Hi guys.
Ok straight to the point has my transfer box gone or the driveshaft or maybe just popped out.

Got home on saturday from work popped out to the shops to get a couple of things before settling down to relax in front of tv for the evening. got back in the car in the supermaket car park reversed out of my parking spot put the car in 1st gear lifted clutch and was greeted with a loud clunk/bang and a lot of gear teeth buzzing sounds, main drive to the car had gone but it would crawl forward.

Luckily i only live 1/4 mile from shop and i managed to nurse her home at 5mph any attempt at accelerating was dismissed and i was given the teeth buzzing sound, but let the car just coast on idle and she limped along fine without any nasty sounds. Get the jag home and immediately jack it up the gear buzzing seemed to be coming from directly underneath me so i'm initially thinking transfer box. after an initial play about a few things become clear. Engine all ok (Yippee!) Main gear box and clutch all ok (Yippee! again). But definitely something grinding at the transfer box ( Yipes!)

Get the wife to slowly lift the clutch while in first gear while i sit to the side of the car and i can see the main drive shaft to the rear is not turning. so again i'm thinking transfer box (Yipes again!), but then i notice that the transfer box is turning and the front of the drive shaft that is bolted to the transfer box is also turning but the rest of the driveshaft isn't.

So can you guys tell me is how are the driveshaft and the transfer box actually linked together ,as i thought the six or 8 bolts that joined the 2 was how they were connected or is there a middle inner section that spins only and transfers to power to the rear. Either way what do you guys think has actually broken here.

Any and all help appreciated. car is a 2001 AWD 3.0 V6 has recently had both front driveshafts replaced to front wheels and the gear box and transfer box oils were replaced last year. Car is uber well maintained and never thrashed.

 

Hi Nemisis,
Sorry to hear of your anguish!

Here's some info I stole from Jagforum co uk.#
AWD Driveline in detail

I can't advise but am sure someone like Thermo can advise if he's available?

I wouldn't do anything rash until you do get sound info though, I think you've done the right thing so far and I sympathise!!!

I am thinking gearbox with the grinding teeth, but that could also a few things? On the post I've copied there's some good info on the AWD, I hope that helps and by the way I'm wondering how you did your wheels?

Could be be in direct relation to the replacements you had before, I'd deffo look into that?
But I'll save that for another time, the're smart!!!
I have the same but they are dull and more grey, unlike your MIRRORS!
Good Luck, Stu

 

Hi Stuart
Thanks for the compliment on the rims i got them refurbished last June at a company called Aerocoat in Norfolk. They do a fantastic job. I work as a tyre fitter for Kirkley Run Tyres in Lowestoft Suffolk but originally hail from Glasgow. Anyway i had seen how good a job this company have done on other customers cars when getting them refurbished, so when i got the jag and the wheels were kerbed to hell and back i knew i would be getting them refurbished at some point.

The wife who bought me the jag for my 40th birthday paid to get them done for my 41st birthday, so i went for the high chrome finish. As you know the originals are more of a silver grey finish and not a high polished effect either so i went for the mirror effect to distinguish it from the rest of the pack as it were.

Love having the jag best car i've had, an no matter what goes wrong with it i will get it fixed. It's my pride and joy, just ask the wife she will telll you there is about 15 layers of wax on it at all times and i've rust proofed the sills last year when it was up in 4 jacks for the week waiting for the rims to be done. was gutted when i heard the bang and the power just went followed by the grinding, but i know i will be getting it fixed one way or another and have got a lot of mates that can help me replace whatever has gone wrong be it the gear box or the transfer box.

Just need to find out which bit is broke. by this time next year i was planning on having all the mechanicals replaced ie suspension and brakes with new genuine jag parts but a new gearbox was not on the plan lol.

 

Yes,
Good Ol' Glasgow!!
I love the shine, EXCELLENT JOB! I agrre the car is fab, just a shame you are having this woe, hang in there!!
I would bet you prefer the suffolk weather too although I believe the UK weather in general pretty much has diminished, talking point rain again!
Keep the faith, Stu

 

Nemesis, from the sounds of things, what has happened is either the slip yoke or the rear drive shaft flange splines have failed and what is happening is the output shaft from the transfer case is spinning, but the splines are not able to make up enough to transfer decent power. This is then zapping all the power from the car.

Just to rule out the tranny, you can try shifting the car to "2" and seeing if it will move there. This puts you on a different set of teeth in the tranny and can eliminate some stuff there. But I am still putting my money on the splines on the output shaft of the transfer case. It could be something as silly as the nut holding the output flange came undone and the flange backed off slightly (or wasn't seated properly to begin with).

 

Hi Thermo
Thanks for the reply just confirming for you that it does not matter what gear i select, reverse or 1st to 5th same thing happens no actual main power goes to the wheels the car does want to move but only slowly and any attempt at accelerating only results in the sound of what is definitely splines just missing each other, but let the car idle in gear and it will "coast" along. rear output shaft of Transfer box does turn but main front to rear driveshaft doesn't.

Also i had noticed recently that i had on the odd occasion heard a small clunk coming from the car as i engaged and disengaged the clutch as though there was a tiny amount of play in one of the driveshafts probably should have looked into it sooner as it is obvious now that this was probably the warning sound of something loosening off that shouldn't be but i only heard it on the odd occasion usually at lower speed when car was cold and it was only in the last week or two i heard it.The failure of the part was instant when it happened though and the car just let out a clunk as though something had just let go or fell out of position i initially thought the driveshaft had fallen off the car at the transfer box but obviously not the case

I take it if it is the splines, i'm looking at a new or second hand transfer box to fix the issue.

regards Nemisis

 

Just looked up the JTIS and i think that the universal joint on the front of the driveshaft has failed in some way as the uv joint spins when in gear but the main driveshaft doesn't

 

nemesis, if you wanted to prove that it is the transfer case, you should be able to get both of the front wheels up in the air and then with the help of a second person do a quick check. With the front in the air, put the car into Neutral (make sure the e-brake is set and the rear wheels are blocked) and then both of you rotate the wheels in the same direction. You should only be able to move the wheels about 2-3 inches. If you can spin the wheels, then you can hold one of the wheels as the other one tries to spin their wheel. If you still get movement, then your problem lies in the front end of the car (CV joint most likely). If you can spin both of the front wheels, then odds are you are looking at the splines for the rear driveshaft (spin both front wheels by hand and then with the wheels moving, look underneath to see if you can spot where the slipping is occurring).

Hopefully this will atleast narrow down where the problem lies. Wish you luck.

 

Thermo just to let you know it was the universal joint on the driveshaft that had gone. the front uv joint just spun on it's own. got a second hand prop shaft for £50 and fitted it myself in under an hour easy peasy back on the road again lol.

 

Nemisis, not a problem. Nice to know that it was something fairly easy and cheap.