# I blame the mechanic, he blames me! **URL:** \ **Category:** Maintenance/Repairs\ **Created:** [December 4, 2019, 1:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001 "2019-12-04T01:04:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eric\_M\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e480ec/32.png) [@Eric\_M\_2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Eric_M_2)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 1:04am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/1 "2019-12-04T01:04:05Z")
![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/6/1/61b9c8a73e71fd4061b5fdc449c1bc464ff2078e.jpeg) I have a 2007 Audi A4 and about 5 weeks ago had both front cv axels replaced. About a week ago they start creaking, cracking, popping all that so I call the mechanic up and he tells me to bring it in. He puts it on the lift and the left axels is just torn all apart and the internals were wearing down, the right side had a small gash and both axels had all the grease everywhere. He’s trying to make it seem like it’s something I did somehow asking me if I’d hit a curb or if I’ve been slamming it in park while moving, just all around stupid questions. Then he asks if I have any beef with someone because they might have slashed my cv axels which is in my opinion a stupid thing to come up with. Anyways he ordered me new axles but I want to know what he did wrong to cause this. I guess they could have just been defective but the chances of both being defective is small. ---
**Author:** ![Barkydog](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/barkydog/32/2470_2.png) [@Barkydog](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Barkydog)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 1:07am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/2 "2019-12-04T01:07:07Z")
WOW, I can not imagine how that would happen. ---
**Author:** ![Tester](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/tester/32/15976_2.png) [@Tester](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Tester)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 1:09am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/3 "2019-12-04T01:09:00Z")
I can see the splines on the axle that should be inserted into the hub. Tester ---
**Author:** ![Eric\_M\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e480ec/32.png) [@Eric\_M\_2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Eric_M_2)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 1:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/4 "2019-12-04T01:21:53Z")
![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/4/b/4b4d7268bbc3a87a785f24c7087c7a92dc82bb97.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![PhantomPatriot](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/phantompatriot/32/20713_2.png) [@PhantomPatriot](https://community.cartalk.com/u/PhantomPatriot)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 1:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/5 "2019-12-04T01:21:56Z")
The work wasn’t done properly the first time. Ask them to fix their mistake. Cutting the boot won’t make the axle come out of the hub. ---
**Author:** ![Eric\_M\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e480ec/32.png) [@Eric\_M\_2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Eric_M_2)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 1:31am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/6 "2019-12-04T01:31:41Z")
![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/original/3X/9/4/9464902a0a81701302c11847614c56594c5dafe0.jpeg) If you look at this picture you can see a small cut in the boot where I circled. The rest is just indented from the mechanic pushing it. Was this going to end up like the other one? ---
**Author:** ![jtsanders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c2a13f/32.png) [@jtsanders](https://community.cartalk.com/u/jtsanders)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 1:51am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/7 "2019-12-04T01:51:21Z")
it looks like you ran over something that tore the boot. IMO, you should contact your auto insurer and see if they will cover it. That’s what you pay them for. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 2:08am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/8 "2019-12-04T02:08:38Z")
Are you buying remans, aftermarket new or Audi new? Most remans I’ve had only lasted 5 months to a year. I’ve had good luck with aftermarket units made in China but others have not. You can’t go wrong with factory new but they do cost more, a lot more. ---
**Author:** ![kurtwm1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/13edae/32.png) [@kurtwm1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/kurtwm1)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 2:15am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/9 "2019-12-04T02:15:18Z")
> [@Eric\_M\_2](#): > > Was this going to end up like the other one? Eventually, yes. ---
**Author:** ![Eric\_M\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e480ec/32.png) [@Eric\_M\_2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Eric_M_2)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 3:44am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/10 "2019-12-04T03:44:29Z")
I’m not really sure what the mechanic put on it I’ll have to ask him. I believe aftermarket new. I don’t think the problem was the axel but rather his installation job. ---
