Transmission/Clutch/Axle problem!? Sort of desperate here

[ghaze24]

Sorry to do this, I know the guy with the first and only post being a cry for help isn't always appreciated...but this seems to be a pretty friendly place. I've been searching for an answer and while I've found a couple threads that start to sound like my problem they don't have resolutions or it ends up being something different.*begin wall of text...sorry again hahaSo...its a 2004, 2wd, 5sp, 60,000 miles. The problem just occurred yesterday. Shifting from 1st to 2nd the car pretty much came to a stop. There was a loud metal grinding/popping noise and the car stalled. Pushed it to the side of the road and tried to move it again. It moves very slowly at low rpm, we're talking max mph and 2500 rmp, anything above that something seems to "disengage" and there are assorted noises.After messing with it a bit here is all the info I have gathered. The engine runs fine and normal. Everything seems to be ok in neutral and in gear with the clutch pedal pressed. I can shift to all gears including reverse. As of right now the car won't move, the clutch seems like it isn't catching, all I get is a loud metal, whirring, circular noise with the occasional clunk. There seems to be bit more play in the drivers side axle than the passengers. The car rolls when it is in gear. When it does clunk it seems to shake the entire transmission. I put it on stands and got the clutch to engage a little bit, the drivers side seems unbalanced and shaky, could that just be because the axle is at such an angle with the suspension fully down, or maybe an axle problem?Thats pretty much all I've got. No physical damage anywhere, the car wasn't giving an signs of failure previously.I'm really hoping axle or clutch, but it seems like too much going on for it to be simple.Thanks for any and all help, I'll try to answer any questions with as much detail as possible.

[metso5]

pressure plate blowd up good.....or car is in limp mode due to a bad mass air flow?,,,just guessing though

[star_deceiver]

Yup, it sounds like your clutch has committed suicide. Since it's up on stands, loosen all the bolts that hold the tranny and engine to each other and create a gap between them and see what falls out. I believe the tranny can be removed by itself from underneath the car. The clutch itself will set you back $200-$400+, labour for taking it to a shop and having them put it in will easily double it.http://www.autopartswarehouse....sal:0)Welcome to Genvibe BTW!!!

[ghaze24]

Thanks for the help so far guys. I was leaning towards clutch too. I've only ever had one go on me before and it was nothing like this. Are these symptoms pretty usual for the Vibe clutch failures? Searching this forum I seem to have gathered that the stock clutch isn't great anyway?I will be replacing it myself. Any tips or hints, you know, the stuff that only becomes apparent after you've done it once or twice? I know my way around cars, done a couple engine replacements, just new to the Vibe.Oh, and while I'm at it. The HOOD is stuck, pulling on the cable does nothing, even after removing it from the lever/latch thing on the dash. Any idea on this one, is there somewhere I can jam a screwdriver, I can get my hand about 4 inches from the latch through the bumper.Thanks for the welcome btw!

[star_deceiver]

Have someone pull on the cable while you push down and pull up on the hood.

[joatmon]

when my clutch went, it just slipped, no nasty noises, but there are other ways a clutch could fail. I don't kow if anyone else here has ever blown a pressure plate, but it could happenBefore comitting to the clutch,, try to rule out the axles and CV joints. You'll have to pull the axles anyway before you can pull the trannny to service the clutch Maybe put one side at a time on jackstands (securely, not worth dying for), leave engine off, in gear, clutch clutching, and see if you can spin the tire by hand. If you can, have someone spin the tire while you check for movement of the axle where it enters the tranny (should spin with the tire rotation). Spin the tire back and forth, see if you can recreate any unnatural noisestranny failures have been bearings, I'd be surprised if the symptoms you are having are caused by something internal to the tranny.On the hood, do you feel the typical spring tension on the hood release?Welcome to genvibe! Now that you've joined, don't be a stranger. And when you do get the car back in shape, please be sure to let us know what the problem was and what it took to fix it.

[ghaze24]

I failed to mention that the car is on the side of the road, its not quite 20 degrees, snow on the ground and no garage. Not exactly the best working conditions, but I've had worse haha.I tried the pushing down on the hood and pulling the cable. No dice...it seems to have the correct amount of travel and tension in the cable, but it doesn't release. It is still connected to the latch, the cable isn't broken anywhere. Do these hood latches tend to freeze up at all, maybe I'll just get a hammer under there and bang on it!The car rolls freely when its in gear. The driver side axle seems to have more play in it that the passenger. I have not been able to re-create the sounds spinning it by hand, it has to have a bigger load on it to make the noise. Its really hard to tell since its not constant, so I know its even harder for you guys to help with less information, but I really appreciate the input.What happens when the bearings fail, are there typical noises or symptoms?If I can get it somewhere safer to work on today I'll start pulling it apart, I know thats the best way to tackle this, but as of right now its not really an option.Thanks for another warm welcome.

[ghaze24]

Well, I'm not going to be fixing the car, got towed to a shop.

[satur9]

sounds to me like a internal tranny problem. clutches dont usually make loud noises when they go. as for the hood. my cable rusted and snapped right at the hood latch. its kinda hard to explain but you can put a screwdriver into the grill and hit the latch to the right to open hood. i havent bothered to get it fixed as cable is routed thru parts of frame. and i can open it without even looking now.