I went to a local VW dealership today and explained my dilemma. The service manager at VW felt my mechanic’s cost estimates were realistic and estimated it would cost about $500 for his shop to take out the transmission and seek to diagnose the problem.
Thank you for the advice Caddyman. The manager of the service department gave me the same suggestion as you. He actually went one step further and suggested I offer to sell the car and see what interest it generated. I posted to vwvortex.com and newbeetle.org. I will post what interest, if any, it generates.
It will all work out…Where there is a will, there is a way…
How could the trans have fallen out if the engine didn't fall out as well. The engine and trans are bolted together and the trans. is actually "sandwiched" I don't see how this is possible, BECAUSE IT ISN'T!! THIS MECHANIC IS FEEDING YOU A LOAD OF CRAP! I think that one of the AXEL SHAFTS came loose at one end and fell down. This is entirely possible for one of the constant velocity joints to come unbolted from the trans. and then the axel will drop down, and then you WOULD lose the drive and come to a stop. This mechanic has figured out that you don't know anything about cars and he is looking to make a fortune off of you. GET YOUR CAR OUT OF THERE and take it to a V.W. dealer and have them just LOOK under the car for you. If it's the axel shaft/c.v. joint, it won't cost you much to have them bolt it back up. They may need to replace the bolts if it drug on the ground and ruined the threads, but that's a long way from the $4,000. that mutts trying to rip you off for.
ALSO, you said that “the shift would not engage any gear”… But it still shifted didn’t it? The shifter still felt normal, but the car wouldn’t move when you let the clutch out right? That also tells me the trans DIDN’T FALL OUT. If the trans fell down even an inch it would have put the shifter in such a bind that you wouldn’t have been able to move the shifter. The reason your car wouldn’t move is because you don’t have positraction and the flange on the trans. that the axel came unbolted from was just sitting there spinning… Don’t waste time getting your car out of there. I hope he hasn’t already pulled the trans and switched if for one that is actually broken or ruined. If you suspect he has done this you will need to check the serial numbers on the trans. If you have any trouble with this guy as far as getting your car back then call your State Attorney General and report him. Also you can call Volkswagen or America. Even though your car is out of warranty,and they WON’T help you pay for repairs, they will help you with the serial numbers. Good luck and keep us posted…
He/she said the shifter still felt normal but just wouldn’t select the gears. I think one of the c/v joints came unbolted and fell down and that is why it lost final drive. I hope he/she reads my post on the next page before falling for that $4,000.00 "trans fell out crap.