Driveshaft Bolts (Onto Gearbox) Come Undone - Anyone Else?

[159john]

Hi,

 

Done a search but found nothing; I'm just wondering whether anyone else has encountered this scenario:-

 

I was 'making progress' down the outside lane of the A303 when suddenly a clomp from under the car and complete loss of drive. AA discovered that the bolts attaching the driveshaft to the gearbox had fallen out (fortunately caught by the undertray), and the driveshaft had come out. The bolt threads weren't damaged and the AA man managed to put it all back together successfully and get us back underway.

 

I'd had a new driveshaft fitted by my mechanic the previous week - obviously not totally unrelated! I'm left a bit perplexed though because I have absolute confidence in my mechanic - he was until recently a Master Technician at a VW/Audi Main Dealer (now self employed). I know he must have tightened the bolts because in the week between the new driveshaft being fitted and this incident, I'd done 1,000 miles, much of it up and down first gear hills in Cornwall.

 

Right up until the moment I lost drive, I had absolutely no symptoms of any problem looming.

 

Car has now been back to the mechanic and locktight applied to the bolts. Interestingly in the 250 or so miles after the AA man put it back together, the bolts hadn't loosened at all.

 

It's a 2004 1.9TDDI (130) with 135k.

 

Anyone suffered this or any ideas why it might have happened?

[daddyfixit]

i can only think that he has not tightened them.

 

when I do driveshaft bolts up, I swing on them !!!  although I have re-checked my galaxy since I put a shaft on it (also week before driving 300+ miles to looe bay)

 

put it down to experience, your mech will have shat himself when he heard it had come off !  so he will learn as well.

 

Loctite is an extra safety-net ....

[159john]

i can only think that he has not tightened them.

 

when I do driveshaft bolts up, I swing on them !!!  although I have re-checked my galaxy since I put a shaft on it (also week before driving 300+ miles to looe bay)

 

put it down to experience, your mech will have shat himself when he heard it had come off !  so he will learn as well.

 

Loctite is an extra safety-net ....

Thanks daddyfixit - yep my mechanic is pretty embarrassed about the whole incident! Mistakes happen though, and as you say he'll have learnt from it (he'll probably use a lot more loctite going forward!). I didn't give him a hard time because I do still respect him as a top notch mechanic. I just wondered whether it was a common problem with Galaxy's in particular.