Series 3 driving on front wheels only

sellatease said:

I love 4WD more than the 3 wheel drive. The four wheel drive tends to run faster.

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Ok.

Kev12 said:

Its possible the big part fell off just leaving the stubby splined bit behind, either that or someones had it away

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don't think it could have been had away, she had been out driving and the loss of drive happened when she was nearly back.

just thinking, if the diff has failed would the handbrake work?

If driving on front wheels only the handbrake will still work. With 4wd engaged the hand brake is linked to the front axle through the transfer box.

tottot said:

If driving on front wheels only the handbrake will still work. With 4wd engaged the hand brake is linked to the front axle through the transfer box.

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oo I didn't know that, thanks for the info, didn't think to get her to try the handbrake again when it was in 4wd. its wending its way back now slowly, arriving Monday.

bugger, if I try the handbrake and it works on the front wheels when it gets back I shall be a tad miffed, it could have stayed down there and come back mid December.

sic transit Gloria mundi as poe would say

Henry_b said:

Ok.

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Watch and wait time, methinks

gold rover said:

Watch and wait time, methinks

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Yep!

suburban said:

don't think it could have been had away, she had been out driving and the loss of drive happened when she was nearly back.

just thinking, if the diff has failed would the handbrake work?

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Yeah, was just making a guess at nothing hanging down yet the prop being the problem. Better to get it home before something more expensive gets damaged by using it as is

suburban said:

looks like the daughter has buggered the s3 down in Exeter so might have to have it recovered back here, the joys of breakdown cover .

symptoms are no hand brake and no drive in normal high range rear wheel drive.

movement with yellow lever pressed down and movement with transfer case in low.

so the rear must not be working and my question is how long might one drive it on just the front axle. i.e. could she drive it till the end of term and make the c180 mile trip back here mid December.

although without hand brake I think it would probably be best to have it brought back.

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As posted by JM depends on where it's broken. If it's a half shaft in the rear axle I strongly recommend not to drive very far. It could potentially trash the rear drive shaft bearing and stub axle. I speak from bitter experience having done that by driving 14 miles home.

Kev12 said:

Yeah, was just making a guess at nothing hanging down yet the prop being the problem. Better to get it home before something more expensive gets damaged by using it as is

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i'm guessing that will just turn out to be his cop out, cold dark evening drive issue etc easier to pass it on to a recovery truck but he may be right, guess I will find out on Monday when it gets dropped off. if the prop has fallen off altogether she wouldn't have known it wasn't there.

wouldn't mind betting it is a halfshaft as the initial responses suggested and the handbrake is a separate issue and just a co-incidence they went together.

Well the handbrake only operates on the rear prop so if a halfshaft went then it wouldnt hold the vehicle. Be interesting to see if it really is the prop or just a cba

tbh I would have probably done the same in his position, realised it wasn't a roadside fix, no point wasting time on a full diagnosis, pass it over and move on to the people he could help

Whilst trialling if rear halfshaft snapped both halfshafts would be pulled and propshaft removed. Allowing the vehicle to be driven home in fourwheel drive high.
The only time I snapped one was it rear offside and had snapped at outer end so just had to pull halfshaft.

the s3 is in the building

unfortunately arrived as it got dark but I had a quick look underneath and the prop and joints all seem fine.

in rear wheel drive the handbrake doesn't work. with the handbrake on in rear wheel drive the car is mobile. take the handbrake off and it doesn't move. put it in gear with the handbrake off and you can lift the clutch up all the way and it doesn't stall. put the handbrake on and it stalls.

in 4wd handbrake works as it should and car will move around as expected.

with car in gear in rear wheel drive the rear prop is not turning

so I am guessing this is a transfer case problem? or something between the transfer case and prop

tomorrow I shall get it up on 4 stands and see if the rear propshaft turns when the handbrake is on

Intersting, just goes to show that all our guesses were probably wrong.

Well you got it home that’s a good start, removing the top cover on transfer box might show something , removing the rear prop then checking drive splines ok , then output flange splines ok , then rear output shaft not split or splines gone , it can’t go much beyond that as front wheels work ok , is it noisy when driving in 4wd , good luck tomorrow and keep us updated

You're certain that the rear prop's not turning? Everything else fits with a broken half shaft or rear diff.

pretty sure I had it in gear, looked underneath and the prop wasn't turning.

have to wait for daylight now unfortunately.

if the halfshaft or diff was gone surely the car wouldn't move in rear wheel drive when the handbrake was applied

suburban said:

pretty sure I had it in gear, looked underneath and the prop wasn't turning.

have to wait for daylight now unfortunately.

if the halfshaft or diff was gone surely the car wouldn't move in rear wheel drive when the handbrake was applied

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I think that by applying the handbrake, you are locking the rear drive and allowing drive to be transferred to the front wheels. With the handbrake off and a broken halfshaft, the drive will just go to the easiest path - ie the rear, just spinning the prop.

The Mad Hat Man said:

I think that by applying the handbrake, you are locking the rear drive and allowing drive to be transferred to the front wheels. With the handbrake off and a broke halfshaft, the drive will just go to the easiest path - ie the rear, just spinning the prop.

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not with a series box as theres no center diff it would just stall the engine if hand brake could grip enough