I have a 06 Fusion SE Auto with 233k miles. I had to pull over and have it towed home because I it suddenly just stopped turning the wheels (like in neutral). I can move the shifter but whenever shift into park it makes a creaking/grinding sound for a second on the left side.
I know the left (driver side) CV is bad, about a month ago I took it to a shop for tire change and they told me the left axle shaft seal is leaking and the whole shaft needs replaced. It was not noticeable so I kept driving it. Check engine was on before but it’s engine related.
Everything else including engine work just fine. Trans fluid is clean and full.
My question is, could a bad CV axle on just one side cause this? Would fixing replacing the left CV axle fix it?
Oh the relief. I was worried sick after reading about possible clutch wear inside the trans. So it looks like I should be back on the road with <$400! Thank you Tester
My only worry now is what damage I may have caused while shifting through gears and that grinding.
Not likely any. What you were hearing was the broken parts of the CV-joint thrashing against one another. That action doesn’t propagate into the tranny and cause more damage. Of course if it happened to me I’d probably damage my trousers some.
Next time that tire shop tell you about something going bad mechanically, I would listen to them. You wpuldn’t have needed a tow and you could have been stranded in a very bad place.
Yes, provided that’s what the problem is. I had a CV go out on the way to work one morning. It kept going but when I pulled into my parking stall and reversed, that was it. All the ball bearings fell out of the joint so there was no question what the problem was. I actually replaced it at work that night after my wife was able to drop off the tools I needed. But once one joint goes, its not going to move.
Well folks, Tester was spot on. The axle had actually broken apart completely at the outer boot joint. I found a mechanic that works at a used parts shop so I got a OEM part pulled from another fusion (which I preferred over new after market) and they only charged me $120 total!! Need I say more? Thanks everybody!
Good for you. I had an axle break in half like that on my old VW Rabbit during a camping trip. Driving 35 mph on gravel road, a lot of noise from the right front wheel area, grinds to a stop, then the car wouldn’t move. It was pretty obvious what the problem was when I peaked under the car. The end of the axle was laying on the road surface. A tow truck, a few hundred dollars, and 4 hours later I was back on my way to the campsite.
