BIG PROBLEM not sure, need some help

[anf6789]

On my way back to philly today, something bad happened.
Pull up to the toll booth, pay my $4
Lift foot of brake, move over to gas pedal, push it in...
Car moves forward 5 feet and....
CLUNK!! thats it shows over cars stuck in between lanes right before the Ben Franklin Bridge
So after the Delaware Port Authority Police cruiser pushes me off to the side (what a sight!)
I cant see anything wrong, no dripping, smoking, noises, grinding.
Car starts, revs, but if I move the shifter, the engine revs move up like normal, but the car wont move.

Is it the?:

Drive shaft?

Flex Plates/Joints in the driveshaft?

Trans?

Differential?

Other?

Considering my car is parked in the wonderful Camden N.J. right now waiting to be towed tomorrow, i'd like to gain some insight.

My first instinct was the Flex Joints broke, do these symptoms indicate this?

Any info would be great, I want my baby back

Aaron

[zmatt]

If it was the flex joint I have a feeling the drive shaft would have fallen. Where did the clunk feel like it came from? The 5Gtronic is way over built for our purposes (it's in the slr and v12s too) so I doubt it failed.

[horgantrevor]

have you checked the atf level also try the crank case sensor if failed it will cause this


we call it the knock sensor in europe

[anf6789]

ATF fluid level was fine, pink on the dipstick, was changed along with the filter less than 6months ago,
engine runs perfectly, doubt its a knock sensor.
The Trans is a 722.4 not a 5Gtronic, its a 4 speed.
I didn't have a chance to get a good look underneath the car yet.
Its getting towed to my ford dealership where I work.
I really doubt its the trans, there were no signs it was failing, ie no noise or acting up, car was running fine.
I believe its one of the flex joints, the cars 17 years old.
and i don't think its the diff as the car rolls fine, without any noise

[horgantrevor]

have you changed the flex joints in 17 years or have you checked them

[anf6789]

I got the car in 2006 with 116,000mi, so not sure if they were ever replaced. I have 160,000mi now. I have looked at them before, and seemed to be ok, though, I could of been wrong, which I fear I was. When I get it up on the lift, I'll have a better sense of whats going on. Hopefully thats what it is, and not something worse.

[horgantrevor]

hopefully some thing small

but the more i see mb parts in america are like three or four times what they are in europe

i would be annoyed with the pricing no reason for it america is a big place and the turn over of parts is huge i bet some parts are made in america

[strictlyspeakin]

considering you had no warning, I wouldn't lean toward a tranmission failure. My transmission in the 190 failed where it would rev but no movement. But in that case, I had warnings. In my opinion, the CLUNK is your clue. I'm liking the flex disc for this also.

Keep us posted.

[anf6789]

So had it up on the lift today, It turns out to be one of the CV halfshafts went. That seems to be it. Will be replacing it sometime this week. Thanks for the help guys

[Sulaco]

This is a good thread. Someone needs to make a pictorial and/or DIY on this job... :)

I was about to chime in and say flex joint. The drive shaft has a center support bearing, so even if both flex joints fail, it won't fall anywhere. Oh well, wrong diagnosis anyway.

[anf6789]

new axle was put in today, got the axle wholesale from an import car supplier by me, $125.. Had it put in at the ford dealership I work at. Funny thing is, I cant drive the car, because miraculously, the fuel pump sprang a leak;( ..... That and someone forgot to set the parking brake (while the cv was till broken), and now I need a new hood and headlight, thats what happens when a work truck stops a rolling car..lol

[anf6789]

http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/261447_10150660907845444_887265443_19360609_551028 5_n.jpg

thats what a sheared cv shaft looks like. My C280 obviously has like 1000hp. or rusty halfshafts. hard to tell sometimes. :)

[SD202]

I was messing around with my camber arms and noticed my axles are missing both of those CV boots on the inner Differential side. How hard was the install ? Did you need any specialty tools ( bearing presses ) ??

[anf6789]

the mechanics at work did it on a lift, so that simplified things. I believe you need a special socket, 12point or something? maybe someone on here knows