What has just went wrong with my car?

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Bigbangmerc

New Member
Joined
Jan 27, 2021
Messages
6
Location
Northern Ireland
Car
Mercedes A Class 2014
Hi everyone!
I’m hoping I’ve come to the right place for some advice. I’ve had my car for 5 years now and tonight on the way home from work I put it into 1st to move at the traffic lights and it let out a huge bang from the front end and it wouldn’t drive.
the engine is fine, the steering is fine, but when I put it into any gear it just won’t drive forward, it won’t go in reverse either. Thankfully I was able to free wheel myself to a safe place because the wheels turn fine. Had to get it towed to a mechanics who thought it might be a drive shaft but they’ll need to take a closer look. Has this happened anyone before? I thought that if a drive shaft went then the steering wouldn’t work but the steering is fine.
sorry if this is a silly question, I wouldn’t be too clued up on cars.
thanks, Whitney
 
Hi everyone!
I’m hoping I’ve come to the right place for some advice. I’ve had my car for 5 years now and tonight on the way home from work I put it into 1st to move at the traffic lights and it let out a huge bang from the front end and it wouldn’t drive.
the engine is fine, the steering is fine, but when I put it into any gear it just won’t drive forward, it won’t go in reverse either. Thankfully I was able to free wheel myself to a safe place because the wheels turn fine. Had to get it towed to a mechanics who thought it might be a drive shaft but they’ll need to take a closer look. Has this happened anyone before? I thought that if a drive shaft went then the steering wouldn’t work but the steering is fine.
sorry if this is a silly question, I wouldn’t be too clued up on cars.
thanks, Whitney
Just a side note, I can put the car into gears, that’s not the problem, it just doesn’t go anywhere if that makes sense.
 
Mercedes A class 2014 for anyone on mobile who cannot see car info.

BigbangMerc, can you confirm engine and gearbox please i.e. how many gears manual automatic and how many miles?
 
Last edited:
Auto or manual gearbox?
 
Sorry, i had a phone auto correct typo. I meant to say gears, not years! I've corrected my post above.
 
Wonder if the clutch has had it.

I understand hydraulic clutches don't really slip anymore and just "go" when they have worn out (although I've never had a manual clutch go, previously when I had manuals, that didn't just slip leading up to that).

Does the car feel like it is trying to go somewhere (even slightly) when you release the clutch pedal?
 
I have no idea.
no the clutch is fine and I can get it into gear as easily as I could before the bang, it just doesn’t go anywhere when it’s in gear, tried reverse, it didn’t work either. No warning lights on the dash. 2nd mechanic seems to think it’s the drive shaft so we’ll see.
just wondered if anyone else had experienced it in case it wasn’t the drive shaft.
can’t really complain, the car has been good to me these past 5 years and has given no bother, just typical for something to go at home time in the pissing rain lol
 
Yeah, sounds most like to be one of the drive shafts then as they transmit power from the gearbox to the wheels.

Your car is front wheel drive and the bang came from the front...

You won't have a warning light for that (not something you can really miss!).

Not something I've heard of happening before though although I am not a mechanic.

A relatively cheap repair on an A Class fortunately.

Good luck with it and welcome to the forum... shame you needed to join in such circumstances.
 
My guess would be drive shaft (which should be easy to inspect on a ramp) or dual mass flywheel letting go and damaging the clutch plates. The fact it's gone with a bang suggests something major and important like these two.


An inspection at a Merc independent specialist is the next step if this can't be easily identified. Local recovery is usually in the £50-100 region, so not the end of the world to get it somewhere for diagnosis
 
Yep agree with John. Most likely the driveshaft. Had similar experience in the past, only knew sooner then later when I spotted a few ball bearings next to the front wheels.
 
Thanks for the help & the replies! Hopefully is just the drive shaft then! As I said, it’s a great wee car, has given no trouble. Appreciate everyone getting back to me! :)
 
Should have asked is it 169 or 176
 
Would be a 176 I would think as 169s stopped in 2012 and the OP has "Mercedes A Class 2014" as specified car.
 
It's not unknown (but not common), on the older W168 & W169 A-classes for a driveshaft to 'drop' out if somebody has undertaken work on them / suspension and they either weren't refitted correctly or the proper procedure wasn't followed. I can't recall the detail / precise reason now but seem to recall it was due to failure to 'seat' properly and the shaft could pull out, particularly on lock. The newer ones are different but the engineering is similar.
 

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