**Author:** ![Eric\_M\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e480ec/32.png) [@Eric\_M\_2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Eric_M_2)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 3:48am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/11 "2019-12-04T03:48:41Z")
> [@jtsanders](#): > > it looks like you ran over something that tore the boot. IMO, you should contact your auto insurer and see if they will cover it. That’s what you pay them f The cv axel is covered under a warranty because they are only 5 weeks old. They will be replaced tomorrow. But I don’t think I hit anything to cause this. Something inside the axel caused the damage ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 4:21am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/12 "2019-12-04T04:21:49Z")
See @Tester comment above. If the splines weren’t inserted all the way in the hub, obviously the axle would be too compressed when driving and turning. Did the axle bolt come off? Was it a new one instead of the old one? Was it tightened to pull the spline all the way through the hub? I’ve only done a few but I read the directions. Certainly to me looks like a hack job. ---
**Author:** ![Nevada\_545](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/nevada_545/32/41232_2.png) [@Nevada\_545](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Nevada_545)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 4:38am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/13 "2019-12-04T04:38:47Z")
The appearance of the splines on the axle shaft is normal, the axle shaft is connected to the inner race of the CV joint. If the axle shaft passed though the hub you wouldn’t be able to steer, only go straight, there needs to be a joint at the hub. ---
**Author:** ![George\_San\_Jose1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e5b9ba/32.png) [@George\_San\_Jose1](https://community.cartalk.com/u/George_San_Jose1)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 4:39am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/14 "2019-12-04T04:39:23Z")
It’s a pretty common here for folks buying half-shafts (cv axles) to be given the wrong part number at the parts store. There can be a half-dozen different part numbers to choose from for the same make/model/year of vehicle. Which ones fit your car depends on the transmission, possibly the engine, 2wd vs awd, among other factors and options. When I’ve installed front cv axles – I’m just a driveway diy’er, no expert — but once the splines start going into the hub, they’ve always gone in the whole way without further complaint. They just slip right into the center of the hub. I’d be surprised if the splines would get stuck part way if the part number was correct. I’m guessing that the wrong part numbers for the axles got installed. The OP presumably has driven this car for a long time without their driving damaging the original CV boots, so it seems unlikely the OP’s driving damaged _both_ of the replacement in 5 weeks. OP , suggest to ask your shop to double and triple check the half-shaft part numbers before trying this again. ---
**Author:** ![Eric\_M\_2](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e480ec/32.png) [@Eric\_M\_2](https://community.cartalk.com/u/Eric_M_2)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 6:49am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/15 "2019-12-04T06:49:32Z")
I will do that, thank you guys ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 7:54am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/16 "2019-12-04T07:54:52Z")
> [@Nevada\_545](#): > > If the axle shaft passed though the hub you wouldn’t be able to steer, only go straight, there needs to be a joint at the hub. I was probably unclear. It’s been a few years but the outer joint has the splined shaft that goes through the hub. The other shaft goes between the two joints. The hub turns with the wheel as the outer joint allows. Then could have just been a faulty joint. ---
**Author:** ![keith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/keith/32/5518_2.png) [@keith](https://community.cartalk.com/u/keith)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 7:00pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/17 "2019-12-04T19:00:17Z")
The splines on the axle shaft means that the outer CV joint is probably replaceable. ---
**Author:** ![bing](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/bing/32/4619_2.png) [@bing](https://community.cartalk.com/u/bing)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2019, 11:58pm UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/19 "2019-12-04T23:58:10Z")
I guess the question that we don’t know is if it is just the boot or the joint that ruined the boot. From my little experience though, the only time I’ve had a boot that destroyed was when the joint itself failed. ---
**Author:** ![thegreendrag0n](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/cartalk/user_avatar/community.cartalk.com/thegreendrag0n/32/9265_2.png) [@thegreendrag0n](https://community.cartalk.com/u/thegreendrag0n)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2019, 12:03am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/20 "2019-12-05T00:03:00Z")
from the looks of the CV axle on another side, mechanic was using brute force when putting them in great they will replace it for OP under warranty, but I would go and review the result of their work right after getting car back… although I can imagine they will not beat it so badly the second time ---
**Author:** ![TwinTurbo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@TwinTurbo](https://community.cartalk.com/u/TwinTurbo)\ **Post date:** [December 5, 2019, 12:10am UTC](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001/21 "2019-12-05T00:10:57Z")
In the first picture, what is that chewed up part in the upper left side? It looks chewed up as if it was against the boot/axle. Looks like a chunk of it on top of the boot as well. Those parts are missing from the second photo… [Next page](https://community.cartalk.com/t/i-blame-the-mechanic-he-blames-me/154001.md?page=2)