First, I want to thank
@Sean@Weddle for taking his time to help everyone here and for sharing his knowledge for all of us. Really appreciate you. DOTM nomination coming.
I am having a problem and we think its transaxle related. S4 built by Rancho in 2022. I have 6 trips on the car and have had 3 situations that are frustrating to diagnose.
My car when I come to a stop will lock to the ground. When I start to take off its like all the brakes are engaged and with all the power I can apply, it will barely turn the rear wheels and just bury the car.
First time was a panic stop to avoid a witches eye. I was in third gear, crested over a dune and there it was. I clutched in, shifted from 3rd to 2nd to 1st without lifting the clutch pedal. Planned to drop the clutch in 1st and power out and the car just locked to the ground. Tried several times to power out and just buried the rear tires. Took all the power I could apply while slipping the clutch to get the rear tires to turn.
Car went into neutral just fine, could grab 1st gear just fine but still like it was line locked.
Hopped out and checked the car out. Checked rear midboard temps, warm on both sides but not hot. Checked the front brakes and could jiggle the inner and outer brake pads. Went to the back and couldn't get to the pads but decided to bleed off the brake lines and the calipers. No squirt of fluid and no difference in being locked to the earth.
@Squatcher was with us and he mentioned he had an air bag jack at camp and a co2 bottle. So he went back to camp. An hour passes, he comes back, we jack up the whole back of the car. Grab the tires and they spin just fine. I thought I head a faint click when they turned and thought maybe the trans was locked into a couple of gears with the possibility of my down shifting without lifting the clutch between gears. Car and trans worked fine the rest of the trip.
Forward to this last weekend. Went out for a dune run Friday morning. Solo, Was enjoying a nice ride when I crested over another dune and had to break fast to avoid another chitty spot. I also down shifted but from 2nd to 1st and never came to a stop. Lifted the clutch and the engine shut off and the car locked to the ground again. I played with the turning brakes and worked the shifter between gears a walla is was ok. Drove out and finished that run. It is brakes or the trans, I still dont know at this point.
Saturday, we leave Pad 2 for a morning run to Duners Dinner. Good run no issue and make it there. Head back from the dinner and were moving along and having fun. Get back to Roadrunner and the group wants to play so we step up and into the dunes. We're into the groove and we get the radio call that our buddy Tom has blown his engine. I circle back around to find him side hilled with a rod hanging out. I roll into a flat are below the dune. Get into neutral, let the clutch out and idle for a few minuets to cool off the engine. Shut it down and we all enjoy a cold beverage and make the plans to tow out Tom.
So I am up to the task and hop in to get into position. Fire up, shift into 1st, let the clutch out and I am glued to the earth again. No prior panic stop, basic roll into the spot without using the brakes. Tried everything again, shift in and out no difference, bleed off all the brakes, no difference, tried to power out and just burried the car again.
Send part of the group back to camp for the floor jacks and a shovel. We dig under, get the jacks on both rear sides, jack it up and the rear tires roll like last time. Fill in the sand holes and drive out like nothing is wrong.
Can this S4 get stuck into 2 gears, can I have one gear maybe fused on one shaft? Is it a cool off period thats in play here? Trans temp was 178 deg when I stopped this time.
Or am I dealing with some brake issue.
Brought the car home and planning on pulling the trans but have some hesitation as I just don't know whats actually happening.
Thanks in advance.
And just to be clear, This is not your classic spin the tires and get buried from a stop.
Erik
