an almighty clunk then started knocking from underneath car lost my gears and also heard a sound like a blowing exhaust, or is it the gearbox?or driveshaft dropped and split exhaust or something else 

[NemesisUK]

Can you see anything hanging under the car?

[Guest bigbullhead]

Had a quick look nothing noticeable as had to walk back home and get my wife’s car

[is200 Newbie]

That's exactly what happened on a 2007 IS 250 i had years ago - i found it was the exhaust. It had rotted around the centre resonator - car could not move more than (i think) about 30mph but i was minutes from home and managed to get it back. 

It may be something else but i would check the exhaust around the centre resonator 

[ColinBarber]

7 hours ago, bigbullhead said:

Driving my car to work I went around the corner and my car made an almighty clunk then started knocking from underneath car lost my gears and also heard a sound like a blowing exhaust, or is it the gearbox?or driveshaft dropped and split exhaust or something else 

If it is as described (not doubting you but these things happen quickly) then either a driveshaft or prop shaft failure would cause loss of drive and the potential to damage the exhaust. Prop shaft would be very unlikely and is somewhat contained so I'd say more likely a driveshaft has parted ways at the diff end.

[Guest bigbullhead]

I will let you know the outcome 

[Guest bigbullhead]

Right!!!!! The rear drive shaft has come off smashing the tunnel,made holes in body under the seats and broken the exhaust near cats,any ideas what’s the best way to go about? Buy second hand parts and get the welding is my idea anyone else got any thought?

[NemesisUK]

My first question would be why did the driveshaft "come off"?

[Linas.P]

Yes... this is not exactly common occurrence... as especially considering you car is low mileage if I remember right.

[ColinBarber]

9 hours ago, bigbullhead said:

any ideas what’s the best way to go about? Buy second hand parts and get the welding is my idea

yes, weld over the holes with steel plates. The damaged exhaust pipe section can be cut out and a new piece welded in. Replace the driveshaft.

But you also need to understand what happened to cause this - driveshafts don't just fall out - so did it fail, is there a problem with the diff, did the diff carrier move/fail etc. You also need to be confident that the driveshaft hasn't damaged any of the suspension components and when all the work is done you will need to get the rear wheels fully aligned.

[Guest bigbullhead]

10 hours ago, Linas.P said:

Yes... this is not exactly common occurrence... as especially considering you car is low mileage if I remember right.

145000

[Guest bigbullhead]

10 hours ago, ColinBarber said:

yes, weld over the holes with steel plates. The damaged exhaust pipe section can be cut out and a new piece welded in. Replace the driveshaft.

But you also need to understand what happened to cause this - driveshafts don't just fall out - so did it fail, is there a problem with the diff, did the diff carrier move/fail etc. You also need to be confident that the driveshaft hasn't damaged any of the suspension components and when all the work is done you will need to get the rear wheels fully aligned.

I have had the car 4 years always serviced and money always spent on it but it was in a small front end collision not reported and had a new light the bumper was fill and painted as it had a crack in it so damage wise was not high speed which I read could be a cause 

[Linas.P]

Yes... not exactly low mileage then 🙂 Still rather rare occurrence.

[Texas]

It’s quite a job to get a shaft out when you want to, so I’d like to know how it ‘come off’... UJ failed or shaft failure at some other point. The actual connection has multiple fixings!

[Guest bigbullhead]

1500 quid using a nearly new shaft and welding up and repairing exhaust most is labour due to removing consul and seating etc because I alway repair things properly it’s worth keeping the car and I would need 5000 pulse to find a better example 

[Mr Vlad]

First off glad your car is back on the road. However you say you had a small front end collision yes? What do you call small? In my mind for a drive shaft to 'pop' off and smash a hole in the tunnel and floor under the rear seats  and also damaging the exhaust then that front collision must have been one helluva shunt and possibly written the car off. 

 

[Guest bigbullhead]

11 minutes ago, Mr Vlad said:

First off glad your car is back on the road. However you say you had a small front end collision yes? What do you call small? In my mind for a drive shaft to 'pop' off and smash a hole in the tunnel and floor under the rear seats  and also damaging the exhaust then that front collision must have been one helluva shunt and possibly written the car off. 

 

It was before I owned it but noticed the repaired bumper and new head light, bonnet was the age of car with stone chips so I don’t think it was repaired/replaced

[Guest bigbullhead]

Got my car back after repair it cost 1300 all in. Very pleased with price 

[Mr Vlad]

Excellent news Mat. So what was done to fix the issue? Totally agree with you 1.3k you'll never get another is250 without issues. 

[Guest bigbullhead]

2nd hand drive shaft, all interior out to weld the floor and mend the machined hole made by the drive shaft in exhaust.  mostly labour drive shaft 115 plus vat 

[steve2006]

Did you not get any pictures Matt? It would have been interesting to see the damage before and after repair.

Any hint from the garage as to the initial cause of the failure?

[Guest bigbullhead]

No pictures but happy with the result!!

[H3XME]

Just to put it out there, at 145k miles it might be worth considering replacing bushes. Diff and some arms. Mine is on 153k now and all bushes look fine, but the diff bushes are definitely worth doing regardless because the diff will flex less under acceleration.