Transmission failure after clutch replacement

[Jamcal]

We had a new clutch put in our 54 plate Corolla Verso 1.8vvti manual yesterday.

It was driven back from the garage last night. This morning it wouldn't move in any gear.

I haven't had a chance to look at it yet but my wife says the gear lever engages in all gears but disengaging the clutch has no effect.

I'll get a look when I get home tonight but I'm sure we'll need to get the breakdown people out to take it back to the garage.

I wondered if anyone has any ideas. It seems a remarkable coincidence!

[alan333]

Perhaps a driveshaft broken/dislodged/not fitted properly.

[Jamcal]

Just to update. The garage had a look and say that one of the driveshafts has broken owing to corrosion and increased stress owing to a new clutch. It's another £700 on top of the clutch replacement. Does this sound plausible?

[Mike169]

Hi Alastair, I've never heard of it, any chance you can take a photo of the supposed rusty driveshaft and post it online? Incidentally I see you live in Essex, may I ask exactly where as I live in the same county, send a private message if you prefer, Mike.

[alan333]

There's a few threads about broken driveshafts on here, search "driveshaft" but don't narrow it down to a specific car model.

[Jamcal]

Thank you for the replies.

I have been in contact with an independent garage who have also cast doubt on the corrosion idea. I was told that it is more likely down to incorrect installation but that this would be difficult to prove without examining the car.

This is an image taken today by the original repair garage at my request. Unfortunately it's not very clear so I don't know how much use it is in determining cause.

Incidentally, the independent can fix it for a lot less but I'd prefer the original repairer to accept reponsibility given that it failed almost as soon as they changed the clutch.

Am I being naiive?

[Mike169]

Hi Jamcal.

Have you considered contacting your local Toyota main garage and ask them for their opinion and if there is a history of rusty driveshafts on your model 'ringing their neck' after a new clutch being fitted, I think this may be the best advise you can get. Incidentally I don't think you can hold the garage who fitted the new clutch responsible just now as they may just be right. Alan's comment about poor fitting seems the most feasible but he has also commented about broken driveshafts due to rust which cannot be ruled out.

Regards, Mike. 

[Gerg]

Update: Mike has beaten me to it by 10 seconds!!

I have seen a driveshaft fail in a very similar way on a Rover 25 many years ago.

In that instance there had not been any clutch work or otherwise carried out on the car. 

In your photo, to the right side of the breakage, there is what appears to be a thick rubber vibration damper, this is a very common design across many (all?) brands of front wheel drive car.  The damper fits tightly around the shaft, but over time, rust forms underneath and compromises the shaft's strength, not least because the effective diameter of the shaft is reduced.  That is exactly where the Rover 25 shaft failed (whilst being driven normally). That car was in otherwise great condition, but old.

So from that Rover experience, I would say that your garage is not to blame, this was an existing problem - a corrosion trap - that was going to fail sooner or later anyway.

It is a potential problem on many, many cars.  It was lucky that your driveshaft breaking didn't leave you somewhere vulnerable! 

[Jamcal]

Thank you Mike and Gerg. I've done a bit of homework myself this afternoon and you may well be right. I have found other instances of breakages occurring owing to corrosion under this damper with Avensis models of a similar age  although It does not necessarily seem to be particularly common in general for drive shafts to snap across the centre section.

I suppose given that it is an old car and that there is precedent for this It might be a bit hasty to lay the blame at the door of the garage. That said, with the failure occurring immediately after the clutch repair (We didn't even make it off the driveway although this was probably the better outcome), I ought to make sure that the garage isn't being too hasty in avoiding any blame themselves before I part with more money.

 

[alan333]

12 hours ago, Jamcal said:

Thank you Mike and Gerg

Don't thank me then, see if I care .  I'm just the guy who correctly suggested what your problem might be, then told you how to search for similar problems here, on this very forum.  

[Mike169]

Hi, your driveshaft, did you notice if it was a steel tube or a solid round pole so to speak? 

I'll say thank you Alan, your posts are accurate and your advise you give I find very interesting, lol.

Mike.

[alan333]

Thanks Mike 

[Jamcal]

2 hours ago, alan333 said:

Don't thank me then, see if I care .  I'm just the guy who correctly suggested what your problem might be, then told you how to search for similar problems here, on this very forum.  

You are absolutely right Alan so please accept my apologies and my thanks. You were the first to respond to my initial post and to correctly identify the problem and it was very remiss of me not to mention you in my last post.

[Jamcal]

2 hours ago, Mike169 said:

Hi, your driveshaft, did you notice if it was a steel tube or a solid round pole so to speak? 

 

It looks solid to me as do the other very similar looking broken Toyota ones I've seen online.

[Jamcal]

Thank you to everyone who contributed their thoughts on this thread.

The Corolla Verso was back on the road today with a new driveshaft. Here are a few shots of the old one. I think it's safe to say that corrosion was the at root of the issue.

[Mike169]

Hi Alastair.

Well despite my original doubt about the rust option I think it is fair to say rust is the cause of the driveshafts failure.

Incidentally this driveshaft is it the drivers or passenger side and I am assuming you have a right hand drive vehicle?

What did it all cost in the end if you don't mind me asking and just being nosey was you doing ;wheelies' or really pushing the car at the time?

This forum is a good place to let  of steam at times with frustration, lol.

Regards, Mike.

[Jamcal]

Hello Mike,

Right hand drive, left hand driveshaft. It came to just over 210 all in.

The car certainly doesn't get a thrashing unless my wife is being a bit over enthusiastic. She was driving it at the time and I think she had just backed out of the drive and put it in first when it went. The new clutch had only just gone in the day before so I think she was probably still getting used to it. I imagine the car may have still been rolling backwards at the time so it was enough to overstress the shaft which was rather the worse for corrosion anyway.

Regards,

alastair

 

 

[Mike169]

Hi Alistair.

I thought it would be the left hand drive shaft as because more dirty water gets splashed under the car from the gutters than the drivers side.

Whatever piece of metal it is then it usually it's the nearside (Left) of the vehicle that corrodes first because of all the muck that gets thrown up as you drive.

All said and done your car is now sorted but that particular problem is not that common in my opinion but all things on cars can fail at some point.

Been nice chatting to you and hope to again soon, Mike.